Book Nook: When Women Ruled the World - Six Queens of Egypt

When I was younger I remember being somewhat fascinated by Egyptian history. I knew there were some strong female rules in the Egyptian world, but I didn't know how many - or know that much about them.

I had a chance to review When Women Ruled the World, and I certainly learned a lot! The author, UCLA professor Kara Cooney, has researched six remarkable female Pharaohs - Merneith, Neferusobek, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Tawosret and Cleopatra. Not only does she relate what information is available about their reign, but she also touches on how their legacy was erased by the men who came after them.

It's a great book for those who are interested in the role of women in history or in Egyptian history in particular. The book does have a certain academic tone to it, but is still interesting and intriguing for those who enjoy historical books.

Kara Cooney is a professor of Egyptology at UCLA. Her academic work focuses on death preparations, afterlife beliefs and gender studies. She is currently investigating coffin reuse during the Bronze Age Collapse, allowing her to examine funerary objects in dozens of museums around the world, including the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She appeared as lead expert in the popular Discovery Channel special "The Secret’s of Egypt’s Lost Queen" and is the creator and host of Discovery’s "Out of Egypt." Her book The Woman Who Would Be King was published in 2014. She lives in Los Angeles.