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Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction
In the 1960s, the world’s attention was focused on a nail-biting race against the international campaign to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples from drowning in the floodwaters of the gigantic new Aswan High Dam. But the coverage of this unprecedented rescue effort completely overlooked the daring French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples—including the Temple of Dendur, now at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art—would currently be at the bottom of a vast reservoir. It was an unimaginably complex project that required the fragile sandstone temples to be dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground.
Willful and determined, Desroches-Noblecourt refused to be cowed by anyone or anything. As a member of the French Resistance in World War II she survived imprisonment by the Nazis; in her fight to save the temples she defied two of the most daunting leaders of the postwar world, Egypt’s President Abdel Nasser and France’s President Charles de Gaulle. As she told one reporter, “You don’t get anywhere without a fight, you know.”
Desroches-Noblecourt also received help from a surprising source. Jacqueline Kennedy, America’s new First Lady, persuaded her husband to help fund the rescue effort. After a century and a half of Western plunder of Egypt’s ancient monuments, Desroches-Noblecourt helped instead to preserve a crucial part of that cultural heritage.
Willful and determined, Desroches-Noblecourt refused to be cowed by anyone or anything. As a member of the French Resistance in World War II she survived imprisonment by the Nazis; in her fight to save the temples she defied two of the most daunting leaders of the postwar world, Egypt’s President Abdel Nasser and France’s President Charles de Gaulle. As she told one reporter, “You don’t get anywhere without a fight, you know.”
Desroches-Noblecourt also received help from a surprising source. Jacqueline Kennedy, America’s new First Lady, persuaded her husband to help fund the rescue effort. After a century and a half of Western plunder of Egypt’s ancient monuments, Desroches-Noblecourt helped instead to preserve a crucial part of that cultural heritage.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2023
About the author
Lynne Olson
16 books624 followers Lynne Olson is a New York Times bestselling author of nine books of history, most of which focus on World War II. Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has called her "our era's foremost chronicler of World War II politics and diplomacy."
Lynne's latest book, Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples From Destruction, will be published by Random House on Feb. 28, 2023. Three of her previous books — Madame Fourcade's Secret War, Those Angry Days, and Citizens of London were New York Times bestsellers.
Born in Hawaii, Lynne graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a journalist for ten years, first with the Associated Press as a national feature writer in New York, a foreign correspondent in AP's Moscow bureau, and a political reporter in Washington. She left the AP to join the Washington bureau of the Baltimore Sun, where she covered national politics and eventually the White House.
Lynne lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Stanley Cloud, with whom she co-authored two books. Visit Lynne Olson at http://lynneolson.com.
Lynne's latest book, Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples From Destruction, will be published by Random House on Feb. 28, 2023. Three of her previous books — Madame Fourcade's Secret War, Those Angry Days, and Citizens of London were New York Times bestsellers.
Born in Hawaii, Lynne graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a journalist for ten years, first with the Associated Press as a national feature writer in New York, a foreign correspondent in AP's Moscow bureau, and a political reporter in Washington. She left the AP to join the Washington bureau of the Baltimore Sun, where she covered national politics and eventually the White House.
Lynne lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Stanley Cloud, with whom she co-authored two books. Visit Lynne Olson at http://lynneolson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 400 reviews
January 6, 2023
I’m always looking for a strong nonfiction that teaches me about a bit of history I was unaware of. As Olson did with Madame Fourcade’s Secret War, she focuses on a single woman to present a larger story. Here, the woman is Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, one of the few female Egyptologists in the 20th Century. The subtitle would have you think that the book is all about the fight to prevent the flooding of a dozen ancient Nubian temples by the floodwaters of the Aswan Dam which would have put them at the bottom of a reservoir. It took 50 countries donating colossal sums in 1960 to prevent that loss. But it tracks Desroches-Noblecourt across decades.
The story follows Christiane from her initial fascination with Egyptology as a child through her career. She helped with the removal of all the Louvre treasures ahead of the Nazi invasion. She joined the resistance. Because of her lack of prejudice, she was the only French Egyptologist allowed back in the country after the 1956 Suez Crisis. The sixties were taken up with saving Abu Simbel, the seventies included the Tutankhamun exhibit in Paris. She arranged for the study and preservation of Ramses II’s mummy in Paris. She was involved in almost every major event that involved Egyptology.
This book is smoothly written and keeps the reader engaged throughout. Olson brings in the necessary political background of France, England, America and Egypt to explain the issues. Several chapters also focus on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who also had a major impact on saving Abu Simbel.
The book includes some fabulous pictures of the removal of the statues and colossi.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
The story follows Christiane from her initial fascination with Egyptology as a child through her career. She helped with the removal of all the Louvre treasures ahead of the Nazi invasion. She joined the resistance. Because of her lack of prejudice, she was the only French Egyptologist allowed back in the country after the 1956 Suez Crisis. The sixties were taken up with saving Abu Simbel, the seventies included the Tutankhamun exhibit in Paris. She arranged for the study and preservation of Ramses II’s mummy in Paris. She was involved in almost every major event that involved Egyptology.
This book is smoothly written and keeps the reader engaged throughout. Olson brings in the necessary political background of France, England, America and Egypt to explain the issues. Several chapters also focus on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who also had a major impact on saving Abu Simbel.
The book includes some fabulous pictures of the removal of the statues and colossi.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
April 30, 2023
Lynne Olson is my favorite World War 2 historian and there are quite a few reasons for that but the most important to me is her ability to take a little known historical fact or person and expand outward at a pace that never confuses the reader and greatly expands one's knowledge. Whether that person is the US ambassador to Britain after Joe Kennedy quits the post in her novel "Citizens of London," or the Polish pilots who helped save Britain from the Nazis in her novel, "A Question of Honor." In her other four novels on World War 2 she follows the same constructive and lucid style.
In her latest book, "Empress Of The Nile," the style continues and we are introduced to the fascinating, strong-will, five foot, French archaeologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt whose persistence, against the greatest of odds, saves the ancient temples of Egypt...with quite of bit of help from Jackie Kennedy, President Kennedy's often misunderstood, highly educated wife.
Ms. Desroches-Noblecourt's heroics shed a major light on the importance of history, culture, and art in the shaping and understanding the world we currently live in and, just as importantly, if we truly want to understand the present we need to study the past...even when that past is four thousand years old.
A simply fascinating book from one of the great historians of our time.
In her latest book, "Empress Of The Nile," the style continues and we are introduced to the fascinating, strong-will, five foot, French archaeologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt whose persistence, against the greatest of odds, saves the ancient temples of Egypt...with quite of bit of help from Jackie Kennedy, President Kennedy's often misunderstood, highly educated wife.
Ms. Desroches-Noblecourt's heroics shed a major light on the importance of history, culture, and art in the shaping and understanding the world we currently live in and, just as importantly, if we truly want to understand the present we need to study the past...even when that past is four thousand years old.
A simply fascinating book from one of the great historians of our time.
