Donald Redford's "Akhenaten: The Heretic King"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and discusses Redford's controversial theme presented in his book, "Akhenaten - The Heretic King". Redford's theme contends that Akhenaten was not the enlightened pharaoh historians have made him out to be. The paper points out how Redford, through research and evidence from history, successfully argues that Akhenaten was actually a ruthless tyrant who possessed poor administrative skills and completely lacked a sincere desire to transform the country. The paper further notes Redford's position that Akhenaten did not care about his public and was not exactly a shrewd soldier, and this is what led to his ultimate downfall. Some of the criticisms aimed at Redford's book are mentioned, but the paper concludes by stating that the book is a worthwhile read.

From the Paper:

"The first few chapters of the book deal with the background of Akhenaten's reign, his family history and how it ascended the throne. The author tells us about Akhenaten's father and the family in which the heretic king was born. This section doesn't present anything controversial, debatable or shocking. However with Akhenaten's ascension to the throne, the book takes an interesting turn as author makes several insightful and very original observations regarding this period. A large part of this book is devoted to Akhenaten's change of religion and his personal religious beliefs, which bring us to the Aten controversy."

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