The Last Dynasty

“Mr. Wilkinson celebrates the Ptolemies’ achievements and allows us to gawk at their fantastical public displays. … It takes an expert historian to navigate this nomenclatural jungle and a skilled author to guide readers through it. Mr. Wilkinson is both, and he makes The Last Dynasty an informative and compelling, if sometimes challenging, read.” – James Romm - Wall Street Journal”[A] compelling three-century history of the colorful Hellenistic period. … [A] detailed account of its bureaucracy, culture, and daily life. Hellenistic Egypt in expert hands.” – Kirkus Reviews“Superb and gripping. Toby Wilkinson combines authoritative scholarship with lucid narrative and colorful character studies to tell the blood-spattered, flamboyant, and outrageous history of the Macedonian conquerors Alexander the Great, the Cleopatras, and Ptolemies … in fascinating and compelling style.” – Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity“A scintillating new history… . Intensively researched in every possible source, Toby Wilkinson’s fast-paced narrative covers everything from rival personalities, war, and grand strategy to religion, the arts, science, agriculture, and cultural diversity. A truly splendid read, richly detailed and powered by an unfailing gift for storytelling.” – John Guy, author of Mary Queen of Scots“Toby Wilkinson uses the latest archaeological discoveries and the evidence of indigenous cultures to fill in the blanks, constructing a richer portrait of a period of ‘Ptolemaic brilliance.’ Written in vivid and lucid prose, The Last Dynasty brings to life ‘a period that shaped not only Cleopatra’s life and reign, but the world of ideas we still inhabit.’” – Ruby Eastwood - Irish Times“Toby Wilkinson is known for his popular treatments of a range of Pharaonic subjects. Here he turns his attention to the last dynasty, proving especially adept at connecting the Ptolemies with Egypt’s ancient traditions.” – Campbell Price - History Today

Toby Wilkinson is an Egyptologist and the prizewinning author of fifteen books on the history and culture of the Nile Valley, ancient and modern. Lauded by the Daily Telegraph as “the foremost Egyptologist of his time,” his works include The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, which won the Hessell-Tiltman Prize. He studied Egyptology at the University of Cambridge and is currently a fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He lives in England.