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The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt

Kara Cooney

3.57 · Rating details · 5,805 ratings · 744 reviews

An engrossing biography of the longest-reigning female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt and the story of her audacious rise to power in a man’s world.

Hatshepsut, the daughter of a general who took Egypt's throne without status as a king’s son and a mother with ties to the previous dynasty, was born into a privileged position of the royal household. Married to her brother, she was ...more

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Hardcover, 298 pages

Published October 14th 2014 by Crown Publishing

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Sep 24, 2014 Iset rated it really liked it

Shelves: bronze-age-5000-to-1100bce-factual

Full disclosure: I requested an ARC of this book and was approved for it.

I’m an Egyptologist, so it’ll be no surprise if I reveal that I have been quite eager to get my hands on this book. The author is not a new name to me – in fact I reviewed her tv series a few years back (I’d recommend it to beginners wholeheartedly, though it didn’t really offer anything new to me) – and a new biography of Hatshepsut is definitely a cause for excitement. The last Hatshepsut biography I’ve seen was Joyce Tyl ...more

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May 02, 2014 Christine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-and-arcs, minority-and-women-writers, history-womens, history-egypt

Disclaimer: ARC via the publisher and Netgalley.

When you think of an Egyptian female ruler, who do you think of?

If the answer is Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, Dr. Kara Cooney wants to talk to you.

I have to admit that Dr. Cooney annoyed me a bit in the introduction. I swear if I saw the phrase “twenty-two years of experience” again I was going to smack someone. (I was reading this on my Kindle, so I couldn’t throw it).

But after reading this excellent book, I can see why she might feel that s Disclaimer: ARC via the publisher and Netgalley.

When you think of an Egyptian female ruler, who do you think of?

If the answer is Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, Dr. Kara Cooney wants to talk to you.

I have to admit that Dr. Cooney annoyed me a bit in the introduction. I swear if I saw the phrase “twenty-two years of experience” again I was going to smack someone. (I was reading this on my Kindle, so I couldn’t throw it).

But after reading this excellent book, I can see why she might feel that she has to defend her background. This is because some people will say that this book is too much (a) guesswork (b) conjecture or (c) romanticized. It is and isn’t a and b; as for c, well that’s just the first bit, and she doesn’t do it again until the very end (and you could argue that she doesn’t even then).

Cooney’s book, in case you can’t tell from the title, is a biography of Hatshepsut a female pharaoh who ruled even though her step-son was old enough to rule on his own. Because Hatshepsut is an ancient Egyptian first hand source material isn’t as common as say the letters of Elizabeth I, so in fairness, any writer about Hatshepsut’s life is making guesses at many points. Dr. Cooney is very clear when she is speculating, and furthermore, she lets the reader follow how she forms her conclusions. She presents evidence (with nice, detailed footnotes that contain even more information), and presents both sides (or all legitimate sides) of an issue then offers her conclusion. When, for instance, she is discussing Hatshepsut’s emotional and physical love life, she places it in context of Egypt and physical love instead of simply recycling the whole did she or didn’t she with Senemut debate (and she points out there, we have no way of truly knowing).

Cooney’s thesis, in part, is that Hatshepsut should be better known, and known more for simply having a relatively peaceful reign where she just sat on the throne, and she is correct, too, when she points out the strangeness of celebrating Cleopatra but not Hatshepsut who kept her throne without using seductive wiles (though, perhaps that answers the question why). Further, she argues that Hatshepsut’s reign and success might have set the tone for the role of women in later dynasties. It is a convincing argument, at least to this non-Egyptologist.

The soul of the book besides Hatshepsut’s rule is Hatshepsut and religion. While the story of Hatshepsut’s conception is known by those who know the king’s history, Cooney places it a great context not only of other Pharaoh’s (making the story sound more common than other popular histories). Additionally, she focuses on the religious functions and duties of the pharaoh. She gives a more complete view of the time so the reader not only knows about Hatshepsut, but also about the era that gave birth to her and in which she ruled. My only criticism is that I would have found more space spent on why the moderns ignore Hatshepsut to be a plus, considering the strong points she makes in the beginning about how we moderns view the ancients. I agree with her, I just wish there had been a bit more detail in these sections that come at the beginning and end.

This book is highly recommended for fans of Ironside’s She-King series as well as any interested in Egyptian history.

Crossposted at Booklikes. ...more

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Oct 26, 2015 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: blogging-for-books

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

I had no idea Hatshepsut was a KING! That is just so cool! She was the first woman to have a long term as a King! I know I shouldn't say this in a review, but I used to always say I want to be King and my friends would say don't you mean Queen and I'm like.. no... KING! So this is really cool to find out. See what all you find out when you read just about everything out there!

Some of the things went over my head a little in the book. And the author wrote a lo ...more

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Jul 07, 2014 Anna C rated it it was amazing

Next year, Hilary Mantel will publish the eagerly awaited final volume in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy. Like the other two, this will win a Man Booker Prize. The night of her big award, Hilary will relax in her fluffy armchair under the wise gaze of three golden trophies on her mantle (Do they do that? Or is that just for Oscars?). Hilary will immediately start to fret and ask herself "oh dear, what will I write next?" That night, she will pick up this book. The next morning, her publisher will a Next year, Hilary Mantel will publish the eagerly awaited final volume in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy. Like the other two, this will win a Man Booker Prize. The night of her big award, Hilary will relax in her fluffy armchair under the wise gaze of three golden trophies on her mantle (Do they do that? Or is that just for Oscars?). Hilary will immediately start to fret and ask herself "oh dear, what will I write next?" That night, she will pick up this book. The next morning, her publisher will announce she has begun work on the Hatshepsut trilogy.

This book is begging to be novelized. Our protagonist: an extraordinary woman who seizes political power while still a teenager. A usurper who steals the crown from her nephew in order to preserve her family's hold on influence. A master ruler who ushers prosperity into Egypt. A brilliant player who uses religion to solidify power. A schemer who plays the court intrigue as well as Cromwell. A woman who bends the expectations and representations of gender. A monarch who history has tried to destroy.

Look me in the eye and tell me that wouldn't win Ms. Mantel a fourth Booker prize.

I have the greatest respect for Kara Cooney for attempting this project. A biography of Hatshepsut is the sort of project given to a stodgy professor emeritus, not an uppity young member of academia. Cooney is quite defensive in her introduction and acknowledgments, not solely for the ambitious nature of the project.

Hatshepsut lived a long time ago. This may seem like an obvious statement. But 15th century BC is way, way, way back. Any hard evidence from her reign has had to survive 3500 hundred years of heat, political unrest, and grave robberies. Since Hatshepsut's successors attempted to obliterate her from the archaeological record, we have even less evidence about her. A biography of Hatshepsut based solely on the evidence that remains to us would likely be as long as the average short story.

Cooney is so defensive throughout the book because this biography is almost entirely conjecture. No doubt, she had recurring nightmares of coworkers and supervisors perusing her book with a red pen and grumbling about her lack of evidence. Yet Cooney has done the best she could given the information. She has been careful to always note when she has moved onto her own personal suppositions, and to document what little hard evidence she does have. Some may say that her attempt to see Hatshepsut and her contemporaries as actual people, not historical cardboard cut-outs, is romantic and not very scholarly. I personally found them welcome.

I imagine this book will get a great deal of flak from the academic community. Cooney's reliance on the supposition will doubtlessly be criticized. I don't really care. It was a wonderful and immensely readable book. I have learned a great deal about ancient Egypt, a period of time I have never studied. It provides excellent meditations on the intersection of gender and leadership. I'm fine with well-based supposition if it gets the point across. I hope to read more from Cooney in the future.

I received a free ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

...more

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Sep 27, 2014 Emily rated it liked it

Kara Cooney is a professor of Egyptian art and architecture. As such, her treatise on the life and rule of Hatshepsut is quite academic. From the description, I was expecting a more fictionalized tale, written as a story instead of a chronological account of the period and the monarch riddled with footnotes. Also, since much of the minutiae of Hatshepsut's life is not known, possibilities of what might have happened are strewn throughout. The myriad sentences and passages beginning with words an ...more

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Jun 15, 2014 Nikki rated it did not like it

Shelves: auto-bio-memoir, own-kindle, 2015, ancient-egypt, ebook, netgalley, non-fiction

My number one complaint about The Woman Who Would Be King is the writing style choice of the author's. The writing was more suited for historical fiction but included biographical moments as well. Ultimately the author needed to decide if she wanted to write HF or NF, sadly she chose to mix the two and it does not mix. Overall I would not say this classifies as a biography, at least not a true one.

Although my number one complaint is the author's writing style choice, it is followed very closely My number one complaint about The Woman Who Would Be King is the writing style choice of the author's. The writing was more suited for historical fiction but included biographical moments as well. Ultimately the author needed to decide if she wanted to write HF or NF, sadly she chose to mix the two and it does not mix. Overall I would not say this classifies as a biography, at least not a true one.