April 1, 2023
Not just a biography on Christiane Desroches who was a very successful archeologist, but it is also a history on the attempt to save the temple of abu simbel from being lost in the floodwaters of the Aswan dam. Without Desroches and her strong will and belief that it could and should be done the temple would have been lost forever. Another woman who was instrumental in saving Abu simbel was Jackie Kennedy. What is funny is that neither woman was really credited much for their important work to protect the cultural legacy of ancient Egypt. I myself have never heard of Desroches before reading this book, so I'm very happy to have read this.
This book never got boring and was a well written and easy read. Highly recommended
This book never got boring and was a well written and easy read. Highly recommended
June 5, 2023
An exceptional story of an amazing woman and her continual fight to save the Egyptian and Nubian antiquities.
February 28, 2023
I’m way behind in, well, everything so this will be brief. The publisher's description gets it right. I think I went into the book expecting something like Millard's "River of the Gods" with a dash of Indiana Jones. Well it ain't that, though there are snakes and crypts and an interrogation by the Gestapo. Rather, the book captures the singularity of its main character, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the extraordinary lengths she went to in trying to save some of humanity's greatest treasures in art and architecture from destruction (and, early in the book, from Nazi plunderers), the enormous technological and political challenges involved in saving them, the frustrations of archeological/cultural diplomacy, and the misogyny that she encountered and had to overcome -- as did Jacqueline Kennedy, the reader learns, because men didn't take her seriously either. A solid, engaging, and impressive read.
January 12, 2023
Lynne Olson has excavated and restored the story of a forgotten French Egyptologist whose contributions should have been memorialized in stone and legend. I was enthralled by this biography of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. Inspired as a teenager by Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb, she forged a career in a male-dominated field, gaining the respect of the laborers on the archeological sites and scholars and political leaders alike. She challenged accepted truths. And her relentless work to save ancient temples from destruction culminated in one of the most ingenious and difficult feats of engineering: moving the temple of Ramses II before the Aswan High Dam flooded it. Incredibly, she also participated in the Resistance during WWII!
Single-minded and a relentless worker, Christine’s career started when she took classes in archeology, art history, and hieroglyphics at the Ecole du Louvre, home of the most prized collection of Egyptian art, a legacy of France’s imperialist domination of Egypt. Her first job was to catalogue unopened crates brought back from Egypt. The volunteer project took three years, but she gained a deep understanding that would surpass her peers when she worked in the field. Which happened in 1937 when she was selected to work in the Valley of the Kings on a village that had housed the artisans and laborers who worked on the pharaohs’ tombs. It was thought that a female couldn’t stand the primitive living conditions and heat of the field, but she thrived.
As Christine’s career progressed, the political world around her changed. When the Nazis reached Paris, she helped move the Louvre’s art to secure locations. She stayed under the radar while working with a resistance group as a courier. With the rejection of colonialist powers over Egypt, one of the few Europeans they allowed in the country was Christine; she had forged relationships with Egyptians, learning Arabic. When Nassar determined to build a dam that would bring electricity to his developing country, Christine was appalled at the resulting loss of twenty temples. She pushed UNESCO to fund the rescue operation of moving the temples, which included Abu Simbel, a remarkable temple built by Ramses II.
I was a girl in the early sixties when Abul Simbel was being sawn apart and moved to a high elevation. I vividly recall the National Geographic magazine’s photographs of the project. It was exciting to read this behind the scenes narrative.
Olson includes a wealth of information about Ancient Egypt and the history of archeology in Egypt. The first photographs of King Tut’s treasures was printed in a book written by Christine. Traveling exhibits of Egyptian art raised awareness across the world, inspiring even school children to raid their piggy banks to send money to save Abul Simbel, and fomenting a passion for all things Egyptian. The legacy of colonialism and imperialism, the rise of Pan-Arabism, and the cold war figure into the story. In 1954, she left academia and ended up working thirty years there.
Another surprising insight was the influence of First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy, who was deeply interested in art and Ancient Egypt, who pressured her husband to fund Abul Simbel. And who later, with second husband Aristotle Onassis, asked Christine.to take them on a tour.
Each segment of Christine’s story furthered my interest and excitement, rekindling my childhood interest in Ancient Egypt.
I was given a free egalley by the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
Single-minded and a relentless worker, Christine’s career started when she took classes in archeology, art history, and hieroglyphics at the Ecole du Louvre, home of the most prized collection of Egyptian art, a legacy of France’s imperialist domination of Egypt. Her first job was to catalogue unopened crates brought back from Egypt. The volunteer project took three years, but she gained a deep understanding that would surpass her peers when she worked in the field. Which happened in 1937 when she was selected to work in the Valley of the Kings on a village that had housed the artisans and laborers who worked on the pharaohs’ tombs. It was thought that a female couldn’t stand the primitive living conditions and heat of the field, but she thrived.
As Christine’s career progressed, the political world around her changed. When the Nazis reached Paris, she helped move the Louvre’s art to secure locations. She stayed under the radar while working with a resistance group as a courier. With the rejection of colonialist powers over Egypt, one of the few Europeans they allowed in the country was Christine; she had forged relationships with Egyptians, learning Arabic. When Nassar determined to build a dam that would bring electricity to his developing country, Christine was appalled at the resulting loss of twenty temples. She pushed UNESCO to fund the rescue operation of moving the temples, which included Abu Simbel, a remarkable temple built by Ramses II.
I was a girl in the early sixties when Abul Simbel was being sawn apart and moved to a high elevation. I vividly recall the National Geographic magazine’s photographs of the project. It was exciting to read this behind the scenes narrative.
Olson includes a wealth of information about Ancient Egypt and the history of archeology in Egypt. The first photographs of King Tut’s treasures was printed in a book written by Christine. Traveling exhibits of Egyptian art raised awareness across the world, inspiring even school children to raid their piggy banks to send money to save Abul Simbel, and fomenting a passion for all things Egyptian. The legacy of colonialism and imperialism, the rise of Pan-Arabism, and the cold war figure into the story. In 1954, she left academia and ended up working thirty years there.
Another surprising insight was the influence of First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy, who was deeply interested in art and Ancient Egypt, who pressured her husband to fund Abul Simbel. And who later, with second husband Aristotle Onassis, asked Christine.to take them on a tour.
Each segment of Christine’s story furthered my interest and excitement, rekindling my childhood interest in Ancient Egypt.
I was given a free egalley by the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
June 30, 2024
4.5 stars
This is a very thorough book not only on Christiane Derosches but the major efforts over the past century to save the most precious Egyptian artifacts. The history was solid. I felt the coverage post-WWII was top notch. This comprised the latter two thirds of the book. So it is a book that became more interesting as the chapters progressed. The book will be of interest to history buffs and of course for those interested in Egyptology. Derosches was a remarkable person.
