Mirage
Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · December 9, 2008
Two hundred years ago, only the most reckless or eccentric Europeans had dared to traverse the unmapped territory of the modern-day Middle East.
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- Who it’s for
- A perilous expedition joins scientific curiosity to invasion and the costly unveiling of ancient Egypt.
- Themes
- Napoleonic expedition, Ancient Egyptian history, European-Muslim encounter
- Genres
- Exploration & Discovery, Ancient Egypt, Napoleonic Wars
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Two hundred years ago, only the most reckless or eccentric Europeans had dared to traverse the unmapped territory of the modern-day Middle East. But in 1798, more than 150 French engineers, artists, doctors, and scientists—even a poet and a musicologist—traveled to the Nile Valley under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte and his invading army. Hazarding hunger, hardship, uncertainty, and disease, Napoleon's "savants" risked their lives in pursuit of discovery.
Continue reading
The first large-scale interaction between Europeans and Muslims in the modern era, the audacious expedition was both a triumph and a disaster, resulting in finds of immense historical and scientific importance (including the ruins of the colossal pyramids and the Rosetta Stone) and in countless tragic deaths through plague, privation, madness, or violence. Acclaimed journalist Nina Burleigh brings readers back to the landmark adventure at the dawn of the modern era that ultimately revealed the deepest secrets of ancient Egypt to a curious continent.
Discovery at a Cost
A perilous expedition joins scientific curiosity to invasion and the costly unveiling of ancient Egypt.
Come here for
- Scientific ambition amid Napoleon’s invasion
- A landmark encounter between Europeans and Muslims
Expect
- Discovery shadowed by disease, privation, and violence
- Historical inquiry with adventure’s hazards and human costs
Where it sits
| Exploration & Discovery | 53% |
|---|---|
| Ancient Egypt | 39% |
| Napoleonic Wars | 37% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Lives in History
- Military Lives
- Social Scientists' Lives
- East African History
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Egypt & the Middle East
- French History
- Military History
- World History
- Authors
- Nina Burleigh
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- December 9, 2008
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Napoleonic expedition · Ancient Egyptian history · European-Muslim encounter
- Reading lane
- Lives in History