Enter a world of ancient secrets, old money, new ambitions and the discovery of priceless treasure in this revelatory new biography. Enter a world of ancient secrets, old money, new ambitions and the discovery of priceless treasure in this revelatory new biography. Between November 1922 and spring 1923, a door to the ancient Egyptian world was opened. The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun would be the most astonishing archaeological find of the century, revealing not only the boy pharaoh’s preserved remains, but thousands of finely crafted objects, from the iconic gold mask and coffins to a dagger made from meteorite, chalices, beautiful furniture and even 3000-year-old food and wine. The world’s understanding of Ancient Egyptian civilisation was immeasurably enhanced, and the quantity and richness of the objects in the tomb is still being studied today. Two men were ultimately responsible for the discovery: Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter. It was Lord Carnarvon who held the concession to excavate and whose passion and ability to finance the project allowed the eventual discovery to take place. The Earl and the Pharaoh tells the story of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Carnarvon’s life, money and sudden death became front-page news throughout the world following the discovery of the tomb, fuelling rumours that persist today of ‘the curse of the pharaohs’. His beloved home, Highclere Castle, is today best-known as the set of Downton Abbey. Drawing on Highclere Castle’s never-before-plumbed archives, bestselling author Fiona, the Countess of Carnarvon, charts the twists of luck and tragedies that shaped Carnarvon’s life; his restless and enquiring mind that drove him to travel to escape conventional society life in Edwardian Britain. Early praise for the The Earl and the Pharaoh ‘The story of their quest for the tomb of an obscure pharaoh is familiar but still exciting, and the countess tells it well, conjuring up the fights, the frustrations, the times when Carnarvon came close to cutting his losses and giving up, and the moment in November 1922 when Carter held his candle up to a hole in the wall of Tutankhamun’s tomb and in answer to Carnarvon’s question, “Can you see anything?” answered, “Yes, wonderful things”… Carnarvon’s life makes a good story, with plenty of Downton-esque period details’ Daily Telegraph Praise for the Countess of Carnarvon’s previous works 'Bright, breezy and unpretentious'Guardian ‘If you can’t wait for the new season of Downton Abbey … this one’s for you … A revealing portrait of the changing times’New York Post ‘[A] fascinating insight into how the seriously rich once lived’Newsweek Daily Beast ‘Lady Carnarvon's narrative is a vivid time-stamp of a tempestuous period in history, aptly incorporating its political situation and social structure, to satisfy history buffs’Publishers Weekly The Countess of Carnarvon lives at Highclere Castle, best-known to millions worldwide as the setting for the popular television programme Downton Abbey. As an author, Lady Carnarvon has written several bestselling books including Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, Lady Catherine, and At Home at Highclere. • Published for the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun (November 1922) • The first ever biography of George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Two major biographies were written on Howard Carter circa 1972 but the astonishing story has been neglected since. • New York Times bestselling author. ‘Lady Almina’ sold 40k HBs and 17k PBs through TCM. • Taps into the romance and excitement of Downton Abbey, calling on exclusive access to the Highclere Castle archives • A four-part Channel 4 documentary will be released in October 2022 looking at the 5th Earl and Highclere. Competition: Tomb of Tutankhamun;The Secret of the Great Pyramid;Life Below Stairs;The Search For Nefertiti;Nazis on the Nile;Death on the Nile;Bridgerton. Howard Carter;Julian Fellowes;Bob Brier;Alison Maloney;Joann Fletcher;Agatah Christie;Julia Quinn;Jessica Fellowes;Emma Marriott;Tom Bower;Mary S. Lovell
Publicat de: HarperCollins Publishers