The Rape of the Nile, Revised and Updated

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What to expect

The scandalous rape of Ancient Egypt is a historical vignette of greed, vanity, and dedicated archaeological research. It is a tale vividly told by renowned archaeology author Brian Fagan, with characters that include the ancient historian Herodotus; Theban tomb robbers; obelisk-stealing Romans; Coptic Christians determined to erase the heretical past; mummy traders; leisured antiquarians; major European museums; Giovanni Belzoni, a circus strongman who removed more antiquities than Napoleon’s armies; shrewd consuls and ruthless pashas; and archaeologists such as Sir Flinders Petrie who changed the course of Egyptology.

This is the first thoroughly revised edition of The Rape of the Nile—Fagan’s classic account of the cavalcade of archaeologists, thieves, and sightseers who have flocked to the Nile Valley since ancient times. Featured in this edition are new accounts of stunning recent discoveries, including the Royal Tombs of Tanis, the Valley of Golden Mummies at Bahariya, the Tomb of the Sons of Ramses, and the sunken city of Alexandria (whose lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). Fagan concludes with a clear-eyed assessment of the impact of modern mass tourism on archaeological sites and artifacts.

Critics Review

  • “A sophisticated adventure story brimming with fascinating characters. This is the adventure of archaeology at its best.”

    Time Literary Supplement

  • “Fagan records some outrageous tales in this brisk and knowledgeable history of the plunder of Egypt…Many compelling characters, often fierce rivals, inhabit this fascinating book.”

    Time

  • “A fine tale of heroes and villains, scientists and ruffians, set against the compelling backdrop of Ancient Egypt. This important book gives the background for the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, and so much more.”

    Science Digest

  • “Fagan’s history is a fine gateway to [Egyptology].”

    Booklist

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