Cleopatra's Palace : In Search of a Legend [Hardcover]

Laura Foreman (Author), Franck Goddio (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 1999

In 30 b.c., against the backdrop of Alexandria, Egypt, one of the most majestic of all ancient cities, a great queen proudly and defiantly took her life. More than two thousand years later, the world remains fascinated and haunted by this most intriguing woman, Cleopatra VII, yet practically everything we know about her is based on ancient text fragments, literature, and myth. Was she the temptress of legend? A ruthless, ambitious conqueror? Or was she a strong, brilliant, visionary ruler, a passionate and loyal woman, and a fiercely devoted mother?

Discovery Books presents Cleopatra's Palace: In Search of a Legend--a dramatic look at Cleopatra's world based on ancient accounts and modern scholarship. Gifted storyteller Laura Foreman brings Cleopatra's legendary tale to life, from the founding of Alexandria by Alexander the Great, to Cleopatra's ascent to the Egyptian throne amid treachery and betrayal, to her passionate alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and her doomed battle against Octavian.

But the legend doesn't end there. Cleopatra's Palace also presents the astounding recent findings of world-renowned underwater explorer Franck Goddio, who, with his team of underwater archaeologists, has succeeded in mapping the Royal Quarter of Ancient Alexandria, long submerged beneath the Mediterranean by cataclysmic earthquakes early in the millennium. In a fascinating narrative illustrated by exclusive underwater images, the expedition's successes are presented, including the discovery of such artifacts as jewelry, statues, sphinxes, rare pottery, and an ancient shipwreck, as well as architectural remains that were found on the site of this magnificent drama.

Lavishly illustrated with over 200 extraordinary full-color photographs, expedition images, fine-art reproductions, drawings, and maps, and interlaced with discussions on the art, architecture, religion, politics, and society of the Graeco-Roman period, Cleopatra's Palace is sure to captivate all lovers of discovery.

Blending biography, history, and modern exploration into great storytelling, Cleopatra's Palace re-creates the glory of Egypt's long-vanished capital and its Royal Quarter, and brings Egypt's greatest queen unforgettably to life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Founded in the late 4th century B.C. by its namesake, the conquering Alexander of Macedon, the Egyptian city of Alexandria enjoyed a near-perfect site: "a flat and narrow limestone expanse at the edge of the Nile delta, some thirty miles west of the great river's westernmost branch" that stood before a superb deep-water harbor. The Ptolemaic dynasty that Alexander founded produced, three centuries later, Egypt's last true pharaoh, Cleopatra, who built on the site fabulous structures of marble, granite, precious gems and metals, and glasswork--a palace complex renowned throughout the ancient world. Cleopatra, writes Laura Foreman, was both "a hard-headed pragmatist and at the same time a devout mystic," a stern ruler whose position was constantly challenged by rivals to the throne and the ever-expanding Roman empire alike. Caught on the losing side in a power struggle between the Roman generals Octavian and Antony, Cleopatra committed suicide; with her death came the end of Ptolemaic power.

History did not forget her, but the elements (particularly the rising Mediterranean sea) swallowed up much of the ancient city of Alexandria. In the late 1980s, an international team of archaeologists began to excavate the underwater ruins of ancient Alexandria. Foreman documents their work in this richly illustrated, well-written reconstruction of the ancient past, a book that armchair Egyptologists will find irresistible. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly

Launching Discovery Books, a joint venture of Random House and the Discovery Channel, this imaginative biography of Cleopatra is a queer blend of substance and sentimentality. Prompted by deep-sea explorer Franck Goddio's recent discovery of Cleopatra's lost island, Antirhodos, the book chronicles Cleopatra's lifeAfrom her childhood education to her affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony to her eventual suicideAthrough a splashy mix of history, images of artifacts and famous paintings, undersea photography and melodramatic writing. The book's most interesting parts may well be its abundant sidebars and boxes, which provide mini-profiles of Egyptian and Roman rulers, gods and historical events. The last chapter, "Discovery," briefly delineates the gradual erosion of Alexandria's remarkable palaces and enumerates explorers' subsequent attempts to recover the lost riches. The author recounts the work of Goddio's team, its reliance on innovative technology and the significance of its findings, but doesn't capture the heady excitement of the mission. As pleasing as this book will be to those unfamiliar with Cleopatra's story, readers interested in Goddio's groundbreaking work should wait for the TV documentary. (Mar.) FYI: The documentary Cleopatra's Palace will air on the Discovery Channel on March 14.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Discovery Books (February 16, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679462600
• ISBN-13: 978-0679462606
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,732,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Wonderful!, February 27, 2001

By 

Susan Shams (West Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cleopatra's Palace : In Search of a Legend (Hardcover)

I loved this book. This is truly great reading. This book was so fascinating, I stayed up all night just to finish it. We are taken beyond mere history, and into the depths of the Roman rulers lives.

The author does an excellent job of sweeping you into the vast Roman Empire that had reined supreme for many years. From Alexander the Great, to the his successors of Ptolemys', Cleopatras' and Berenices', we take a brief but intimate look into their lives. The morally corrupt family that they were, reining high for many generations over this strange and exotic land.

Interesting as it is, Cleopatra was not actually Egyptian. Although depicted in many ancient drawings as a pharaoh, she was actually of Roman-Greek descent. Her rein to the throne was given to her through succession and birth.

Facts do not always play a key role in this book, as information is not always on hand. The author tends to insert information from her own imagination when she sees fit to do so. I had no problem with this, as she makes it clear that those are her own suppositions. This book reads out like a good fiction novel.

Towards the end of the book, we travel with the teams who made some of this research possible. There are many beautiful pictures throughout. This makes a great coffee table book. I think this is a great addition to any library, and for anyone to sit down and enjoy!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nice pictures, but a waste of time, August 14, 1999

By 

C. Knox (England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cleopatra's Palace : In Search of a Legend (Hardcover)

I bought this book expecting to see a lot more information on the archaeology and actual history of Cleopatra's palace and Alexandria, but instead, found a sappy, pseudo-romantic fictionalized treatment of Cleopatra, Caesar, and Antonius. I wish the authors had included more examples of other palaces, some more maps and reconstructions based on other archaeology. If I had wanted a historical romance, I would have bought one. I feel this book was a waste of $$.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is really beautiful!, March 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cleopatra's Palace : In Search of a Legend (Hardcover)

I loved the show on Discovery Channel and this book offers even more history on the life and legend of Cleopatra--as well as the amazing photos of finding her underwater ruins. This is great for the family and history buffs will love it.