Under the Western Acacia

Rating:
Summary: Cannot put them down
Review: All of the Ramses series of books I have found to be a super read. They provide an educated insight into the lives of Egyptian people in the past plus have good plots, intrigue and character building in a very straightforward way. I have now finished the series and am missing them very much!

Rating:
Summary: End of the series
Review: As a native Anatolian, I liked this book. Not very much detail is given but there is another huge civilization in Anatolia at the same time and in this book more clues are given.
But with the help of these Ramses books, my Egypt knowladge increased.

Rating:
Summary: Finale to a magnificent story
Review: Having always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt, I was delighted to discover this series of books, which I devoured quickly. They give a good feeling of how strongly their religious beliefs influenced their day to day lives and also a sense of what life was like for the egyptians, although artistic license has been used to make up for lost facts. I like the writing style for the most part, but it did at times become repititive, possibly something has been lost in the translation from French into English. All in all, I haven't enjoyed a series of books like this for years, and it is certainly worth a read, especially if you are interested in this period.

Rating:
Summary: outstandidng
Review: How to describe this story, captivating, intruiging, and heartbreacking. This book captured my soul like nothing else, the whole series fits this description, I picked up the firsy book becuase I was bored, but from the first chapter, I knew I had to read more. when you finish one of these books, or even put it down, you yearn to read more. The final book riveted my soul, and the ending left me with a feeling of completion. great!

Rating:
Summary: Ramses II was one the greatest pharaohs in ancient Egypt
Review: I have read this book first in French and then in English, and I absolutely love it. The translation is very good because it captures the senses of the original. The life of Ramses II is not what people usually expect, and it explains a lot about his relationship with Moses. This book can be read by all ages, and I strongly recommend it! You will love the other 4 volumes as well.

Rating:
Summary: Securing the Peace
Review: In the concluding story of the Ramses saga the middle-aged king is under pressure from the Hittites to prove peace is at hand by marrying the emperor's daughter. This would mean renouncing Iset the Fair, who became the queen after the passing of Nefetari, the beloved queen of Egypt. This presented a real dilemma for the king: nothing short of peace was at stake but the king must uphold the law of ma'at. What is the king to do?

Ramses would also have to deal with Uri-Teshoop who's scheming to undermine the peace and a growing threat from the Libyans, who would love to conquer Egypt. Ramses continues to steer the ship of state through these turbulent waters relying on leadership, genius, magic, and a little help from the gods to defeat the forces of evil that threaten to undermine Egypt.

The story ends almost where it began with the king slumped beneath the acacia tree he planted in the first year of his reign. His faithful sandal-bearer, Ahmeni, was at his side writing down the story of the life of the greatest pharaoh, Ramses the Great.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Like most of the books in the series, under the Western Acacia is a fascinating tale of Ancient Egypt. It brings modern-day thrills and excitement to the ancient history to create a book that is truly gripping. Please note it is not all historically accurate, although it is based around the truth, there is elaboration which could not have been known. It is also not a totally unbiased portrayal of Ramses. But as a piece of fiction (which is what the book is classed as) it is truly magnificent. Jacq takes educational history and mixes it with intrigue, sex and developed undercurrents. Well worth a read.

Rating:
Summary: Magic and intrigue in a gripping tale
Review: The entire "Ramses" series is a tale of not only the often misrepresented pharaoh but of daily Egyptian life. How can it be defined? It's historical, suspenseful, love story with a role model as it's root, it's cornerstone. The role of the pharaoh is displayed honestly in how he is not his own person, he is Egypt and Egypt is Ramses. His goal in life is not his own glory, but that of his country, his soul. Simply a must read. But be warned, once hooked, Egyptology and the passion for knowledge of it will be in your blood like the Nile and it will flood, always.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but flawed!
Review: The main story of this book is an entertaining read about a king and his connection to the land of Egypt, it's people and their Gods. Ramses unlike the rest of us mortals seems to have no faults, other than a lack of patience with his young, foreign, bride whom he lectures but provides with no assistance or education (he seems to have no empathy for her like he does for the rest of his subjects).

The male characters are strongly defined with clear personality traits and preferences. The female characters on the other hand barely rate in terms of page time and are almost exclusively there as decorative ornaments who are easily dismissed despite clear statements that women were free and respected at that time in Egypt. The author largely portrays them as beautiful sirens and sex-slaves.

The depth of the population's belief in the Gods, their powers and Ramses links to them and his dead relatives has been imaginatively captured. What has taken a long time to capture however is the main bad guy, whose partners in crime Ramses otherwise brilliant aides, invariably manage to bump off before getting them to talk. I realise this is a plot device to keep the story going but what a bunch of bunglers they are.

Rating:
Summary: Lots of education, a bit of sex with a twist of religion
Review: This is a really nice collection. I enjoyed it very much. It is so very well researched in both historical and religious terms. Jacq was largely very faithful to historical facts. He made one enormous assumption with no historical backing whatsoever, that Ramses II was King of Egypt during the time of Moses. His history of Moses and the events of his life resemble those told in the bible and Quran, but in a secular fashion. The story does go on, but then again the man did rule Egypt for a very long and eventful period. There are indeed several cardboard like people in the book, very one dimensional and therefore very predictable. If you like history, suspense, lots of action, this is a great collection, enjoy it. If you are planning a Nile Cruise, or have just been on one, you must buy this.