I decided to track down Egypt's Golden Couple - When Akhenaten And Nefertiti Were Gods On Earth (#1,231) at our local library to begin reading up before our Nile cruise this winter. Written by a pair of married Egyptologists, John and Colleen Darnell, the cover blurbs promised new insights into this controversial pair. I was disappointed.
The authors introduced each chapter with a fictional episode based on carvings, sculptures and artifacts of the period. They then concluded with a non-fiction essay on a topic related directly or tangentially to Akhenaten and Nefertiti. A number of these had to do with correctly interpreting hieroglyphics concerning the royal pair. Since I have no interest in diacritical markings of a technical nature, I found these chapters tedious, even though I plowed through them.
In the end, did I learn anything about Akhenaten and Nefertiti I didn't already know? Yes, a few things. Would I recommend this book to a casual reader who merely has curiosity about ancient Egypt and wishes to expand his or her knowledge? No. It's like trying to follow a sand flea as it jumps from topic to topic. If you already have a background in ancient Egyptian history, this might be a good addition to your library.
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