I was just six years old when my father took me to see the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. Now that was quite a memorable experience and I was hooked. I have now visited most of the famous world museums outside of Egypt that are known for their Egyptian exhibits. And this winter I have a trip planned to Egypt and the Valley of the Kings that I am very excited about.
It took me a while to read this book because the first few chapters were a little slow but it was definitely a rewarding read.
This is a very thorough book not only on Christiane Derosches but the major efforts over the past century to save the most precious Egyptian artifacts. The history was solid. I felt the coverage post-WWII was top notch. This comprised the latter two thirds of the book. So it is a book that became more interesting as the chapters progressed. The book will be of interest to history buffs and of course for those interested in Egyptology. Derosches was a remarkable person.
I was just six years old when my father took me to see the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. Now that was quite a memorable experience and I was hooked. I have now visited most of the famous world museums outside of Egypt that are known for their Egyptian exhibits. And this winter I have a trip planned to Egypt and the Valley of the Kings that I am very excited about.
It took me a while to read this book because the first few chapters were a little slow but it was definitely a rewarding read.
November 7, 2022
This is a very interesting and enlightening book, however, I really felt the title was a bit misleading. The whole thing is more of a case study in salvage archaeology with an emphasis on Noblecourt's role rather than a biography of her and her work specifically. However, it was still a good read and I definitely learned a lot, I would recommend this book to anyone with a specific interest in the cultural and political aspects of Egytpology in the 50s and 60s.
November 7, 2022
Lynn Olsen has written a compelling book about the life of Christaine Desroches-Noblecourt a French Egyptologist who was a galvanizing force in the field and helped pave the way for women and even Egyptians who only were recognized in the field in the 1960’s. The book is very comprehensive, and my only criticism is that it sometimes reads like an archival dump. It is very detailed, almost to a fault as we get caught up in ever spat that happened between governments, UNESCO and Egypt over the years as they race to preserve Egyptian antiquity.
Christiane is a wonderful character. She is fearless, doesn’t get intimidated by obstacles and is single minded in her wanting to help Egypt. She is put through a lot of hazing and proves herself a formidable field worker and her finds are remarkable. She was educated at a time when there were no women in the field and ended up doing her teachers proud as she herself becomes a teacher at the Louvre, all while continuing fieldwork, (she saved Abu Sibel) and tirelessly went back and forth with each government to raise money. Even though she marries and has a son, you get the sense that her family takes a back burner to her passion.
I would have liked the book better if it was edited and as detailed as it is, it takes away from the story. I did learn many interesting facts I didn’t need to read it repeatedly. I am glad I read the book, although it was like reading in a deep swamp.
Christiane is a wonderful character. She is fearless, doesn’t get intimidated by obstacles and is single minded in her wanting to help Egypt. She is put through a lot of hazing and proves herself a formidable field worker and her finds are remarkable. She was educated at a time when there were no women in the field and ended up doing her teachers proud as she herself becomes a teacher at the Louvre, all while continuing fieldwork, (she saved Abu Sibel) and tirelessly went back and forth with each government to raise money. Even though she marries and has a son, you get the sense that her family takes a back burner to her passion.
I would have liked the book better if it was edited and as detailed as it is, it takes away from the story. I did learn many interesting facts I didn’t need to read it repeatedly. I am glad I read the book, although it was like reading in a deep swamp.
November 30, 2022
This book was amazing. I had never heard of the French archeologist Christiane Desroches Noblecourt before this story, but now I am obsessed with her work, perseverance, and sheer audacity needed to become an Egyptologist in the 1930s. Not only did she lead her own dig in Egypt, but also was one of the teams from the Louvre who hid the Egyptian artifacts from the Nazi regime, among other amazing feats. (No spoilers,) Just a remarkable story.
The style of the writing was great with enough detail but not so much to weigh down the narrative. I appreciated how she addressed the issue of artifact ownership being at the core of a legacy of colonialism, and how thoughtfully she explored the topic, especially as I find it appalling that one country's monuments and artifacts are exhibited in another country as a permanent collection (and more so when it's actual human remains).
This book was one of the best I read this year and I won't be able to stop talking about it. I would like to thank the publisher for access to the digital arc through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
The style of the writing was great with enough detail but not so much to weigh down the narrative. I appreciated how she addressed the issue of artifact ownership being at the core of a legacy of colonialism, and how thoughtfully she explored the topic, especially as I find it appalling that one country's monuments and artifacts are exhibited in another country as a permanent collection (and more so when it's actual human remains).
This book was one of the best I read this year and I won't be able to stop talking about it. I would like to thank the publisher for access to the digital arc through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
June 13, 2023
I devoured this work! Lynne Olson has a supreme ability to unearth (haha, archaeology) lesser-known figures of history (or lost to time) and brings them to a new and wider audience. The remarkable life story of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt is one to savor. Enjoy the exploration of Christiane's early life, her deep dive into Egyptian culture and history, and her eventual notoriety as the premiere scholar of Egyptian archaeology. Her work and efforts saved numerous artifacts, temples, and priceless historical monuments. She even made a friend with Jackie Kennedy Onassis, a fellow Egyptian enthusiast. I encourage you to try the audiobook, as it helped navigate this dense and well-researched book.
April 8, 2023
This is a very interesting book on the preservation of the temples and artifacts of Nubia that would have been destroyed otherwise by the Aswan High Dam. Includes the politics involved, funding difficulties, international collaboration, and the engineering marvels. All of that was incredibly interesting. If this had been a story of that effort, it would be a four or possibly five star as Olson’s writing is engaging as well as informative.
However, what the book was portrayed as was a biography of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, and for that it fell short. It starts out well with a fascinating look at Desroches’s childhood, early career, saving Louvre treasures from the Nazis, and working for the Resistance. Once Olson ends up on the campaign to save Nubia and Abu Simbel, we lose the thread of Desrouches’s story. In fact, there are more pages in the middle dedicated to Jacqueline Kennedy’s involvement in the campaign than Desrouches’s, as well as an interesting, but completely irrelevant story of how the Met basically stole Dendur from the Smithsonian.
Finally around page 300, we get back to Desrouches and her role in staging the exhibition of King Tut’s artifacts and then Ramses II’s exhibition and the preservation of his mummy. The end of the book spends a lot of time on her work, but very little of her reported energy and passion comes through. Is almost a route list of projects instead of a look at who she was. The final chapter gives a little glimpse of her again, but there was a lost opportunity to really talk about her career challenges, her engagement with students and other archeologists, and anything about her personal life. She was interviewed extensively late in life and gave many lectures throughout it, but other than in the first third of the book and the final ten pages, we don’t get many of Desrouches’s own words or reactions from those who knew and worked with her. Again, disappointing as she was clearly a fascinating trailblazer.
The other big disappointment is the lack of photos. There are chapters on the artifacts and the temples and sites, but only a dozen or so photos and all of those black and white. We get vivid descriptions of the exhibitions, but one photo, again in black and white. The impact of her work would have been brought more to life by including these.
