I don’t know all that much about Egyptian history. The subject has always intrigued me, since much of the Bible’s early history is affected by Egypt. I even went so far as to purchase a few DVD courses a few years ago on Egyptian history, but haven’t studied them completely. It has always been an interest of mine, but never a passion.

That may have just changed.

Over the weekend, I read The Woman Who Would Be King, by Egyptologist Kara Cooney. I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down.

Written in an almost biographical format, The Woman Who Would Be King is about Hatshepsut and her reign as king of Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty.

Against all odds, and against early civilization’s strictures against women in power, Hatshepsut took firm control of the leadership of Egypt when her dynastic line was in trouble. Her powerful father, Thutmose I was dead, leaving a sickly heir, her husband and brother, Thutmose II. Shortly after this, he died as well, and the new heir to the throne was a young child.

Hatshepsut quickly stepped in as regent and co-ruler, taking the reigns of the nation in hand and leading firmly. As she consolidated her power, she built a legacy that few other kings could match. She expanded trade with several new regions in Africa and around the Mediterranean, and even into Asia. She pushed her military strength south into Africa, bringing home much wealth from Nubia. And she instituted a building frenzy of temples, obelisks, and other Egyptian structures that is unparalleled in much of Egypt’s history.

Much of the history of Hatshepsut is gleaned from what is left of her legacy, which has been worn down by time and the sands of Egypt over the past three and a half millennia. As a result, there is much we will never know about the intricacies of her rule and of the events and circumstances surrounding her life. But what we do know is fascinating.

Author Kara Cooney is an associate professor of Egyptian art and architecture at UCLA. She is probably one of the world’s foremost authorities on the life of Hatshepsut. Her studies and research have led her to some incredible insights into the life of what must have been an extraordinary woman, and Egyptian culture and politics during her lifetime. Her work here is fascinating and thorough.

My interest in Egyptology has been piqued. I’m ready for more.

Question: Have you ever heard of Hatshepsut? What other periods of Egyptian history do you enjoy? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

I received this book free from Crown Publishers as part of their Blogging For Books blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.