Off the Press: The Good Kings
Join the Fowler in welcoming bestselling author and UCLA Egyptology professor Kara Cooney for a program about her newest publication released this month: The Good Kings (National Geographic). A provocative narrative about the “impossible attractions of masculine rule, both yesterday and today,” Cooney’s book focuses on five ancient Egyptian pharaohs: Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa. At this time, when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, Cooney will explain why Egypt still has much to teach us about our continued proclivity to choose leaders in the mold of “strong men,” whether we call them kings, presidents, or chairmen. Kara Cooney is chair of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and professor of Egyptology at UCLA. A specialist in social history, gender studies, and economies in the ancient world, she received her PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. In 2005, she co-curated Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at LACMA. Cooney’s first book, The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt (2014), presented an illuminating biography of Egypt’s least well-known female ruler. Her When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt (2018) was published by National Geographic Press. Off the Press Join the Fowler to hear from UCLA professors and cultural leaders from beyond the university about their recently published books, hot off the press.