Overall, I’m glad I read the book as I learned about something I honestly knew nothing about. However, I’d say this is poorly edited and marketed. Should have been about the Nubia campaign and the women who made it happen. Instead was really two books smushed together that left me wanting. The rating reflects the solid writing and that I learned things, otherwise would have been a two-star.
However, what the book was portrayed as was a biography of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, and for that it fell short. It starts out well with a fascinating look at Desroches’s childhood, early career, saving Louvre treasures from the Nazis, and working for the Resistance. Once Olson ends up on the campaign to save Nubia and Abu Simbel, we lose the thread of Desrouches’s story. In fact, there are more pages in the middle dedicated to Jacqueline Kennedy’s involvement in the campaign than Desrouches’s, as well as an interesting, but completely irrelevant story of how the Met basically stole Dendur from the Smithsonian.
Finally around page 300, we get back to Desrouches and her role in staging the exhibition of King Tut’s artifacts and then Ramses II’s exhibition and the preservation of his mummy. The end of the book spends a lot of time on her work, but very little of her reported energy and passion comes through. Is almost a route list of projects instead of a look at who she was. The final chapter gives a little glimpse of her again, but there was a lost opportunity to really talk about her career challenges, her engagement with students and other archeologists, and anything about her personal life. She was interviewed extensively late in life and gave many lectures throughout it, but other than in the first third of the book and the final ten pages, we don’t get many of Desrouches’s own words or reactions from those who knew and worked with her. Again, disappointing as she was clearly a fascinating trailblazer.
The other big disappointment is the lack of photos. There are chapters on the artifacts and the temples and sites, but only a dozen or so photos and all of those black and white. We get vivid descriptions of the exhibitions, but one photo, again in black and white. The impact of her work would have been brought more to life by including these.
Overall, I’m glad I read the book as I learned about something I honestly knew nothing about. However, I’d say this is poorly edited and marketed. Should have been about the Nubia campaign and the women who made it happen. Instead was really two books smushed together that left me wanting. The rating reflects the solid writing and that I learned things, otherwise would have been a two-star.
July 3, 2023
Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was born in Paris, France, November 17, 1913, and her lifelong passion for Egypt began as a toddler when her grandfather took her to see the Luxor Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde. He told her about its history and connection with France. As a child the history did not interest her as much as the hieroglyphs. “Those images spoke to me.” A few years later, she became fascinated with the Egyptian antiquities at the Louvre. Eventually she became the world’s leading expert on ancient Egypt; a trained, experienced archaeologist; and also, during World War II she was a spy for the Allies. “A willful real-life female version of Indiana Jones, she told an interviewer many years after the war, ‘You don’t get anywhere without a fight, you know. I never looked for the fight. If I became a brawler, it was out of necessity.’” Over her lifetime, there were many fights that she took on, all for good causes.
In 1833 the Luxor Obelisk was a gift to the king of France as an appreciation for France’s history with Egypt, going back to 1798. At that time Napoleon Bonaparte launched a military excursion to annex Egypt so that France would be a dominant force in the Mediterranean. Along with the military contingents the expedition was comprised of, “Experts in various fields, they included artists, engineers, linguists, cartographers, historians, mineralogists, botanists and other scholars–all there to study Egypt and its people, both past and present.” The military campaign was a flop, with Admiral Horatio Nelson, in command of the British fleet, defeating the French navy in the Battle of the Nile. The scholarly part was a major success and introduced to France and other western countries the, “vibrant civilization that predated both the Romans and Greeks." The competitive rivalry between France and England for territory and military advantage would increase and extend over the decades and involve archaeological research in Egypt. In 1922 British archaeologist Howard Carter unearthed the tomb of King Tutankhamun which provided a vast array of artifacts and created a global interest in ancient Egypt, and further ignited nine-year-old Christiane's interest.
After attending the Lycée Molière, a high school for girls, it was a matter of choosing a subject to study in college. Her obsession with ancient Egypt was not considered. “At the time, we never considered a career for me as an Egyptologist,” she said. “It was considered a fad, a madness, not a profession.” It would be possible for her to study art history (16th century French drawing) at the Sorbonne and at the École du Louvre. The subject bored her stiff. However at the Louvre there was a class in Egyptian archaeology and another one deciphering hieroglyphs. And this formed the jumping off point for her life as an archaeologist, with a singular focus on ancient Egypt, that continuously was interwoven with adventure, misogyny; racism; sterotyping of indigenous peoples; continuous internecine fights, squabbles and competition among archaeologists and countries. Her major crowning achievement would develop despite those obstacles and many others.
During his time as President of Egypt, Gamel Abdel Nasser considered the construction of the Aswan Dam to be part of the modernization of Egypt. Writer Lynne Olson provides a detailed history and analyses of what this meant in terms of international relations and Egyptian history. The part that concerned Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was the damming of parts of the Nile River that would flood and cover major ancient historical sites, e.g., approximately twenty-two monuments and major architectural complexes. This story and battle would involve the successful assistance of two unlikely women (Jacqueline Kennedy and Germaine Ford de Maria) whose knowledge, interests and abilities to leverage power were relatively unknown. The sections about Jacqueline Kennedy are revelatory. Her appearance as an ethereal fashionista belied a woman of great knowledge about many subjects, especially domestic and international politics, who possessed an enormous ability and determination to persuade those in power (including her husband, President Kennedy) about what was the right course of action to take. In her behind-the-scenes, and successful, crusade to save the buildings surrounding Lafayette Square she presciently said, “Perhaps saving old buildings and having the new ones be right isn’t the most important thing in the world–-if you are waiting for the bomb–-but I think we are always going to be waiting for the bomb and it won’t ever come, and saving the old–-and making the new beautiful–-is terribly important.” Jacqueline Kennedy played a major role in securing U.S. funds to rescue historical monuments before they were engulfed in water from the Aswan Dam. The biographical information about Germaine Ford de Maria is the stuff of romance novels--most incredible! She too was a force to be reckoned with and was instrumental in funding Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt's exploration and restoration of the Valley of the Queens.
Archaeological excavations are about unearthing and deciphering historical artifacts, sometimes documents that are inscribed on tablets, ceramics, rocks or paper, and shining a light on past history. The contributions made by Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt achieved that and fired up an interest in others to do the same. For many of us our knowledge about ancient Egypt is insufficient and has been colored by motion pictures. In presenting the biography and contributions of one audacious woman, Lynne Olson notes the following: “The oldest nation-state in history, Egypt had been welded into a single country more than 3,200 years before the birth of Christ … The Egyptians’ invention of the concept of a unified nation, whose population shared a common identity, was remarkable not only for its impact on the world but also for its longevity.” According to Cambridge Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson, “The pharaonic state as originally conceived lasted for three millennia. By comparison, Rome barely managed one millennium, while western culture has yet to survive two.”
