Al-Ahram Weekly | Books Supplement

		Al-Ahram Weekly Online 13 - 19 September 2001 Issue No.551
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

Lord Carnarvon a crook?
Sir -- I was greatly upset to read in the newly published The Tutankhamun Deception by Egyptologist Gerald O'Farrell (London: Sidgwick W Jackson, L18.99) that Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, far from being the scholarly archaeologists they have long been reputed to be, were grave robbers and possibly even murderers who found the tomb of Tutankhamun a full decade before its sensational "official" discovery.
O'Farrell, in fact told BBC History Magazine recently that "Carter was working with a well-established gang of grave robbers."
The two men, according to the author, systematically looted the tomb of the boy king, selling their booty off privately on the lucrative international market.
He claims that he had identified a gold ring with the seal of Tutankhamun that was circulating at least seven years before 1922.
As for the series of sudden deaths of people linked to the tomb's discovery he believes these were highly suspicious. In fact he argues that the legend of the "mummy's curse" was invented as a smoke screen to cover up foul play.
Goodness, is nothing sacred anymore?
Mamdouh El-Dekhakhni
Press Counsellor
Alexandria

Books for all
Sir- I would like to draw your attention to the marvelous effort exerted this year on the part of the "Reading for All Campaign" that is spearheaded by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak. I believe it would be of interest to your readers if the Books Supplement were to outline and highlight the efforts of this campaign.
Reading for All books appear every summer in several series including "The Family Library" which republishes major works in literature, philosophy, history, and all disciplines -- major works which are essential to have in any home library. I was particularly elated that the Campaign reprinted the Egyptology Encyclopaedia of Selim Hassan again this year since last year's copies sold out immediately. The Campaign also particularly encourages children of all ages to read by publishing interesting books for every age group. Certainly the efforts of the Reading for All Campaign are such that ought to be commended by every lover of books in Egypt.
Nesma Ali
Doqqi

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