Ramses ii an illustrated biography

I expected this would be nostalgic: Ramesses II used to be my favourite pharaoh and I read obsessively about him back in 2004/05. I'm still fond of him now, so when I saw this going cheap at a bookshop, I grabbed myself a copy.

The presentation is gorgeous – I loved that glossary terms are defined in the margin of the page they first appear, rather than having a glossary section at the back that you'd have to flick to each time you wanted to look something up.

The photos and illustrations are also, generally, high-quality, and it's an excellent visual reference for anyone interested in the life and times of Ramesses II. Nearly every image that Desroches Noblecourt references is included, the only thing that I felt was missing were scenes from the tomb Ramesses' mother, Mut-Tuya.

The text, however, is a disappointment. I will cut it a bit of slack: I think the book is meant for a more casual reader. It's a smallish coffee-table