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Written in the tradition of historians like Stacy Schiff and Amanda Foreman who find modern lessons in ancient history and very opinionated, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today. Cooney turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs - Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa, masters of political entry, diplomacy, charisma and intimidation, whose autocratic regimes controlled a massive territory of untold wealth - to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future. As the first centralized political power on earth, the pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us a lot about the world's politics, past and present. Every animal-headed god, every monumental temple, every pyramid, every treasure-filled tomb, and deified mummy offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many. Examining clues from vivid hieroglyph engravings, courtly records and the footprints of great monuments, Cooney pieces together a new vision of ancient Egypt with clear rules to separate the elites from the underclass, oppressed from the oppressors, and the collaborators from those who dared to resist. From Khufu, the man who built the Great Pyramid at Giza as testament to his authoritarian reign, and Taharqa, the last true pharaoh who worked to make Egypt great again, we discover a clear lens into understanding how power was earned, controlled, and manipulated in ancient times. And in mining the past, Cooney uncovers the reason why societies have so willingly chosen a dictator over democracy, time and time again. Many colour photos, map and chronology, a National Geographic publication, 400 pages.