Although my number one complaint is the author's writing style choice, it is followed very closely by the author's conjecture. This conjecture is directly tied into the HF since we cannot even begin to really know what a figure in history from thousands of years ago felt at a given moment or made a decision based on. I grew increasingly frustrated and tired of hearing the author say "probably" and "likely" and "perhaps" and so on and so forth. Stop guessing! And if you are guessing please include all logical conclusions, not just the one you like the most. (Again, why did the author not write HF?)

The author also seems to have a Hatshepsut of gold in her head, she could do no wrong. Hatshepsut was just too special for words and was meant for greatness from the beginning! At least that is what the author believes and she isn't shy about sharing her love for Hatshepsut. Unfortunately while the author's love for her subject shines through, her infallible and golden Hatshepsut does not feel true to real life and made Hatshepsut being a successful female ruler almost pale in comparison. Why was her being a major ruler thousands of years ago not enough for this author?

Overall there is simply too little known about Hatshepsut to complete a lengthy biography. The author would have been smart to write an HF about a figure in history that clearly intrigues her. As far as a biography goes, Cooney failed and if she had succeeded the book probably would have been too short to satisfy publishers. Even with the HF style included this book was extremely repetitive. I do not need such lengthy speculation and conjecture on a historical figure's motivations and emotions. You are NEVER going to know the person's emotions at a given moment, NEVER. Please stop trying.

Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley & publisher in exchange for an honest review. (They may regret this.) Any and all quotes were taken from an advanced edition subject to change in the final edition. ...more

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Apr 22, 2016 K. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction, own-it-hard-copy, poc-narrator, setting-africa, 2016

To sum up this book in one sentence: Hatshepsut was a badass. No, seriously. From a disturbingly young age, she was considered the wife of the god Amun, which involved daily ceremonies in which she had to give handjobs to a statue with a huge boner (in the words of Buffy Summers, "Note to self: religion freaky"). Then around the time she hit puberty, she was married off to her brother, because that was how Ancient Egypt rolled. She failed to produce a son (or at least a son that lived), and then To sum up this book in one sentence: Hatshepsut was a badass. No, seriously. From a disturbingly young age, she was considered the wife of the god Amun, which involved daily ceremonies in which she had to give handjobs to a statue with a huge boner (in the words of Buffy Summers, "Note to self: religion freaky"). Then around the time she hit puberty, she was married off to her brother, because that was how Ancient Egypt rolled. She failed to produce a son (or at least a son that lived), and then her brother/husband up and died on her.

One of his sons from another wife was put on the throne, but said son was only a toddler. So Hatshepsut was all "I'mma run this whole damned country". And she did an amazing job of it for 20-odd years. She manipulated and sent expeditions to Punt and built a ton of amazing stuff and tried to create a legacy by marrying her daughter off to her nephew/step-son/co-Pharaoh and created new and sneaky ways to let a woman use the title of "King".

And then she died, and her rudeass nephew/step-son/co-Pharaoh decided that she'd ruined basically everything and he was going to take her portrait off basically everything to legitimise his reign.

Basically? I'm pretty sure Hatshepsut was the Alexander Hamilton of Ancient Egypt, but with more incest and statue handjobs...

Essentially, this book was very well researched and had a good balance between historical fact and the inevitable speculation that comes with books about the ancient world - where there's a lack of evidence, historians have to try and fill in the gaps. And Cooney did so with a lot of "maybe this happened? We don't know", which was an excellent balance between "We have no idea what happened" and "This is my personal theory that I'm going to spout as fact".

There's definitely an emphasis on the highly sexual nature of Ancient Egyptian society, particularly in the early chapters, so if that's a problem for you maybe don't pick this one up. But if you want to know more about (Alexander) Hatshepsut, this is probably a good starting point. ...more

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Dec 16, 2018 Jean rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, africa, history, non-fiction, archaeology, audio-book, women-s-rights

I just read Cooney’s most recent book “When Women Ruled the World”. I was impressed enough to hunt down other of Cooney’s publications. I found this one about the life of Hatshepsut.

Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as Pharaoh approximately 3500 years ago. She reigned for twenty-two years. Apparently, Hatshepsut was the High Priestess of Egypt prior to taking the throne. According to Cooney she did no wrong and Egypt thrived under her reign. She built strong trade agreements, expanded the Empire and lost n ...more

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Jan 02, 2015 Kasia rated it it was amazing

Hatshepsut (Reign c. 1479-1458 BC - 18th Dynasty) was a daughter of a general who took Egypt's throne in 1478 BC without status or right as a son of any king whatsoever so her road to power was lengthy and quite extraordinary, the lady was a fighter, a voice of power coming through a female that actually wanted well being for all. Her previous ties to a royal household were probably of help but she still had to marry her brother, and was of course expected to bear sons, her life resembled a Game ...more

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Oct 20, 2015 Kirsten rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An excellent biography of Hatshepsut of Ancient Egypt. I have heard of her, of course, as I am a big fan of archaeology and egyptology. But this book brings so much more to the story. For instance, did you know that if a woman can't give birth to a daughter, she isn't blamed? The Egyptians believed she was just a vessel, that all the responsibility was the man's?

