Top 10 Zahi Hawass Books: a Not so Secret Voyage Through Ancient Egypt

One does have to wonder how Zahi Hawass actually finds time to partake in any archaeology. The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities is one of the world’s leading archaeologists, as well as one of its most famous. When he’s not travelling the world promoting Egypt’s wonders (Dr. Hawass will be in London on the 8th of  December) or grabbing headlines demanding them back, he must surely find himself tied to his desk, busily tinkering away at his keyboard. How else would Hawass manage to become one of archaeology’s most prolific authors?

Other archaeologists and academics are also prolific writers, of course: Paul Bahn has published widely on subjects from general archaeology to prehistoric art and Easter Island; Brian Fagan’s mission is to “communicate archaeology to the widest possible audiences”, which he does brilliantly via accessible and interesting books on a range of subjects; and Sarah Milledge Nelson writes often and to considerable acclaim on the Far East. When it comes to the Classics and Rome, there’s Mary Beard, as well as Adrian Goldsworthy and Nic Fields, who are both strong on military history and Rome. Geoff Holder, meanwhile, is busy cornering the market on the weird and wonderful.

When it comes to Egypt, Bob ‘Mr Mummy’ Brier writes prolifically on his specialist subject, while Ian Shaw and Salima Ikram are up there, too, on various aspects of Egyptology and archaeology. But no-one comes close to Zahi Hawass for the sheer volume tomes bearing his name.

In addition to the dozens of books he has published as editor or author (many of them in collaboration with the acclaimed antiquities photographer Sandro Vannini), there are dozens more for which he has penned forewords, prefaces or introductions, and yet more to which he has added his name as a general contributor.

Here are (more than) 10 of his best.

1: Personal Journeys

Secrets from the Sand: My Search for Egypt's Past is one of Zahi Hawass’ ‘personal journey’ books (see also 10: 10: The Ultimate Zahi). This one differs from many books on this list because it takes the reader all over Egypt, rather than concentrating on one theme or set of tombs or personality. He describes what life was like in ancient Egypt, drawing on the findings of his excavations as evidence. He also integrates stories of tomb-raiders, insights into local politics and detailed accounts of what it’s like to enter a seldom-visited tomb. If you have Secrets from the Sand, then there’s probably no need to also invest in Realm of the Pharaohs because the books are suspiciously similar (see 5: The Boy King).

2: Inside the Egyptian Museum with Zahi Hawass

Inside the Egyptian Museum with Zahi Hawass is the latest official guide to Cairo’s treasure trove of Egyptian artefacts (which includes the mask of Tutankhamun). It carries more than 200 photographs by Sandro Vannini and makes excellent preparatory reading for prospective visitors to the museum, as well as an ideal post-visit souvenir. It’s not to be confused with Hidden Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Unearthing the Masterpieces of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, a 2004 book in a similar vein.

3: Other Museums (or The Repatriation Debate)

Hawass has his name on another book related to museums, too. Back in 2003, he wrote the foreword to Egyptian Museum Collections Around the World, a two-volume set covering hundreds of treasures scattered in museums across the world. The book, edited by Dr Mamdouh Eldamaty, director of the Egyptian Museum, and the museum’s curator, May Trad, carries contributions from museum directors and Egyptologists the world over, many waxing lyrical about the importance of Egyptian collections outside of Egypt.

“While archaeologists excavate the remains of pyramids, temples, and tombs, scholars at museums, universities, and other institutions are also furthering the understanding of ancient Egyptian culture through their study of the artefacts contained in the world's Egyptian galleries,” we’re told. One wonders whether, six years down the line, Zahi Hawass still shares this belief, given his outspoken desire to see many of the artefacts featured in this book returned to Egyptian shores.

4: Mummies

Valley of the Golden Mummies: The Greatest Egyptian Discovery Since Tutankhamun is an overview of the fascinating discovery near the temple of Alexander the Great of several hundred 2,000-year-old mummies.  Clever marketing, too – the inclusion of ‘Tutankhamun’ in the subtitle brings the book up more often on Google and Amazon searches, and reels in anyone who stumbles across it en route to the Boy King.

For younger mummy connoisseurs, there’s Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures with Mummies, which is aimed at kids aged 9-12 years.

