The Discovery of Ancient Egypt

Boston & Chermignon, Switzerland: White Star, 1998. Hardcover. Very Good book in a Fine jacket. Interior pristine. Dust stains to top edge. Jacket clean and bright. No tears, folds or creases. Not from a library. No remainder mark. Not clipped. 359 pages. Lavishly illustrated. 14.25 x 10.25 x 1.3 inches. 6.75 pounds. Heavy item: extra charges for expedited or international shipping.

After its conquest by the Arabs in A.D. 640, Egypt became an impenetrable territory for western travelers and during the Middle Ages and Renaissance the civilization of the pharaohs was shrouded in a veil of mystery and magic that only began to be lifted at the beginning of the eighteenth century, when the first explorers started to travel through the country and describe its monuments. However, it was not until the end of the eighteenth century, when Napoleon Bonaparte landed in Egypt at the head of his expeditionary force, that this civilization buried in the sand and lost in the mists of time attracted the attention of both scholars and the wider public in the West. Devoted to the remarkable story of the rediscovery of ancient Egypt, this book contains a large number of original illustrations, unique for their completeness and quality, in which adventure and exploration are interwoven with erudition and art.