The story follows her entire life and the family history that led to her reign. I highly recommend this immensely readable story. ...more

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Apr 26, 2017 BAM Endlessly Booked rated it it was ok

Shelves: audiobooks, library, notorious-women

Maybe a 3? Pushing it
Much of this is based on conjecture
Sorry this was audio so I can't spell any names to save my life, but most of what is described of her reign is based on generalities except for her great architectural blessings. Did not realize the ancient Egyptians were such a sexually based society so if you listen to this book you may wish to watch your company. ...more

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Aug 08, 2014 Paul Franco rated it really liked it

Shelves: archaeology

First disclaimer: I was given an advanced copy, though not the final proof, with the understanding that I would give an honest review; insulted they even have to ask, but okay.
Second disclaimer (Ha, weren’t expecting that one, were ya?): I know the author, and have listened to her lectures about half a dozen times, plus I have her entire Discovery Channel series on my tablet. I frequently refer to her as a giggly teenager with a giant brain, at least in person, and to a smaller extent in her lec First disclaimer: I was given an advanced copy, though not the final proof, with the understanding that I would give an honest review; insulted they even have to ask, but okay.
Second disclaimer (Ha, weren’t expecting that one, were ya?): I know the author, and have listened to her lectures about half a dozen times, plus I have her entire Discovery Channel series on my tablet. I frequently refer to her as a giggly teenager with a giant brain, at least in person, and to a smaller extent in her lectures. I would imagine most stolid archaeologists and historians tend to take her less seriously because of her playful demeanor and frequent asides–often to mention how much she loved the latest sci-fi movie–but for those very same reasons she’s a hit with us who don’t make the study of ancient Egypt our lifelong passion. In fact, I might even go as far as to consider her Egyptology’s version of Carl Sagan or Stephen Hawking–or nowadays Neil DeGrasse Tyson–though obviously not to the same acclaim or fame, in bringing what’s generally considered a stolid subject, at least when historically accurate, to the masses.
The reason I wrote all that is so you’ll understand when I say she writes the same way she speaks.
One more thing. A few months ago I was passing time in the UCLA library before an event and happened to come across Social Life in Ancient Egypt, by the one and only Flinders Petrie. For a book published in 1924, it was in amazingly good shape, but more to the point, it wasn’t another dry, facts-only tome on buildings or leaders. Dr. Cooney takes this to another level with an almost conversational style, even moving into supposition a few times, though she makes sure to point out when that happens.
Okey-dokes, on to the review. If there’s a running theme in this biography, it’s how previous Egyptologists had given Hatshepsut a hard time, jumping to conclusions about her character. Though there are a lot of women in this discipline–and a lot more coming, if the UCLA grad students are any indication–it wasn’t that long ago that you’d only find older white guys writing the books and giving the speeches. So as she mentions the belittling from previous generations of critics who’d thought of Hatshepsut as a power-hungry witch, taking her nephew’s crown for herself, Dr. Cooney defends her girl. On the other hand, she also states that some later historians overcorrected, turning the relatively young leader into a feminist icon, doing everything selflessly in order for her nephew to be a successful ruler, once he came of age. As with most human endeavors, the truth is no doubt somewhere in between.
The book is divided into a relatively small amount of chapters, telling the story of this enigmatic historical figure chronologically, starting with what life would have been like for her growing up as the daughter of an Egyptian leader. Like Petrie’s work, there’s a lot of stuff about everyday life that I’m sure most people would never think of asking. She was groomed to marry the next pharaoh, who was actually her brother, only to find him too sickly as a teenager to do much ruling, finally dying before they could produce a male heir. He did, however, have a son with another of his wives/concubines, thus continuing the familial line barely started by the previous ruler. This put her position of power, and the purity of her father’s lineage, in danger of going away, but with the respect she’d earned–and apparently plenty of money–she managed to become the baby king’s regent. Over time she amassed more power, basically becoming co-pharaoh before pretty much taking over the whole thing, to the point where she had to switch her identity to male, at least in the official records in the walls of the temples and obelisks.
Dr. Cooney’s specialty is the reuse of coffins, but if there’s another subject on which she frequently lectures, it’s the history–or is that herstory–of powerful women. To me the most telling line was “Hatshepsut has the misfortune to be antiquity’s female leader who did everything right.” She mentions how few of them there were, referencing one of my favorites, Boadicea, as well as Empress Lu–never heard–and of course Cleopatra. She does mention, however, that Hatshepsut was the only female ruler to rise to power without the use of assassination or coup, all the more impressive doing it during a time of peace and prosperity. Interestingly she adds, “Hatshepsut’s story can help us appreciate why authoritative women are still often considered to be dangerous beings who need to be controlled, monitored, contained, and watched.”
Dr. Cooney describes Hatshepsut as practical and elegant, not devious and cunning, adding a term that I like very much: “She was intelligently ambitious. . . she really had been bred for palace politics.”
A couple of examples of her famous irreverent nature: “Egyptians were not troubled by the idea of burying a king in an incomplete tomb–that was the last guy’s problem.” Even the notes that take up the last quarter or so of the text contain her witty, as when she starts off with, “What Egyptologists put in print is often different from what they might say at the bar among friends.” Reminds me of that interview Dr. Cooney gave where she mentioned how Egyptologists like to get together and drink. . .
One more note on the text: about two-thirds of the way through, if you count the notes at the end, there’s a long description on the removal of the organs from the dead king/queen’s body. You have been warned; I wish I could UNread it.
Okay, considering what I told you about Dr. Cooney to begin this, it’s her dedications that show you exactly what I mean about her bubbly personality; in fact, it might have been my favorite part. First she notes that she began writing this soon after the birth of her son, and finished at his fourth birthday. “No woman should write a book during those years. No one.” Then she talks about her women in power class at UCLA, and how the students would soon be reading this book, “whether they like it or not.” Then, to completely cement her irreverent attitude, she tells that she wrote most of this book at a Mexican food joint, and lists a few of the workers who no doubt kept her table full of not just computer and books, especially on Taco Tuesday.
Guess this proves she really is from Texas. . .

