Ancient Egypt in the New Kingdom (1567-1085 BC) was a civilization at its peak. This 500-year period was the era of the temples and tombs at Karnak, Thebes and the Valley of the Kings. It was witness to the first woman to rule a country in her own right, saw the first treaty settled between two nations, encompassed the Biblical Exodus, the invention of the first clock and the production of the most exquisite treasure known to the modern world. Still further, the New Kingdom was a dynasty of rich and extraordinary characters: Ahmose, Hatchepsuut, Tuthmosis III, Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen and Rameses II. Tying in to a BBC documentary series, the author tells the fascinating story of this period, a story which takes in the very invention of civilization.