A combination of genetic mutations may have been the reason why the pharaoh Akhenaten had an androgynous appearance and a misshapen head, a modern-day medical expert says.

In her follow-up book, The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World (National Geographic, 2021), Cooney draws parallels between male pharaohs and present-day authoritarians.

She became a pharaoh in her own right, and in doing so, became one of ancient Egypt’s first female rulers. ... muscular ruler who had the same false beard that male pharaohs would wear.