The Tutankhamun Affair

Name: The Tutankhamun Affair
Rating: 4.3 (31 reviews)

by Christian Jacq

Amazon

3.8(31)

The novel follows the early twentieth-century search for Tutankhamun’s tomb, focusing on Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon as they pursue the hidden burial of a little-known pharaoh in the Valley of the Kings. Archaeological work, patronage, secrecy and the lure of Egyptian kingship turn the excavation into a drama of discovery. The story links modern Egyptology with the ancient mystery of Tutankhamun’s short reign and burial.

The modern excavation is shaped by more than archaeological curiosity. Excavation permits, foreign patronage, press interest and competition among Egyptologists determine who may search and who may claim credit when a discovery is made. The novel uses Carter and Carnarvon’s partnership to show how the finding of an ancient royal burial was also a twentieth-century contest over money, prestige and control of Egypt’s past.