The life, dramatic reign, and enduring legacy of Pharaoh Ramses the Great, with lessons for the present, by the internationally renowned Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson.

"The author manages to bring this distant era to life through detailed narratives and insightful analysis... Whenever possible, the author seizes opportunities to look beneath the mask." — The Economist

Ramses II ruled the Nile Valley and the broader Egyptian empire from 1279 to 1213 BC, one of the longest reigns in the history of the pharaohs. He was a cultural innovator, relentless self-promoter, and skilled diplomat — the peace treaty signed after the Battle of Kadesh was the first recorded in history. He built more than any other Egyptian pharaoh, leaving behind the temples of Abu Simbel, the great hypostyle hall at Karnak, the tomb for his wife Nefertari, and his own monument, Ramses.

His fame overshadowed that of other pharaohs: he was condemned in the Bible as a tyrant, celebrated in literature as Ozymandias, and praised by early archaeologists as the New Memon. His reign coincides with the peak of ancient Egypt’s power and prosperity, the New Kingdom (1539–1069 BC).

In this distinguished biography, Toby Wilkinson examines Ramses’s preferences and concerns, revealing the methods and motives of a megalomaniacal leader, with lessons for our own time.

Pages: 240, Year of Publication: 1001, Dimensions: 14x14cm