A thorough and detailed account of one of the best known pharaohs of Egypt, written by the leading expert on the subject. Kitchen discusses the early life and childhood of the young king, his reign, politics, wars and policies, and his death and the after-life. This book is to be read rather than studied and is more than a simple biography, giving the wider context of Ramesses' life; daily life in the towns and cities, temples and the gods, political advisers and the royal family.