;o) ...more

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Dec 18, 2017 Sue Rice rated it it was amazing

A fascinating history of a woman who ruled Egypt as king for 20 odd years. I only wish I had read this BEFORE going to Egypt.

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Sep 18, 2017 Bria rated it it was amazing

The best line is probably the last one in this book and goes something like this, "Why is it that the failures of female rulers are forever remembered in our society, such as Cleopatra, but the successes, like Hatshepsut, are forgotten and erased?"

This book goes into great detail, covering the history leading up to Hatshepsut's 22 year long reign and what happens after her death. However, since there are so many questions left unanswered about her, a lot of the book repeats itself. If you read o The best line is probably the last one in this book and goes something like this, "Why is it that the failures of female rulers are forever remembered in our society, such as Cleopatra, but the successes, like Hatshepsut, are forgotten and erased?"

This book goes into great detail, covering the history leading up to Hatshepsut's 22 year long reign and what happens after her death. However, since there are so many questions left unanswered about her, a lot of the book repeats itself. If you read only the last couple pages, which is a re-cap of the book, you will pretty much know all the main facts about Hatshepsut.

I did not know that she was as impressive of a king as she was. She was a king during peace and prosperity. She was able to keep on extracting large sums of money from the lands she subjugated, trade without entirely new peoples, and build some of the greatest monuments in Egypt ever. She was the greatest builder of all the Pharaohs. It was fascinating to read this and Cooney added in great questions about female rule, and how female rule is perceived throughout history and still today, in a negative light.

It is also interesting to note that Hatshepsut started and expanded the whole "the king is a god and rules by divine right" idea and expanded the priesthood and religious ceremonies and festivals to never before seen heights.

The sad part of this book however, was:
1. Many of Hatshepsut's creations were destroyed after her death many years later by her successor. This lead to her mummy never being found and a lot of her history lost. Even though he might not have destroyed these items out of hatred, it is still a sad loss for historical reasons.

2. The many questions about Hatshepsut. I really wanted to know the answers to many questions like, how did she gain power? Who was Senemut? What happened to her daughter? How did she die? Where is her body? I would also love to read a diary or something similar from her. Her intelligence is obvious given the literacy and writing that happened during her reign and architectural achievements, but I would like to know more about HER as a person. (Its pretty obvious Cooney does too).

