11 Non-Fiction Books About Famous Women That You Should Read

Cover to The Woman Who Would be King by Kara Cooney. Image via publisher Crown Books.

7. The Woman Who Would Be King

If you’ve already thumbed through Rad Women Worldwide, you may very well have encountered the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut already. The title of this book, The Woman Who Would Be King: King Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt, tells you that she really did succeed, at least for a time.

Egyptologist and author Kara Cooney takes a look at the nearly impossible plot Hatshepsut pulled off in order to become pharaoh, rising from an expected life birthing new heirs to the throne up to co-regent with Thutmose III. However, Cooney doesn’t shy away from analyzing why Hatshepsut hasn’t entered common knowledge as much as Cleopatra (VII, the one that Elizabeth Taylor played) has, either, arguing that it has to do with how the two women have been presented over time and how they chose to present themselves.

For some, the fact that the author does speculate on reasoning and purposes behind certain actions may be a bit of a turn-off, but it does provide a fascinating potential look into the psyche of an ancient female ruler.

Goodreads praises the conversational tone of the work, preventing it from being too dry.

Additional reading about Hatshepsut includes Joyce Tyldesley’s earlier work, Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh.