A vivid story of an astonishing period in ancient Egypt’s history–1550 BC to 1295 BC–that tears away the gold and glamour to reveal how these great pharaohs ruthlessly ruled Egypt for two hundred and fifty years. For more than two centuries, Egypt was ruled by the most powerful, successful, and richest dynasty of kings in its long end epic history. They included the female king Hatshepsut, the warrior kings Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, the religious radical Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertiti, and most famously of all–for the wealth found in his tomb–the short-lived boy king, Tutankhamun. The power and riches of the Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty came at enormous cost to Egypt’s enemies–and to most of its people. This was an age of ruthless absolutism, exploitation, extravagance, brutality, and oppression in a culture where not only did Egypt plunder its neighbors, but Egyptian kings (and their people) robbed one another.

3,500 years ago, ancient Egypt began two centuries of growth where it became richer and more powerful than any other nation in the world, ruled by the kings of the 18th Dynasty. They presided over a system built on war, oppression, and ruthlessness, pouring Egypt’s wealth into grandiose monuments, temples, and extravagant tombs. Tutankhamun was one of the last of the line–and one of the most obscure. Among his predecessors were some of the most notorious and enigmatic figures of all of Egypt’s history.

Pharaohs of the Sun is the story of these famed rulers, showing how their glamour and gold became tainted by selfishness, ostentation, and the systematic exploitation of Egypt’s people and enemies.