Perhaps the funniest part of the whole book is how defensive Cooney is of Hatshepsut. I bet Hatshepsut would be delighted to have a female historian writing her story for once, and in a kind manner too. ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 TraceyL rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, politics

Read it for a book club. I didn't like the author's writing style. Although the series of events were confusing in real life, I don't think the author explained it very well. ...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Joseph rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-books, reading-challenge-2014

I received this book as an eArc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

As a lover of history, I was excited to receive this book; the fact that it deals with the life of only the second, mostly little known Female Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Hatshepsut was a big plus. As many who have reviewed The Woman Who Would be King have attested, Cleopatra is the main character that comes to mind when the issue of female rulers of Egypt are discussed. But Cleopatra was actually of the Greek Ptolemaic I received this book as an eArc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

As a lover of history, I was excited to receive this book; the fact that it deals with the life of only the second, mostly little known Female Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Hatshepsut was a big plus. As many who have reviewed The Woman Who Would be King have attested, Cleopatra is the main character that comes to mind when the issue of female rulers of Egypt are discussed. But Cleopatra was actually of the Greek Ptolemaic Bloodline, while Hatshepsut came 1,500 years before, ruling from 1472 to 1458 BCE. This is a time when the thought of a woman ruler was almost unheard of.

Also of note is the fact that aside from architectural evidence, there are little to no written records that chronicle the reign of Hatshepsut, as much was either not written, or was destroyed by her successors (men) after her rule ended. That said, Kara Cooney tries to fill in the blanks as best as she can. I must say that much of her conjecture is based on logic, and I almost wholeheartedly believe what she has come up with, for lack of any better explanations. Being a scholar who deals in Ancient Egyptian Social History, Cooney is well versed in the religious, cultural and social life that Hatshepsut would have experienced, therefore, it does not seem like much of a stretch when she simply imagines what forces of the time may have come into play concerning the decisions and actions of Hatshepsut in her capacity as the King's wife (as well as being his sister), and finally Pharaoh.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the knowledge of ancient Egyptian daily life that I have gained. The religious, civic and political atmosphere of the time is richly described in minute detail, giving me images of what normal, everyday life must have been like for the people of 18th dynasty Egypt. Kara Cooney offers a liberal amount of endnotes and references, and is quick to announce when she is taking liberties as to what she imagines may have happened. For an ancient figure as obscure as Hatshepsut, Cooney's biography adds real life to a figure that has up until now been viewed as a footnote in history.

This was a highly engaging read, offering excellent information on Ancient Egyptian culture, as well as an accounting of what Hatshepsut may have been like as a real, living and breathing human being who found an opportunity to buck the male dominated system, and reign successfully for almost 2 decades of peaceful prosperity. Highly recommended for those who are interested in Ancient Egyptian History, Ancient religions and politics. ...more

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Aug 24, 2018 Jill rated it did not like it

Shelves: african, american, historical-fiction, nonfiction, did-not-finish

Hatshepsut has fascinated me since I took an Egyptian history elective in college, but this biography left me disappointed.

The scholarship here is laughable: every phrase is couched with "possibly," "perhaps," "maybe," "might have," "probably," and on and on. Of course, author Kara Cooney has not chosen an easy subject. Hatshepsut lived more than 3500 years ago in a culture we can scarcely understand. She left a trail of incomplete records that Cooney painstakingly pieces together, buttressed by Hatshepsut has fascinated me since I took an Egyptian history elective in college, but this biography left me disappointed.

The scholarship here is laughable: every phrase is couched with "possibly," "perhaps," "maybe," "might have," "probably," and on and on. Of course, author Kara Cooney has not chosen an easy subject. Hatshepsut lived more than 3500 years ago in a culture we can scarcely understand. She left a trail of incomplete records that Cooney painstakingly pieces together, buttressed by general Egyptian knowledge that, again, possibly reflects how Hatshepsut would have lived as well.

Histories can be constructed on shaky foundations. The problem is Cooney doesn't do that in The Woman Who Would Be King. Instead of interrogating the various possibilities to arrive at debatable yet defensible conclusions, Cooney follows utterly bizarre narrative threads to radical extremes without a shred of evidence. She justifies doing so by popping a "possibly" or "perhaps" into every sentence. I had to put the book down after she spent a paragraph pondering Hatshepsut's reaction to her father the pharaoh returning from a war in Nubia with the mutilated corpse of the enemy. Cooney writes extensively how this incident must have marked Hatshepsut for life, introducing her to violence, imperialism, and symbolic power. And then, just at the end of this ponderous paragraph, she writes, "But perhaps Hatshepsut did not yet understand what she was seeing. She was just a baby, around a year and a half in age, and she likely did not even remember the sight."

Excuse me? If she was one-and-a-half years old, then OF COURSE, she did not remember the sight, holy shit. At this point I quit, because if your friendly neighborhood Egyptologist doesn't even understand basic developmental psychology, how can you trust said Egyptologist to present you with a soberly argued yet compelling account of their subject's life?

