Booklist

Is King Tut’s tomb cursed? This title, part of a series entitled the Mysterious & Unknown, lays out the incidents that have buoyed public belief in a hex and addresses possible scientific reasons for the many curiously timed deaths that have occurred among those associated with the tomb and its artifacts. Lace approaches the subject with lively, never sensationalized language, and he places the curse in context with careful accounts of the initial discovery of Tut’s tomb as well as background information about archaeology and ancient Egyptian history and burial practices. Researchers may discover one unfortunate misprint (an incorrect date is given for when the Rosetta Stone was translated), but the text on the whole is well-researched, thoughtfully organized and presented, and nicely supported by an uncluttered design and compelling color images, including photos of Tut’s artifacts. Chapter notes and a bibliography conclude this focused volume on a perennially popular subject for students’ personal reading and report work. — Gillian Engberg