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The leader of the excavation offers a firsthand description of the remarkable events surrounding the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt's Valley of Kings and of the unique and priceless treasures that were found there. Reprint.

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History with an adrenaline rush never came better than the day in November 1922 when archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamen's tomb. The search had been going on for decades and many believed the tomb would never be found. But on that hot Egyptian morning Carter not only found the tomb but also discovered that, unlike others in the Valley of the Kings, it had not been plundered. Even today this remains one of the most exciting archaeological stories ever told. Carter published his account only a year after the discovery. Scores of other books followed, mostly by professional writers and academics, but none of them compares to the raw excitement of Carter's own description. It is impossible not to share the tingling awe experienced by the gruff, shy Englishman when his workers uncovered the first of a flight of stone steps that descended to the tomb's entrance. This was soon followed by the joy of finding a seal on the doorway showing that this was indeed the tomb that had been sought for so long. The treasures inside the tomb were even more astonishing than the most optimistic archaeologist could have dreamed possible. Carter's account takes the reader minute by pulsating minute through each discovery. Historians have since raised doubts about some elements of Carter's account. In particular they suggest he took a peek inside the pharaoh's golden shrine in its separate burial chamber long before his story suggests that he did. In short, they accuse him of being impatient. If he was, who could blame him? This remains the definitive account of 20th-century archaeology's most momentous discovery. Carter writes with authority but childlike wonder, taking the reader with him all the way into chambers where no one had set foot for 3000 years. This is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the ancient past. (Kirkus UK)

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