Cleopatra Last Queen of Egypt.

Cleopatra Last Queen of Egypt

Joyce Tyldesley

Basic Books

c/o Perseus Publishing Group

387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016

9780465009404, $27.50 www.basicbooks.com

Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley offers a new biographical treatment claiming that much of what we know about Cleopatra has been tainted by prejudice. Her studies of centuries of writings about the queen surveys myths, the sources of legends, and how Roman history and women's roles in Roman society have affected the history of Cleopatra. Hers is a lively yet scholarly survey that will appeal not only to general-interest libraries catering to history-loving patrons, but to college-level collections specializing in ancient history in general and Egypt in particular.