In the hands of a more talented historian (e.g., Helen Castor), this could be a fine biography. And in the hands of a more talented historical fiction writer (e.g., Hilary Mantel), this could be a fine novel. As it stands, however, it's a messy pile of unrelated facts manipulated into silly conjecture. ...more

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Oct 15, 2014 Christie rated it it was ok

Shelves: ancient-times, picked-up-because-of-cover, royalty, history, mothers-daughters, kick-ass-heroines, biography-memoir

Hatshepsut was the first woman to exercise long-term rule over Egypt as a king

Hatshepsut was one of the few ancient females to rule her people, and with a reign that spanned 2 decades she was definitely the longest ruling. Born to a Pharaoh, she knew from a young age that she was destined for greatness. When a turn of events landed her as regent for a toddler king, she used this position to her advantage and became a female king of one of the greatest ancient nations.

This was one of those b ...more

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Nov 26, 2014 LillyBooks rated it it was ok

I am not a fan of what I think is a disturbing new trend in 'nonfiction' writing: suppositions that are written as fact to give the book a narrative structure more like fiction (I assume that's the goal). At least this author had the decency to honestly admit what she was going to do in her introduction, but I still disapprove. Obviously, there are a lot of details that we don't know about the Egyptians, including their emotions and mindsets at various points in their lives. Any intelligent read ...more

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Nov 19, 2017 Rosemarie Donzanti rated it really liked it

I would rate this book 3.5. 4.0 for the portrayal of a strong, successful female king who pushed herself and others extremely hard and embodied all the qualities of her successful Father, Thutmose I. She was wife to a weak, sickly king, then co-king with Thutmose III who she mentored and groomed from the time he was a toddler. I found Hatshepsut's life and rise to power fascinating however, I give the writing style a 3.0. Very repetitive, it was filled with much assumption and doubt. At times I ...more

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Sep 06, 2014 Ashley rated it really liked it

First off HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Ok I received this book as a part of a goodreads giveaway. (Boy am I happy I got it!!)

I seen this as a history lesson on a very Important woman that no one really knows about BUT SHOULD!!!!
She not only pushed aside gender issues and took the throne, Or wisely say back and learned everything she could to became the best, oh no like all great women she was so much ahead of her time others who where stuck in the mud were happy to erase her...
But this author gives n ...more

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Oct 29, 2015 Balle Millner (Blogger, Freelance Writer, Aspiring Autho rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, african, books-reviewed, biography

“Male leaders are celebrated for their successes, while their excesses are typically excused as the necessary and expected price of masculine ambition.” – Kara Cooney, The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt

Click below for the review.

http://www.ballemillner.com/thewomanw... ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Whitney rated it really liked it

Shelves: egypt, favorite-biographies

"Through all of antiquity, history records only one female ruler who successfully negotiated a systematic rise to power - without assassinations or coups - during a time of peace, who formally labeled herself with the highest position known in government, and who ruled for a significant stretch of time: Hatshepsut." ...more

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Jan 21, 2017 Anna rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-reading-challenge, favorite-books-i-read-in-2017

This was an excellent, detailed biography of one of Egypt's most influential female rulers, Hatshepsut. Although she was the first example of definitive feminine power in the ancient world, she is much less well-known than Cleopatra VII, so I was excited to see a full-length biography of Hatshepsut. She was known both as a Queen of Egypt (the King's Great Wife), married to Thutmose II, and also as a self-styled King of Egypt.

Not a lot is known for sure about the life of Hatshepsut, but Kara Coon This was an excellent, detailed biography of one of Egypt's most influential female rulers, Hatshepsut. Although she was the first example of definitive feminine power in the ancient world, she is much less well-known than Cleopatra VII, so I was excited to see a full-length biography of Hatshepsut. She was known both as a Queen of Egypt (the King's Great Wife), married to Thutmose II, and also as a self-styled King of Egypt.

Not a lot is known for sure about the life of Hatshepsut, but Kara Cooney does a great job of discussing what is known for sure via archaeology and Egyptology, and also making educated conjectures based on historical precedent and what we know about the time period. I wish there was more definitive information out there about her thoughts and feelings, but ancient Egyptian scribes did not record things like that for posterity, preferring to focus strictly on religion and fact, so we will never truly know.

