learn in 60minutes history

In60Learning. What Is It?

I was approached on the weekend by one of the co-creators of In60Learning. They sent me a wonderful, personalised email and asked me if I wouldn’t mind taking a look at their range of books about some pretty interesting people in history.  The difference with the In60Learning books is that they take just 60minutes to read, and they are carefully written to ensure that you not only stay engaged, but that the flow and important facts, figures, and timelines sink into your brain.

So, being given the opportunity to try a book, I chose Hatshepsut. The Pharoah Queen.

Is In60Learning worth it?

Yes. Plain and simple.  I am no Mary Beard, but I am a big old geek when it comes to ancient Egyptian History. I didn’t know too much about Hatshepsut, apart from the fact her tombs and statues were trashed in an attempt to obliterate her from history. Hoping to find out a little bit more about this woman in an ancient man’s world, I chose to give myself an hour and see where it took me.

I won’t give away the specific contents of the book here, suffice to say that Hatshepsut was punching through glass ceilings thousands of years ago.  She became the Pharoah Queen by playing the masculine card in a world of crushing patriarchy.  Her statues, inscriptions, and images all showed her wearing the Pharoah crown, and walking in strong, masculine poses, rather than the more passive and modest feet together poses of Egyptian women in the royal household before her. This seemed to be a nifty bit of PR for the time and from what little is known, shows she ruled a prosperous time in ancient Egypt and lived into her 50’s which was deemed to be a long and fruitful life.

Large granite sphinx bearing the likeness of the pharaoh Hatshepsut depicted with the traditional false beard, a symbol of her pharaonic power—Metropolitan Museum of Art

The writing is graceful and extremely fact-based without being dry and I found this  a really engaging read on a topic that I loved.  I was finished, with a head brimming full of facts, in 48minutes!

In60Learning has a growing range of books about all kinds of interesting icons in history. I thoroughly recommend for anyone studying a certain subject, cramming for an exam, part of a pub quiz team, or just looking to give yourself some brain food in bite-size chunks.  If you want to read a book, but never seem to get through one, then give In60Learning a go, they are only $4 each on Kindle.

Browse the interesting historical titles on Amazon here

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Check out my other reviewed books on ancient Egypt, they may take you a good while longer to read!