Warrior. Builder. Diplomat. Pharaoh. Discover the extraordinary life of Ramesses II, one of the most powerful and enduring rulers of ancient Egypt.

The Story of Pharaoh is an illustrated journey through the life and sixty-six-year reign of Ramesses II. From his birth into a rising royal dynasty and his transformation from prince to pharaoh, the book follows the campaigns, political struggles, family relationships, religious traditions and monumental building projects that shaped his rule.

Experience the drama of the Battle of Kadesh, Egypt's rivalry with the Hittite Empire, the historic peace treaty that followed, the rise of Pi-Ramesses, and the creation of extraordinary monuments including Abu Simbel and the Ramesseum. The story also explores Nefertari, Ramesses's enormous royal family, the economy and everyday life of New Kingdom Egypt, and the people whose labour sustained the splendour of his reign.

The book continues beyond the pharaoh's death, examining his tomb and mummy, the controversial question of whether Ramesses II could have been the biblical Pharaoh of Moses, and his transformation into the legendary Ozymandias remembered thousands of years later.

For readers fascinated by ancient Egypt, pharaohs, warfare, archaeology and the great rulers of history, this is the story of the man who tried to build his name into eternity.