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The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller |  | Authors: James Patterson, Martin Dugard
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $26.99
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Seller: Books Squared
Rating:  111 reviews
Sales Rank: 16116
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1St Edition
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 0316034045
Dewey Decimal Number: 932.014
EAN: 9780316034043
ASIN: 0316034045
Publication Date: September 28, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A secret buried for centuries
Thrust onto Egypt's most powerful throne at the age of nine, King Tut's reign was fiercely debated from the outset. Behind the palace's veil of prosperity, bitter rivalries and jealousy flourished among the Boy King's most trusted advisors, and after only nine years, King Tut suddenly perished, his name purged from Egyptian history. To this day, his death remains shrouded in controversy.
The keys to an unsolved mystery
Enchanted by the ruler's tragic story and hoping to unlock the answers to the 3,000 year-old mystery, Howard Carter made it his life's mission to uncover the pharaoh's hidden tomb. He began his search in 1907, but encountered countless setbacks and dead-ends before he finally, uncovered the long-lost crypt.
The clues point to murder
Now, in The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard dig through stacks of evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues, and stories told through the ages--to arrive at their own account of King Tut's life and death. The result is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 111
 Wonderful and exactly as described! July 13, 2010
C. Wilson (Dallas, TX)
I loved the book and stayed up all night reading because I couldn't put it down - even though I knew the basics of Tut and Carter. Patterson does a wonderful job of richly blending fact and fiction. Because I read the entire book, including Mr. Patterson's chapters on the writing process and his own theory, I did not have as difficult time determining the difference between fact and fiction as other readers.
Truly a gift for those who have an interest in King Tut, Egyptology and are fans for Mr. Patterson! I could see how someone with little knowledge of the history might get a little lost but I would think that would only create a slower pace, something the short chapters would help the reader do. Thank you for such a great read!
 Truly awful July 9, 2010
BJE (MOUNT VERNON, OH USA)
I have never read any of Mr.Patterson's other works, and never will after this. Truly awful writing, shallow, insipid, tedious and boring. What was he thinking?
 Interesting historical fiction June 28, 2010
Israel Drazin (Boca Raton, Florida)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
James Patterson tells us with some enthusiasm, because this book is important to him, that the volume contains three stories: his own tale of how he wrote his history, the adventure of the eccentric Howard Carter who discovered King Tut's grave, and the life of King Tut and his death. Patterson states that he is certain that Tut was murdered and promises to reveal the murderer.
He writes that he will tell us the truth. "It's nothing new for histories to be speculative, but there's a difference between guessing and basing a theory on cold facts. We chose the facts."
Some readers may agree that there are facts in the book, but still feel that the bulk is pure speculation. For example, the authors describe how one Pharaoh died while having sex and gives a description of King Tut's sexual experience on his wedding night. These episodes add drama, but they are certainly not based on facts.
Other readers may question whether he overcame the general scientific view that Tut died from infections that followed a fall. They may also be unconvinced that the murderer(s) - I do not want to reveal if it was a he or she or more than one - was/were who he identified. Patterson presents no evidence to support either assertion.
Still others will recognize that despite the claim that this is "a non-fiction thriller," it is actually historical fiction. Others may even claim that it is historical fiction lite. However, despite these criticisms, the book is entertaining and does give us, as does all historical fiction, a sense of a time and people who we should know something about.
He can miss. June 27, 2010
Koontz Fan (South, USA)
Patterson doesn't hesitate to toot his own horn at one point in this book by noting that Time Magazine once described him as "the man who can't miss." Time Magazine was wrong. Patterson can miss, and he did with this one, badly. It is clear that Patterson has gone from an artist who created intriguing mysteries to someone who cares less for his readers than he does about churning out one shallow tome after another. Is he even doing his own writing these days? It seems to me that he's doing a general outline and then passing it off to whomever the publisher lines up as the co-author. This time he abused his readers however by putting out a poorly written, juvenile pseudo-historical account. He had the audacity to label it "non-fiction" when in fact it is highly fictionalized. There is no historical record of the conversations between the ancient egyptian rulers, yet Patterson introduces verbal exchanges without acknowledging that he simply made them up. Further, he seems to have created his theory of murder based solely on amateruish interpretations of hieroglyphics he hasn't personally seen, and his own presumptions about the line of succession to the throne. For example, what evidence does he have that Tut's queen was fed to the crocodiles other than the fact that her remains have never been found?
Patterson took advanatge of the faith his readers bestow upon him, as many of us purchase his books in advance of any customer reviews. Personally I'm getting tired of his weak efforts of late.
Better title, "The James Patterson and Howard Carter Story." June 23, 2010
JLL (IN United States)
I am an Egyptian freak and have been since I can remember so I snatched this book up when I saw it. The story jumps back and forth from Howard Carter in the 1800's to 1900's to Ancient Egypt (in my opinion too much time on Carter-I want to be immersed in Ancient Egypt not the 19th and 20th century). The characters never really take off and are uninteresting (plus no real new information for me). The writing is simple and not very engaging. If you want this story and others from ancient egypt in a stimulating fashion so that the characters absolutely leap off the page and stand in front of you in vivid and amazing detail, go to the Teaching Company and get Bob Brier's History of Ancient Egypt Course No. 350 (48 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture). I have no affiliation with them but have done around fifty courses with them and this is one of my top two or three set of lectures. I should also mention there are several even more painful chapters in which the author pontificates about his most excellent writing, research etc (one quick example-in the belly of the story mind you, not the book cover, he tells how great a writer he is and how hard eh works seven days a week (except for his golf game in the middle of the day in FL) and how he can write nine books at once; he also discusses his wife, his editor etc. Seriously? Seriously? I don't know the man but get the idea he has a wee bit of an enlarged ego. I am really sorry I had to give this book one star, it doesn't deserve it. Save yourself and your money.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 111
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