Author Description

The first chapters of the book treat the physical and institutional setting - the geographic conditions of ancient Egypt and how the great office of Pharaoh developed, with an extensive bureaucracy supporting it. The next chapters discuss the political background as it influenced the reigns of Ramses. The life and work of Ramses form the core of the book. The famous battle of Qadesh made the military reputation on which he capitalized so successfully. His extensive family, which retained power for two hundred years, allowed his reforms to endure. Most of all, the magnificent buildings which still stand from his reign attest to its vigor and sophistication. Many maps and illustrations.