The audacious rise to power of a female pharaoh in a man’s world

'An entertaining and well-researched biography on a lesser-known - but no less influential and powerful Egyptian woman'.

'With rigorous scholarship and a lively sense of sisterhood, Cooney retrieves Hatshepsut in her own times and liberates her as a woman for ours'

‘Hatshepsut’s story provides all the ingredients required of a modern bestseller’

'Kara Cooney has written a lively, engaging, historically accurate account of one of the most controversial of Egypt’s female pharaohs, Hatshepsut. Cooney presents an accessible story of Hatshepsut’s rise to power until her demise, bringing ancient Egypt, its people, and its rulers to life.'

'Engrossing and compulsively readable.'

‘The life of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s second female pharaoh, was replete with opulent living, complex royal bloodlines, and sexual energy; in short, the kind of drama that fuels Ancient Egypt’s enduring appeal…From Hatshepsut’s self-perception, political prowess, and lifestyle emerge an image of the ‘ultimate working mother’ and a compelling insight into ancient gender roles.’ 

‘Cooney's detective work finally brings out the story of a great woman's reign.’

‘Egyptologist Cooney peels back the layers of the life of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s second female pharaoh, providing a multidimensional portrait of a woman of strength, intelligence, and substance.’

‘The Woman Who Would Be King is a fascinating look at one of the most formidable and successful women in all of ancient history. Before Cleopatra there was Hatshepsut. Now, thanks to Kara Cooney, the real Hatshepsut stands before us in all her glory. For the first time we have a full-length biography of her that is not only a great scholarly work but also a marvelous read.’

‘The compelling biography of a fascinating woman: the daughter, wife and stepmother of kings, who defied tradition to rule the most powerful nation in the Mediterranean world as pharaoh. Cooney tells her tale with authority, sensitivity and imagination. It is a tale that deserves to be told.’ 

‘What Stacy Schiff did for Cleopatra, Kara Cooney has done for Hatshepsut. An absolutely fantastic read about one of the most powerful Pharaoh-Queens in ancient Egypt. Completely unputdownable!’ 

‘The story of Hatshepsut, the woman who ruled Egypt as Pharaoh, is an amazing tale and Dr Cooney tells it in a very personal way. Readers are going to love this version!’ 

‘This biography of Hatshepsut is an ideal blend of historical analysis and an imaginative story. Cooney’s narrative flows as if it were a novel, but at the same time illuminates the historical, economic, social, and religious context of Hatshepsut’s world, and that of the people surrounding her.  The reader is given a glimpse into a vibrant ancient world—one that we oftentimes forget about in the midst of all the granite and mudbrick that remains today. Writing a biography of a woman about whom there is little archival information is difficult, to say the least.  Nevertheless, Cooney presents a seamless picture of Hatshepsut’s life and her rise to power in ancient Egypt.’ 

Kara Cooney is an associate professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. In 2005, she was co-curator of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Cooney produced a comparative archaeology series with her husband, Neil Crawford, entitled Out of Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is streaming on Netflix.