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the mysterious Smenkhkare. On slightly more familiar ground he also rounds off with look at his son and true heir, Tutankhamun and discusses the enigma of his fate, was it murder?

To back up his new arguments, Reeve calls on a wealth of physical and documentary evidence. Archaeological findings from Akhenaten's new capital at El-Amarna, and an examination of the famous Armana correspondences between the king and his neighbours, provide a wealth of fascinating insights into the period. But whereas in the past Akhenaten has been seen as the founder of a whole new faith, the first monotheistic religion of the ancient near east and possible the roots of Christianity and Judaism, Reeve argues that this was a purely political move. To break the strangle hold of the temples of the old system and put all the power under his own control, Akhenaten established himself as the ultimate dictator in the land. But as can be seen the revolution failed and his traditionalist successors have been merciless in their treatment of his reputation. But in the same way that Richard III, Attila the Hun and the like can be seen to have had clear motives behind their seemingly extreme actions, this mysterious pharaoh emerges in a much better light from Reeves re-evaluation.

This book proves to be a masterful piece of research, which not only brings the subject bang up to date but also poses some new theories that both humanise and empower the pharaoh and manage to move him away from the wilder theories that have dogged him in the past. The book is very readable but is probably not a starting point for those wishing to tip a toe in the water. The book requires, I feel, a certain amount of prior knowledge of the period, but that aside will deliver everything you could ever need to know about Egypt's heretical king.

Learn more about this author, Dave Franklin.
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