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
In 1833 the Luxor Obelisk was a gift to the king of France as an appreciation for France’s history with Egypt, going back to 1798. At that time Napoleon Bonaparte launched a military excursion to annex Egypt so that France would be a dominant force in the Mediterranean. Along with the military contingents the expedition was comprised of, “Experts in various fields, they included artists, engineers, linguists, cartographers, historians, mineralogists, botanists and other scholars–all there to study Egypt and its people, both past and present.” The military campaign was a flop, with Admiral Horatio Nelson, in command of the British fleet, defeating the French navy in the Battle of the Nile. The scholarly part was a major success and introduced to France and other western countries the, “vibrant civilization that predated both the Romans and Greeks." The competitive rivalry between France and England for territory and military advantage would increase and extend over the decades and involve archaeological research in Egypt. In 1922 British archaeologist Howard Carter unearthed the tomb of King Tutankhamun which provided a vast array of artifacts and created a global interest in ancient Egypt, and further ignited nine-year-old Christiane's interest.
After attending the Lycée Molière, a high school for girls, it was a matter of choosing a subject to study in college. Her obsession with ancient Egypt was not considered. “At the time, we never considered a career for me as an Egyptologist,” she said. “It was considered a fad, a madness, not a profession.” It would be possible for her to study art history (16th century French drawing) at the Sorbonne and at the École du Louvre. The subject bored her stiff. However at the Louvre there was a class in Egyptian archaeology and another one deciphering hieroglyphs. And this formed the jumping off point for her life as an archaeologist, with a singular focus on ancient Egypt, that continuously was interwoven with adventure, misogyny; racism; sterotyping of indigenous peoples; continuous internecine fights, squabbles and competition among archaeologists and countries. Her major crowning achievement would develop despite those obstacles and many others.
During his time as President of Egypt, Gamel Abdel Nasser considered the construction of the Aswan Dam to be part of the modernization of Egypt. Writer Lynne Olson provides a detailed history and analyses of what this meant in terms of international relations and Egyptian history. The part that concerned Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was the damming of parts of the Nile River that would flood and cover major ancient historical sites, e.g., approximately twenty-two monuments and major architectural complexes. This story and battle would involve the successful assistance of two unlikely women (Jacqueline Kennedy and Germaine Ford de Maria) whose knowledge, interests and abilities to leverage power were relatively unknown. The sections about Jacqueline Kennedy are revelatory. Her appearance as an ethereal fashionista belied a woman of great knowledge about many subjects, especially domestic and international politics, who possessed an enormous ability and determination to persuade those in power (including her husband, President Kennedy) about what was the right course of action to take. In her behind-the-scenes, and successful, crusade to save the buildings surrounding Lafayette Square she presciently said, “Perhaps saving old buildings and having the new ones be right isn’t the most important thing in the world–-if you are waiting for the bomb–-but I think we are always going to be waiting for the bomb and it won’t ever come, and saving the old–-and making the new beautiful–-is terribly important.” Jacqueline Kennedy played a major role in securing U.S. funds to rescue historical monuments before they were engulfed in water from the Aswan Dam. The biographical information about Germaine Ford de Maria is the stuff of romance novels--most incredible! She too was a force to be reckoned with and was instrumental in funding Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt's exploration and restoration of the Valley of the Queens.
Archaeological excavations are about unearthing and deciphering historical artifacts, sometimes documents that are inscribed on tablets, ceramics, rocks or paper, and shining a light on past history. The contributions made by Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt achieved that and fired up an interest in others to do the same. For many of us our knowledge about ancient Egypt is insufficient and has been colored by motion pictures. In presenting the biography and contributions of one audacious woman, Lynne Olson notes the following: “The oldest nation-state in history, Egypt had been welded into a single country more than 3,200 years before the birth of Christ … The Egyptians’ invention of the concept of a unified nation, whose population shared a common identity, was remarkable not only for its impact on the world but also for its longevity.” According to Cambridge Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson, “The pharaonic state as originally conceived lasted for three millennia. By comparison, Rome barely managed one millennium, while western culture has yet to survive two.”
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
April 12, 2023
The story of Christian Desroches-Noblecourt, one of the first 20th century women to break the ceiling in the Archeologist/Egyptologist fields. Although the title claims to concentrate on the saving of Egypt's ancients temples, it is more a bio, and heavy on the politics of all the nations involved. This disappointed me a little, thus the 1/2 star. If you are looking for all archeology, this is not the book you want.
Noblecourt was very fortunate to have parents who encouraged her interests and enabled her to form a strong free thinking mind. Remember, her entrance in the field was in the early 20th century. Yet, again fortune smiled on her and there were men in the field (very few though) who welcomed her and paved the road so that it was not as rough as it could have been. Her assistance from these mentors earned her a fellowship at the elite French Institute of Oriental Archeology in Cairo. She had, through hard work, made a name for herself, becoming one of the world's top archeologists. She spent 9 months, each year of the fellowship, taking part in various excavation projects.
Throughout her professional life she endured not only WWII, but also the uprisings and coups in Egypt and the war of The Suez Canal. These events add color to the story. However, I do believe they could have been cut down a bit. In places it dragged. Olson is a great researcher and writer, so I plowed through those areas and was still able to enjoy the story.
About midway through the book, enter Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Her activity in saving the Egyptian temples was something I knew little about. After reading this book I feel Olson gives far more credit to the archeologist than to Jackie. It is commendable what the Kennedy's did to ensure these ancient monuments were preserved for the future world.
Jacqueline Kennedy gave a voice and visibility to the historic preservation movement in this country...few people have had a more important impact on historic preservation in the United States
Recommended for the history folks- After much thought, I will be rounding up.
Noblecourt was very fortunate to have parents who encouraged her interests and enabled her to form a strong free thinking mind. Remember, her entrance in the field was in the early 20th century. Yet, again fortune smiled on her and there were men in the field (very few though) who welcomed her and paved the road so that it was not as rough as it could have been. Her assistance from these mentors earned her a fellowship at the elite French Institute of Oriental Archeology in Cairo. She had, through hard work, made a name for herself, becoming one of the world's top archeologists. She spent 9 months, each year of the fellowship, taking part in various excavation projects.
Throughout her professional life she endured not only WWII, but also the uprisings and coups in Egypt and the war of The Suez Canal. These events add color to the story. However, I do believe they could have been cut down a bit. In places it dragged. Olson is a great researcher and writer, so I plowed through those areas and was still able to enjoy the story.
About midway through the book, enter Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Her activity in saving the Egyptian temples was something I knew little about. After reading this book I feel Olson gives far more credit to the archeologist than to Jackie. It is commendable what the Kennedy's did to ensure these ancient monuments were preserved for the future world.
Jacqueline Kennedy gave a voice and visibility to the historic preservation movement in this country...few people have had a more important impact on historic preservation in the United States
Recommended for the history folks- After much thought, I will be rounding up.
July 8, 2024
Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction is an entertaining and engaging read. The book is also a great listen, as the audiobook is ably narrated by Lisa Flanagan.
The Hollywood pitch for this book is that Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt is the female Indiana Jones, but the reality is so much more nuanced and fascinating to reveal bit by bit.
