The Valley of the Golden Mummies by Zahi Hawass is everything a mummy master could have hoped for.  Published by Harry N. Abrams Inc. (the renowned "art book" publisher), this lavish, over-sized book has 224 pages packed with over 300 photographs (260 in full color). The photos are a true treasure: they sparkle and dazzle and are enough to recommend the book alone. But there are more reasons than this.

In short, here's why you should get a copy: 

1. The book is perfect for anyone interested in a close-up look at the first round of mummies uncovered in the Valley of the Golden Mummies. The photos in the book provide so much more depth and detail than any that have been published so far; Hawass was clearly saving the best for the book. Children and adults will enjoy this visual feast, including a chapter on the artifacts discovered with mummies.

2. The book is extremely well-written and organized. I will admit that I had my doubts about whether this book would simply try to capitalize on the latest discovery (without providing a solid context). Wrong! Hawass has written about the mummies and their historical context quite clearly and movingly. He has also injected himself (and others) into the story to make it an even more captivating read. The Introduction tells how Hawass became an archaeologist (which, he thought when he was assigned his first job, was not quite the golden professional opportunity he had wanted--his mind quickly changed.) That leads into the discovery of the Golden Mummies.

3. The book tells the captivating stories of some of the mummies discovered. As a kind of "tourist compromise", five of the mummies were initially placed in the Bahariya Museum (the other mummies would remain in their tombs). Hawass refers to them as Mummy A, Mummy B (A and B were most likely husband and wife), Mummy C, the Boy Mummy, and the Girl Mummy; he describes them in some detail (along with another called the Bride and still another called "Mr. X"). In an especially fascinating chapter of the book, Hawass talks about mummy curses, sharing his own "cursed dreams" once the mummies of the boy and the girl were moved to the museum. As a result, a sixth mummy was placed in the museum: the children's father...so that they could spend eternity together (even in a museum).

4. The book goes well beyond the Valley of the Golden Mummies to give a solid context for Egyptian mummification (in all dynasties). Though only 14 pages long (with many photographs), the mummification section is one of the better attempts (in the literature of mummies) to give the details and facts about mummification; Hawass is especially good at providing a clear explanation of the process in the Greco-Roman period.

5. The book also provides a good background to the history of the Bahariya Oasis, both as a home for the Golden Mummies as well as its rich historical past. The third section of the book (about 50 pages or so) takes the reader on a tour of some rarely-discussed archaeological treasures, including the ancient Roman settlement of El Haiz.

All in all, the book fulfills its substantial promise: it  transports the reader to the Valley of the Golden Mummies and the treasures that it holds.