I gave this book 4 stars because of the occasional conjectures due to lack of straightforward knowledge, which is definitely not Cooney's fault - it's just the way ancient history must be, unfortunately. I also gave this rating because while I am very interested in the personal lives and rules and royal lineages of ancient Egypt, I am less interested in knowing all about the gods of ancient Egypt, of which there are hundreds and many are hybrids of each other or are extremely similar. I'm just not hugely into religion as reading material; it's a personal preference and often bores me. I understand why there needed to be a lot of discussion of religious rites and aspects here though: not only was religion probably the main tenet of Egyptian life, but besides being the King's Great Wife, the first way that Hatshepsut was able to grab hold of power was through the office of God's Wife of Amen, so it was a huge part of her life and legacy as well.

I would recommend this biography to anyone interested in ancient Egyptian life, powerful and unique women, or examining how the reality of a female King came about. It's probably the most detailed and comprehensive biography of Hatshepsut that has been written thus far. ...more

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Nov 20, 2015 Kirsten rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, history, sfp-challenge, owned

According to the cover of the book, Time magazine said that it is "Engrossing and compulsively readable." I tend to take such promotional statements with a grain of salt, but somehow I find myself agreeing this time. Kara Cooney is one of the rare academics who is able to write a whole book without being overly dry. Cooney tries to add a bit of a fiction-like tone to the book from time to time (usually at the beginning of chapters), but always cedes to her academic standing and ends up writing, ...more

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Nov 02, 2016 Stephanie Marie rated it liked it

Shelves: grad-schoolery

This book was both the bane of my existence and a decently pleasurable read. Let me explain:

I started this book as part of the Women's Lives Club, a fun Twitter book club that I jumped into enthusiastically and slowly faded out of. The fade was because of Hatshepsut-- I didn't finish this book in the month we were set to read it and instead of putting it aside to move forward in my reading life, I stubbornly vowed to complete it before I turned to a new book.

You know where this story goes: beca ...more

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Apr 01, 2017 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, ancient-world, biography, history

I first came across Kathlyn M. Cooney (aka Kara Cooney) in a fascinating recorded lecture on YouTube. Cooney is an Egyptologist who specializes in social history, something difficult to get at when studying an ancient civilization (who was it that said The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there?) In the lecture, Cooney was reporting on an ambitious study she has undertaken of coffin re-use in ancient Egypt in the 20th and 21st dynasties - who did it, why, and the moral impli ...more

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Sep 02, 2014 Katie rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

Copy provided by GoodReads First Reads program.

While ambitious and full of heart, The Woman Who Would Be King is not the book that I thought it would be.

Much of the book is spent in speculative history, which is not surprising, but does make the book have more guesses than hard facts. I don't especially take points off of an author for this, but I felt that quite a bit of the book was imagining what Hatshepsut's life MIGHT have been like and not what is WAS like.

Due to the scant evidence of wh ...more

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Jul 04, 2015 Candy rated it it was ok

I am only giving this 2 stars, even though I find the story of Hatshepsut quite fascinating. I listened to this as an audio book, so maybe I could have bumped it up a star had I read it instead?

Honestly, I could not possibly come up with the amount of times the author used "perhaps", "maybe", "might have", "likely", etc. I know that she began with saying that she was taking liberties, however, 'perhaps' fewer liberties would have made it a better book.

The repetition also drove me crazy. There ar ...more

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Oct 16, 2017 Ronald Lett rated it liked it

Shelves: history

Although a tiny bit repetitive in some places, this is an eye-opening account of, not just Hatshepsut's rise to power, but life in ancient Egypt during her reign. Sadly, the circumstances and environment surrounding Hatshepsut's rise to power and the things she had to do to maintain that power (and the inevitable erasure of her kingship when the weight of the civilization dynasty moved her extremely successful leadership back to the usual mediocre patriarchal lineage) would be familiar to anyone ...more

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About Kara Cooney

Kara Cooney

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Dr. Kathlyn M. Cooney aka Dr. Kara Cooney is an Egyptologist and Assistant Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA. She was awarded a PhD in 2002 by Johns Hopkins University for Near Eastern Studies. She was part of an archaeological team excavating at the artisans' village of Deir el Medina in Egypt, as well as Dahshur and various tombs at Thebes.

In 2002 she was Kress Fellow at the Nat ...more

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The Afterlives of Egyptian History: Reuse and Reformulation of Objects, Places, and Texts: A Volume in Honor of Edward L. Bleiberg

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“Male leaders are celebrated for their successes, while their excesses are typically excused as the necessary and expected price of masculine ambition.” — 11 likes

“In a world where seasons of planting harvests and inundation ruled life and death, it was imperative to bring the gods into daily life to help things along. The more a king invested in festivals of cyclical renewal, the more prosperity the gods bestowed. But if the gods were ignored, bad floods would result, and that meant meager planting and poor harvest, which led in turn to drought, pestilence, disease and death.” — 5 likes

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