Think about a trailblazing woman in a male-dominated field of Egyptology and museum curation. That's Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. Talk about an academic who exhibits great chutzpah AND a great sense of marketing archeological finds. That's also Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. Consider a Zelig-type figure at the nexus of Charles de Gaulle, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, André Malraux, Aristotle Onassis, Jack Kennedy, Richard Goodwin, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, and Anwar Sadat? Somehow that's also Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt.
A major positive of the book is that Lynne Olsen documents and illuminates many vectors involving all the people mentioned above. Olsen has researched and knit together a compelling narrative. Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt is a great subject and I am rekindled in my love of Egypt.
Yes, I am one of those 13-year-olds who convinced his history-loving mother & brother to camp overnight (reality: standing in line for 8+ hours overnight) for multiple nights before we scored tickets to see “The Treasures of Tutankhamun” tour at the Field Museum in Chicago. I now have more context as to how the King Tut roadshow was born of the many efforts and passions of archaeologists and Egyptologists, like Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt.
And I thank her (and Lynne Olson) for the passions, scholarship, and intellectual curiosity they awoke in so many people.
This book is heartily recommended, particularly if you (like me) have ever contracted the Egypt bug at any point in your life. The book is also recommended to any reader who admires and respects scholars who can bring history alive, plus fight the patriarchy before breakfast (and before and after every meal)-- and do it with kindness and decency toward their Egyptian colleagues, field workers, and Bedouin strangers in a crisis post-snake bite. (Seriously, just read the book and enjoy.)
The Hollywood pitch for this book is that Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt is the female Indiana Jones, but the reality is so much more nuanced and fascinating to reveal bit by bit.
Think about a trailblazing woman in a male-dominated field of Egyptology and museum curation. That's Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. Talk about an academic who exhibits great chutzpah AND a great sense of marketing archeological finds. That's also Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. Consider a Zelig-type figure at the nexus of Charles de Gaulle, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, André Malraux, Aristotle Onassis, Jack Kennedy, Richard Goodwin, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, and Anwar Sadat? Somehow that's also Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt.
A major positive of the book is that Lynne Olsen documents and illuminates many vectors involving all the people mentioned above. Olsen has researched and knit together a compelling narrative. Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt is a great subject and I am rekindled in my love of Egypt.
Yes, I am one of those 13-year-olds who convinced his history-loving mother & brother to camp overnight (reality: standing in line for 8+ hours overnight) for multiple nights before we scored tickets to see “The Treasures of Tutankhamun” tour at the Field Museum in Chicago. I now have more context as to how the King Tut roadshow was born of the many efforts and passions of archaeologists and Egyptologists, like Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt.
And I thank her (and Lynne Olson) for the passions, scholarship, and intellectual curiosity they awoke in so many people.
This book is heartily recommended, particularly if you (like me) have ever contracted the Egypt bug at any point in your life. The book is also recommended to any reader who admires and respects scholars who can bring history alive, plus fight the patriarchy before breakfast (and before and after every meal)-- and do it with kindness and decency toward their Egyptian colleagues, field workers, and Bedouin strangers in a crisis post-snake bite. (Seriously, just read the book and enjoy.)
June 13, 2023
Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was a renowned archeologist and an intrepid advocate for rescuing and preserving the priceless Egyptian antiquities she spent her career studying. Her fascinating story includes time as a curator at the Louvre and as a member of the French Resistance, during which she ferried artwork to safe places and stood up to a frightening Nazi interrogation. She was a field archeologist with a talent for unearthing reclusive and important artifacts who was also known for treating her Egyptian workers with respect and friendship. She persevered unwaveringly while encountering resistance and resentment from many of her colleagues in what was at the time virtually an all male field.
In the 1960s, when a proposed new dam threatened the Abu Simbel, which were giant temples at Nubia, Desroches-Noblecourt sparked what would become a multi-million dollar, multi-national rescue effort, dubbed the greatest archaeological salvage operation in history. This years-long operation captured the hearts and minds of people worldwide. It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that her 1967 curation of the Tutankhamun exhibition in the Louvre was singularly responsible for bringing a new wave of popularity to museums and Egyptology.
I’m a huge fan of Lynne Olson’s books. She’s so skilled at pulling together the elements of historical people, places, and events and transforming them into exciting stories that are not only informative and clearly written but are also great fun to read. I highly recommend this one.
In the 1960s, when a proposed new dam threatened the Abu Simbel, which were giant temples at Nubia, Desroches-Noblecourt sparked what would become a multi-million dollar, multi-national rescue effort, dubbed the greatest archaeological salvage operation in history. This years-long operation captured the hearts and minds of people worldwide. It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that her 1967 curation of the Tutankhamun exhibition in the Louvre was singularly responsible for bringing a new wave of popularity to museums and Egyptology.
I’m a huge fan of Lynne Olson’s books. She’s so skilled at pulling together the elements of historical people, places, and events and transforming them into exciting stories that are not only informative and clearly written but are also great fun to read. I highly recommend this one.
March 17, 2023
4.5 stars. A fascinating look at Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a French archaeologist who spearheaded the amazing effort to save ancient Egyptian temples from flooding in the 1960’s. But the book also gives much on the conflicts concerning Egypt at the time, and the role JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy played as well. I love books like this - well written nonfiction about intriguing subjects I don’t know about!
October 22, 2022
Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, an Egyptologist from France, led the way in a field dominated by men. She began working at the Louvre in the 1930s, working there through the Second World War (during which time she also served in the French Resistance), and retiring years later at the age of 70. In the early 1960s, Desroches-Noblecourt worked for UNESCO, leading a rescue effort to save the Nubian temples that would find themselves permanently underwater when the new Aswan High Dam was completed. She succeeded in raising the money and international interest to move and protect all the threatened temples, a feat of historic preservation not accomplished anywhere else at that time. Desroches-Noblecourt’s actions in Egypt led to the Louvre receiving the first large-scale exhibition of King Tutankhamun’s artifacts, which sparked the “King Tut” fervor and ignited public interest in museums across the globe.
I went into this book knowing only the basics of Ancient Egyptian history and nothing at all about Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. This history is not a quick read, but it is well worth the time. I learned so much about archaeologists in Egypt; the relationship between Egypt, Britain, and France in the late 1800s and early 1900s; the challenges Desroches-Noblecourt faced in the field of Egyptology—and how she overcame those challenges; and MUCH more. I’ve read several of Olson’s books before, and each has struck me as well-researched and incredibly interesting.
I will say that there were times when I thought the book could benefit from a bit of editing—Olson’s description of how Abu Simbel was moved was exhaustive. While in some ways I appreciated the amount of detail, it did feel a bit overwhelming when she described how workers moved almost every block from this temple. In the end, though, Empress of the Nile was definitely worth my time. I’d recommend this book to others.
