THE LAST DYNASTY

A truly splendid read richly detailed and powered by an unfailing gift for storytelling John Guy Superb and gripping Simon Sebag Montefiore A definitive and thrilling new account of the last great dynasty of ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra When Alexander the Great arrived in Egypt he overthrew the hated Persian overlords and was welcomed as a saviour He repaid them by showing due reverence to their long held traditions After his death as the Greek empire broke up and his closest advisers squabbled over the spoils a Macedonian general named Ptolemy seized the Egyptian throne ushering in a new dynasty that would last for 300 years What followed was as dramatic and compelling as any period in Egyptian history The unique blend of Greek and Egyptian cultures led to an unprecedented flowering of learning as the new city of Alexandria became home to the Great Library the largest in the ancient world that attracted the brightest minds Wars incest double dealing foreign empires and huge wealth all followed but the rise of the Roman empire would eventually bring the Ptolemaic era crashing to a close Helped by the latest archaeological discoveries and using original papyrus documents Toby Wilkinson uncovers a story that can only now b