TLC Book Tour Book Review: When Women Ruled The World

About When Women Ruled the World

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (October 30, 2018)

This riveting narrative explores the lives of six remarkable female pharaohs, from Hatshepsut to Cleopatra--women who ruled with real power--and shines a piercing light on our own perceptions of women in power today.

Female rulers are a rare phenomenon--but thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, women reigned supreme. Regularly, repeatedly, and with impunity, queens like Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra controlled the totalitarian state as power-brokers and rulers. But throughout human history, women in positions of power were more often used as political pawns in a male-dominated society. What was so special about ancient Egypt that provided women this kind of access to the highest political office? What was it about these women that allowed them to transcend patriarchal obstacles? What did Egypt gain from its liberal reliance on female leadership, and could today's world learn from its example?

Celebrated Egyptologist Kara Cooney delivers a fascinating tale of female power, exploring the reasons why it has seldom been allowed through the ages, and why we should care.

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Review: When Women Ruled The World is really an interesting account of six Pharoah's of Egypt.  I was absolutely entranced by this book, because from the time I was in junior high and studied Egypt in World Cultures, Egypt was my favorite area of study. It is also the episodes of Ancient Aliens that I love the most.

I was totally engrossed in how the Egyptians ruled and some of the practices that happened early on with a change of power. A great deal of it was pretty gruesome, but then again, mummification isn't really a walk in the park either.

The only thing that was a little off putting was the interjections about the current political climate in the US. The book is so well written that it is a shame to alienate readers that would otherwise enjoy this book.

But all that aside, this was a great read! I especially loved learning about the earlier female Pharoahs.

Rating: 5 flowers

About Kara Cooney

KARA COONEY is a professor of Egyptology at UCLA. Her academic work focuses on death preparations, afterlife beliefs, and gender studies. She has participated in digs with the Metropolitan Museum of New York at the Royal Pyramid complex of Senwosret III and the Theban Necropolis with Johns Hopkins University. She appeared as a lead expert in the popular Discovery Channel special The Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen, and is a recurring team member of the History Channel's Digging for the Truth. Her book The Woman Who Would Be King was published in 2014.

Find out more about Kara at her website, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.