I went into this book knowing only the basics of Ancient Egyptian history and nothing at all about Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. This history is not a quick read, but it is well worth the time. I learned so much about archaeologists in Egypt; the relationship between Egypt, Britain, and France in the late 1800s and early 1900s; the challenges Desroches-Noblecourt faced in the field of Egyptology—and how she overcame those challenges; and MUCH more. I’ve read several of Olson’s books before, and each has struck me as well-researched and incredibly interesting.
I will say that there were times when I thought the book could benefit from a bit of editing—Olson’s description of how Abu Simbel was moved was exhaustive. While in some ways I appreciated the amount of detail, it did feel a bit overwhelming when she described how workers moved almost every block from this temple. In the end, though, Empress of the Nile was definitely worth my time. I’d recommend this book to others.
November 8, 2022
Ancient Egyptian graves, spy-craft, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. These are just a few of the topics which are contained within Lynne Olson's "Empress of the Nile." The book is very good and, like archeology, you wind up in places you did not expect.
"Empress of the Nile" feels like quite a few books rolled into one. The first is a biography of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. She was a pioneering archeologist when women in the field was almost completely unheard of. She is the through-line of the book which also touches on World War II in France, the rescue of ancient Egyptian temples from the building of a dam (especially Abu Simbel), and a not insignificant amount of world politics.
There are large parts of the narrative where Desroches-Noblecourt disappears. For someone who wants a fully focused biography only of her, I could understand where these diversions could become distracting. However, I am a fan of Lynne Olson's work because she has an uncanny ability to make every chapter interesting. I thought back on whether this book can be edited down and while I believe the book would still be a great read, the tangents do add some nuance which enriches the overall book.
An example would be the portions of the book which center on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. While each of them barely knew each other, Kennedy Onassis is a great contrast to Desroches-Noblecourt. They were both intelligent and driven, but they achieved things in completely different ways. No one would have ever called Desroches-Noblecourt a shrinking violet. In fact, the end of the book is extremely satisfying as Olson fully reveals what Desroches-Noblecourt was like to work with from the view of her colleagues. Their comments are both a bit shocking in their candidness and yet not surprising in the least.
(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and Random House.)
"Empress of the Nile" feels like quite a few books rolled into one. The first is a biography of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt. She was a pioneering archeologist when women in the field was almost completely unheard of. She is the through-line of the book which also touches on World War II in France, the rescue of ancient Egyptian temples from the building of a dam (especially Abu Simbel), and a not insignificant amount of world politics.
There are large parts of the narrative where Desroches-Noblecourt disappears. For someone who wants a fully focused biography only of her, I could understand where these diversions could become distracting. However, I am a fan of Lynne Olson's work because she has an uncanny ability to make every chapter interesting. I thought back on whether this book can be edited down and while I believe the book would still be a great read, the tangents do add some nuance which enriches the overall book.
An example would be the portions of the book which center on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. While each of them barely knew each other, Kennedy Onassis is a great contrast to Desroches-Noblecourt. They were both intelligent and driven, but they achieved things in completely different ways. No one would have ever called Desroches-Noblecourt a shrinking violet. In fact, the end of the book is extremely satisfying as Olson fully reveals what Desroches-Noblecourt was like to work with from the view of her colleagues. Their comments are both a bit shocking in their candidness and yet not surprising in the least.
(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by Netgalley and Random House.)
June 11, 2023
As someone who's always felt a strong affinity with Ancient Egypt I confess my suprise, and utter ignorance, at who this lady was and her huge rule in the campaign to save something that is really mankind's treasure for future generations.
This is a fascinating read about a once in a lifetime kind of woman who was an absolute trailblazer and to whom Egypt, and all us history buffs, owe so very much.
Kudos to the author for bringing her, her time and her work to life in such a detailed fascinating easy to read way.
This was an adventure like I haven't had in quite sometime, and I hope you will enjoy it as well.
Happy Readings !!
This is a fascinating read about a once in a lifetime kind of woman who was an absolute trailblazer and to whom Egypt, and all us history buffs, owe so very much.
Kudos to the author for bringing her, her time and her work to life in such a detailed fascinating easy to read way.
This was an adventure like I haven't had in quite sometime, and I hope you will enjoy it as well.
Happy Readings !!
September 16, 2023
I felt it was more about historical context of the discovery, curating, and preserving of Egyptian artifacts rather than a story of Desroches-Noblecourt's life. She wasn't even mentioned in several chapters. Still very interesting.
July 19, 2023
Fascinating account of the long and remarkable life of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a passionate Egyptologist who worked for the Resistance, helped evacuate the treasures of the Louvre in WWII, and then took on bureaucracy and Cold War politics to save ancient Egyptian temples from destruction by flooding from the construction of the Aswan Dam.
This was a rich and detailed biography, with well researched context to place its subject’s life amid the tumultuous events of the 20th century - WWII, the Suez crisis, the work and assassination of JFK - and highlight her driving role in the massive undertaking of saving the Nubian temples. Throughout her life, Christiane refused to be deterred by obstacles and faced the misogyny and jealousy of colleagues and the apathy and political squabbles of UNESCO and the Egyptian authorities with the same determination and refusal to be cowed.
The logistics of the salvation of the temples, an undertaking which took over 20 years to fully complete, is amazing to imagine, and I was engrossed - the excellent black and white photos add to this sense of awe. I was less interested in the political and financial squabbles, but they are important to the story, and show the diplomacy that Christiane needed alongside her intellectual qualities.
The biography is primarily focused on Christiane’s professional life and achievements, and there are only brief (but rather intriguing) glimpses of her personal life, but she was undoubtedly a forceful and courageous character who managed to advocate for and influence the preservation of the world’s heritage, and make a difference throughout her life. Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.
This was a rich and detailed biography, with well researched context to place its subject’s life amid the tumultuous events of the 20th century - WWII, the Suez crisis, the work and assassination of JFK - and highlight her driving role in the massive undertaking of saving the Nubian temples. Throughout her life, Christiane refused to be deterred by obstacles and faced the misogyny and jealousy of colleagues and the apathy and political squabbles of UNESCO and the Egyptian authorities with the same determination and refusal to be cowed.
The logistics of the salvation of the temples, an undertaking which took over 20 years to fully complete, is amazing to imagine, and I was engrossed - the excellent black and white photos add to this sense of awe. I was less interested in the political and financial squabbles, but they are important to the story, and show the diplomacy that Christiane needed alongside her intellectual qualities.
The biography is primarily focused on Christiane’s professional life and achievements, and there are only brief (but rather intriguing) glimpses of her personal life, but she was undoubtedly a forceful and courageous character who managed to advocate for and influence the preservation of the world’s heritage, and make a difference throughout her life. Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.
April 18, 2023
What a life! Christiane Desroches- Noblecourt. Remember that name. 98 years of doing what she loved and what needed to be done.
I remember as a boy reading the National Geographic’s account of the removal of the temples of Abu Simbel to higher ground. She was the engine behind that achievement. The King Tutmania in the 70’s.
