The Earl and the Pharaoh

Today's nonfiction post is on The Earl and the Pharaoh by The Countess of Carnarvon. It is 400 pages long and is published by Harper. The cover is blue with a castle at the bottom and a pharaoh's mask on top. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of the Earl of Carnarvon. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In November 1922, the world was mesmerized by news of an astonishing historical find in Egypt's legendary Valley of Kings: the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. George Herbert, himself a famed amateur Egyptologist and noted antiquities collector, financed the expedition and excavation headed by lead archaeologist Howard Carter, and accompanied him inside this sacred space that had remained untouched for centuries.
Inside the tomb, the explorers found King Tut's sarcophagus and a treasure trove of astonishing artifacts: chariots and model boats, board games and paintings, a coffin made of pure gold. But these objects were more than just beautifully crafted works of art; they shed new light on Tutankhamun world and this fabled period of history, and changed our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians had lived--transforming overnight what had been formed through centuries of history and myth.
Drawing on Highclere Castle's archives, Lady Fiona Carnarvon pays homage to her ancestor on the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary event. In vivid and dramatic detail, she brings into focus the larger-than-life characters and lustrous settings--as well as those twists of luck and tragedies that shaped Herbert's life. Across the early 1900s, Highclere saw no less drama than the fictional Downton Abbey, with early tragedies for the Earl and love affairs, as well highs of exorbitant wealth and trials of punishing debt. But above all there was adventure. While Herbert first went to Egypt for his health, this mysterious, romantic land would become a second home; the beloved place where he funneled his attentions over a period of decades, never quite realizing how great the fruits of his labors would prove.

Review- This is not a book about Egyptology and the discovery of King Tut's tomb. It is a biography of the Earl of Carnarvon and his life, in which he was interested in Egyptology but that was just a small part of his life. The book starts with his birth and goes until his death and it covers everything in between. Herbert was a man of many interests, from flying to racing horses and Egyptology was just one. He did help Howard Carter get funding and help to do his excavations. He did have a collection of many priceless artifacts but I was expecting a story just about the discovery of the tomb not a life story of a man tangentially involved in the discovery. The writing is fine but at times can drag with all the details about the Earl's life. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and want to learn more about the real people that inspired it, then you may like this book. But if you are looking for an in-depth book about the discover of King Tut's tomb, then you should pass on this book. 

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.