When Howard Carter discovered the treasure-filled tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922, a new phase in Egyptomania sprang forth, fueled by the inherent mysteries surrounding the 18-year-old boy king. Produced for PBS in 2013, Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut does an admirable and comprehensive job of unraveling some of King Tut's enigmatic wrappings, so to speak. Guided by Egyptologist Chris Naunton, the 110 minute documentary looks at some of the key mysteries and elements surrounding the young pharaoh's death, and how his gold-filled tomb survived unmolested for 3,000 years. Fabulous observations and well-versed insights are provided by Dr. Melinda Hartwig, Associate Professor at Georgia State University, who is an expert in the field of Ancient Egyptian history and archaeological aesthetic elements. From his undersized and under-decorated tomb, second hand mask artifacts meant for Nefertiti and hasty mummification it is immediately clear that King Tutankhamen's entombment was a rushed and unexpected affair. Naunton, Hartwig, Salima Ikram and a host of forensic scientists reexamine the previous suspicion that King Tut was murdered and arrive at a focused and more sensible theory. Dr. Hartwig points out artwork featuring King Tut engaged in battle, and X-rays confirm that a major chest injury was surely the cause of death. It is concluded that Tutankhamen was struck by a chariot during a melee, the blunt force of the chariot wheel breaking his leg, pelvis and ribs which punctured his heart (the organ is missing from the mummy, which is rare). Because he died at such a young age, Tut's intended tomb was not complete and he was hastily put in a smaller chamber meant for his advisor (and ultimately, his successor), Ay. Ay's own tomb, by contrast, is much too grand as was surely intended for Tutankhamen. Further tests determine that the charred status of Tut's mummy was likely caused by the spontaneous combustion of linseed oil used in the rushed burial. As for how the tomb survived in pristine shape for 3,000 years… layers of sediment surrounding the tomb were produced by a flash flood (which likely occurred shortly after Tutankhamen's death), effectively sealing the entrance until Howard Carter's team uncovered it in 1922. Also, Tut's successors made pointed efforts to obscure his name from historical record, so it is probable that looters were never looking for the small tomb. Ever-informative and never dull, this expert documentary should be included amongst the definitive oeuvre of works on King Tutankhamen.
Chris Naunton. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Howard Carter examines King Tut. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Tutankhamen's gold funerary mask. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Melinda Hartwig and Chris Naunton. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Melinda Hartwig and Chris Naunton. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
1922 excavation of King Tut's tomb. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Melinda Hartwig in King Tut's tomb. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Tutankhamen's treasure. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Chris Naunton. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
x-ray of Tutankhamen's chest. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
chariot accident. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Chris Naunton. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Chris Naunton. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Chris Naunton and Salima Ikram. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Tutankhamen. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
looking at sediment from a flash flood. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Melinda Hartwig and Chris Naunton. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
Tutankhamen's golden throne. Secrets of the Dead: Ultimate Tut
The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief
by Ben Macintyre. Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishers. 1997
by Travis Simpkins
The most famous and successful criminal of the Victorian age, Adam Worth presided over an illicit empire of fraud, forgery and robbery that stretched from America to Europe and South Africa. His far reach and daring conquests of thievery amounted to millions of dollars over a three decade reign, earning him the unofficial title of "The Napoleon of Crime." His cleverness in planning, abhorrence of violence and ability to avoid capture instilled awe in the public and gained respect from law enforcement. Arthur Conan Doyle used Adam Worth as the inspiration for Professor Moriarty, the criminal mastermind and nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, and he now remains immortal in the realm of fiction. Worth's most daring act, the brazen theft of Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of "Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire" in 1876 is one of the most notorious in the realm of Art Crime. He kept the painting under his bed for 25 years after the theft, seemingly in love with the portrait, making it one of the only high-profile heists that wasn't solely perpetrated for profit.
In his 1997 book, The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief, Ben Macintyre provides a most thorough profile of the arch criminal. Starting with his enlistment in the Union Army in the Civil War, and subsequent faked death, Worth set forth on a long crime spree. Cultivated by his pickpocket apprenticeship to Marm Mandelbaum in New York City, Worth committed an enormous bank heist in Boston before fleeing to Europe under the alias Henry J. Raymond (a name he kept for the rest of his life). Much attention is given to Kitty Flynn, the Irish barmaid that would become his lover and life-long obsession (The Duchess of Devonshire portrait looks a lot like Kitty). Many crimes are profiled, from large-scale frauds and jewel heists to petty thefts and highway robbery. Great detail is offered in the account of the 1876 art theft of "The Duchess." Worth's relationship with William Pinkerton, once his pursuer and later his friend, is given pause… particularly in regard to Pinkerton's role in brokering the return of the stolen Gainsborough painting in 1901. J. Pierpont Morgan, the wealthy magnate whose obsession with "The Duchess" painting rivaled Worth's, is featured as well. Many of Worth's numerous criminal cohorts who came to him in search of schemes, including Charley Bullard and Max Shinburn alias "The Baron", have pages devoted to them as well. Ben Macintyre's writing style is engaging and artful, maintaining interest and painting an intriguing portrait of a notorious criminal. Deserving of praise, the tome is well worth the time spent reading it.
Adam Worth aka Henry J. Raymond: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Marm Mandelbaum: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Kitty Flynn Terry: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Thomas Gainsborough: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Chatsworth House: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
the stolen Duchess of Devonshire by Gainsborough: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
William Pinkerton: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
J. Pierpont Morgan: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Robert Pinkerton: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Max Shinburn aka The Baron: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Ben Macintyre: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Adam Worth aka Henry J. Raymond: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Chatsworth House: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Moriarty: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
Adam Worth and Moriarty: The Napoleon of Crime. Ben Macintyre
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