She had a hand in that as well. The whole idea of world heritage sites started with her.
She fought Nazis and misogynistic peers. She learned the language of her Egyptian crews, administered to their medical needs, and prepared meals as well as well as doing all her archaeological work. Meticulous and an outside the box thinker. Beloved by the Egyptians she was asked for by name when all foreigners were banned from the country after the Suez Crisis. Called domineering by male colleagues and subsequent generations. Just a presence in the field of Egyptology but at the same time a person who worked behind the scene much like Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s influence. Both women worked in common for the same goals unbeknown to each other. They would meet later.
Just a fascinating glimpse into an extraordinary woman whose name should be uttered in the same breath as Carter and Schliemann.
I remember as a boy reading the National Geographic’s account of the removal of the temples of Abu Simbel to higher ground. She was the engine behind that achievement. The King Tutmania in the 70’s.
She had a hand in that as well. The whole idea of world heritage sites started with her.
She fought Nazis and misogynistic peers. She learned the language of her Egyptian crews, administered to their medical needs, and prepared meals as well as well as doing all her archaeological work. Meticulous and an outside the box thinker. Beloved by the Egyptians she was asked for by name when all foreigners were banned from the country after the Suez Crisis. Called domineering by male colleagues and subsequent generations. Just a presence in the field of Egyptology but at the same time a person who worked behind the scene much like Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s influence. Both women worked in common for the same goals unbeknown to each other. They would meet later.
Just a fascinating glimpse into an extraordinary woman whose name should be uttered in the same breath as Carter and Schliemann.
August 31, 2023
I absolutely loved this story of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the first woman to achieve success in the male dominated world of Egyptian Archaeology. While not a household name to most people, she made numerous discoveries and was instrumental in saving the temple of Abu Simbel from the rising waters of the Aswan dam in the late 1960's. This fascinating biography was also a detailed history of Egypt during Christiane's lifetime.
May 28, 2023
As brilliant and enlightening as all of her books,with the added plus that Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was an extraordinary woman of whom,I´m ashamd to say, I knew nothing about.
August 1, 2023
Who knew a woman could be so influential (read with heavy sarcasm 😉)?! Reads like fiction, includes Jackie Kennedy, King Tut and the Temple of Dendur. Bless this woman
May 24, 2023
I requested a copy of Empress of the Nile from Netgalley right after seeing an exhibition at San Francisco’s de Young museum entitled “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs”. Part of the exhibit included a diorama of Ramses’ most famous legacy - his temple at Abu Simbel - which was physically carved from bedrock, moved and re-assembled upon higher ground in the mid 20th century. From the subtitle of Empress of the Nile, I was hoping this would be a history of that archeological site, its threat of submergence by the fabrication of the Aswan High Dam, and the great political and engineering machinations that made its physical relocation and preservation possible.
… and that’s kind of what this book covers… but only for ~1/3 of the content… The other ~2/3 of this book goes into excruciating detail on the history of French egyptologists - especially all the politicking between France and Egypt, or between different groups of researchers. This is important to note, because while the book is about egyptologists, almost none of the book covers ancient Egyptian history - and instead focuses on global Egyptian politics in the mid-20th century.
A major focus of this history pivots around Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a female French egyptologist who lay the foundations for many women in the field. I always like reading about women paving their way in research and engineering, so it was cool to learn about a pioneer of the field, but I do admit all the politicking got a little repetitive, considering this is a ~450 page book.
FYI, I got a free e-ARC of this book from Netgalley and Random House Publishing!
… and that’s kind of what this book covers… but only for ~1/3 of the content… The other ~2/3 of this book goes into excruciating detail on the history of French egyptologists - especially all the politicking between France and Egypt, or between different groups of researchers. This is important to note, because while the book is about egyptologists, almost none of the book covers ancient Egyptian history - and instead focuses on global Egyptian politics in the mid-20th century.
A major focus of this history pivots around Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a female French egyptologist who lay the foundations for many women in the field. I always like reading about women paving their way in research and engineering, so it was cool to learn about a pioneer of the field, but I do admit all the politicking got a little repetitive, considering this is a ~450 page book.
FYI, I got a free e-ARC of this book from Netgalley and Random House Publishing!
May 20, 2024
Книга об одной из немногих по тем временам женщин-археологов, которая стала одной из центральных фигур в истории археологии и п��могла вывезти из Египта реликвии, обреченные на затопление по планам строящейся гидростанции.
July 21, 2023
I love Lynne Olsen’s books, so I was looking forward to Empress of the Nile. It did not disappoint. This is a fascinating tale of one woman’s lifelong quest to protect, preserve, and share Egypt’s history. However, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was not the only focus of this book. Olson also talks a lot about Jackie Kennedy’s historic preservation efforts, especially with Egyptian temples. I really enjoyed this book and appreciate Olson’s ability to share so much about Desroches-Noblecourt and the history of Egypt.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
August 12, 2023
This was more a book about Egyptian archaeology than it was a biography of one woman. I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the book as history is not my strong point. What I can say is that, for the most part, it read like any good fiction despite being non-fiction. I was engaged throughout. Since the book is outside my normal reading genre, I would say that's a good compliment.
A solid part of the book was about the saving of some historical monuments in Egypt from being buried underwater by the Nile because of the Government's construction of a dam. The way they took the stones apart in pieces and then moved them is really amazing. The many nations that came together, some of them kicking and screaming, to donate money and work on the cause was also part of the story.
I found myself being more curious about how the dam would affect the people and the animals that depend on the Nile. There was only 2 pages dedicated to the uprooting of one village due to the rising waters. I also wondered how it would affect erosion and plant life. Of course, that's not what the book was about so I get why it wasn't in there. It is just a curiosity on my part and more in my line of interest than archaeology.
I'm glad I read this book despite history and archaeology not being my strong point. I think the preservation of history is important and I'm glad there are people out there doing that work. This is a great book to raise awareness about that.
As far as it being a book about Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, well she was around a lot and you will hear about her influence repeatedly, but she took a backseat to the story of the temples themselves. I think she would have liked it that way.
A solid part of the book was about the saving of some historical monuments in Egypt from being buried underwater by the Nile because of the Government's construction of a dam. The way they took the stones apart in pieces and then moved them is really amazing. The many nations that came together, some of them kicking and screaming, to donate money and work on the cause was also part of the story.
I found myself being more curious about how the dam would affect the people and the animals that depend on the Nile. There was only 2 pages dedicated to the uprooting of one village due to the rising waters. I also wondered how it would affect erosion and plant life. Of course, that's not what the book was about so I get why it wasn't in there. It is just a curiosity on my part and more in my line of interest than archaeology.
I'm glad I read this book despite history and archaeology not being my strong point. I think the preservation of history is important and I'm glad there are people out there doing that work. This is a great book to raise awareness about that.
As far as it being a book about Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, well she was around a lot and you will hear about her influence repeatedly, but she took a backseat to the story of the temples themselves. I think she would have liked it that way.
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