5: Giza and the Pyramids

Given the Pyramids are Egypt’s prime drawcard, Zahi Hawass has written relatively few books about them. Pyramids: Treasures, Mysteries, and New Discoveries in Egypt and Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders are therefore exceptions. There’s also The Secrets of the Sphinx: Restoration Past and Present, which tells the story of the Sphinx and its excavation/restoration, and Old Kingdom Pottery from Giza, which has an even more specialist focus. Elsewhere, he uses the foreword of Craig Smith’s How the Great Pyramid Was Built to explain the importance of understanding how the Great Pyramid was constructed, while he contributed a foreword to Jean-Pierre Houdin’s Khufu: The Secrets Behind the Building of the Great Pyramid.

6: The Boy King

There’s nothing new about (or wrong with) authors or publishers releasing new or revised editions of the same book – it happens all the time. But Zahi Hawass’ books don’t tend so much to get revised and re-released as new editions – they get re-worked, re-designed, re-named and presented as completely different books. Take his collection of Tutankhamun tomes (try not to lose your head as it starts spinning): The Golden Age of Tutankhamun is an American University in Cairo Press book giving an overview of the life of the young pharaoh. The Golden King: The World of Tutankhamun does the same thing, but it’s presented as “an illustrated history” and it’s published by National Geographic Books. Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Boy King – also from National Geographic Books – is aimed at kids aged 9-12. King Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb, meanwhile, charts the chambers of the tomb in the order in which Carter excavated them. Then there’s Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs and Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, both souvenir exhibition books. And that’s just the ones published in English …

7: The Tombs of Thebes

In 2006, Hawass and Sandro Vannini teamed up for The Royal Tombs of Egypt: The Art of Thebes Revealed. Three years later, they’re back with The Lost Tombs of Thebes: Life in Paradise (video), a book by the same publisher, Thames & Hudson. “The Lost Tombs of Thebes gives the reader unprecedented and privileged access to a selection of these extraordinary monuments,” claims the PR guff. Er, "unprecedented and privileged access"? Perhaps. Unless, of course, you already own Royal Tombs of Egypt: The Art of Thebes Revealed …

8: Something a Little Bit Different

Just when you think it’s all the same old same old same old stuff re-worded and re-packaged, Zahi pops up and surprises you with something a little bit different. Silent Images: Women in Pharaonic Egypt is an exploration of women in ancient Egypt, their lives, their rights and their roles. And something even more just a little bit different is John Ransom Philips: A Contemporary Book of the Dead. This is one of Zahi Hawass’ more interesting projects. Here, he offers words to accompany John Ransom Philips’ contemporary watercolour interpretations of the Book of the Dead. There is also a pocket edition, entitled Going Forth by Day.

9: For Tourists and Armchair Travellers

Plenty here to add a little variety to the H-section of your bookshelf. Wonders of Karnak: The Sound and Light of Thebes is about as touristy as it gets, while The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II and the Temples of the Rising Sun covers off the history and importance of Abu Simbel, as well as its remarkable relocation. The Island of Kalabsha, meanwhile, offers coverage of a more obscure but no less interesting site.

10: The Ultimate Zahi Hawass: A Secret Voyage

Now if you’ve bought all the books mentioned above (including all the ones that look like new books but aren’t really), then you truly are a Zahi Hawass devotee. In which case you’ll want to get your hands on a copy A Secret Voyage: Love, Magic and Mysteries in the Realm of the Pharaohs, a limited edition collector’s tome with a print run of just 750.

The book is illustrated with stunning photographs from the Theban Necropolis, taken by none other than Sandro Vannini. The book – billed as Hawass’ 'personal journey' through Egypt – includes the history of the country, love in ancient Egypt, fragments of paintings in rarely seen tombs, and much more in between. A Limited Numbered Edition of 700 copies retails for, cough, £2,600. A further 50 copies are also available – each carrying gelatin silver print – but they may require you to remortgage your house to facilitate the purchase. All 750 copies are signed by both Hawass and Vannini.  The perfect gift for the Egyptologist in your life.

Dr. Hawass will give a special lecture in London on December 8th, and present the book to the British Museum's director Neil MacGregor.

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About The Author

Lynette Eyb

Last three pieces by this author:

Did Ryszard Kapuściński Follow Herodotus' Example and Make Things Up? | Top 10 Ancient Sites in Syria | People Power Could Signal the End of Uluru Tourist Climb

Lynette Eyb is the books editor of Heritage-Key.com. She trained in Australia as a journalist before moving to London, where she wrote for and edited various magazines. She has travelled extensively, exploring the ancient wonders of China, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, the UK and Ireland along the way. Lyn lives in Bordeaux with her partner and their young daughter.