Egyptian Diaries [Paperback]

Jean-Francois Champollion (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2001 | ISBN-10: 1903933021 | ISBN-13: 978-1903933022

First-ever English publication of the Egyptian diaries of the man who, against the odds, broke the code of the hieroglyphs. Seen as mystical codes, Egyptian hieroglyphs were the subject of a hard-fought race between the French and the English in the 1820s. Outflanking opponents, Champollion emerged as the man who solved their complicated code through his driven genius. In this lively account of brilliance and perseverance, he succeeds against the odds to reach Egypt in 1828 during a brief lull in the Turkish wars in the Mediterranean. A unique and passionate tale, his adventure was troubled by heat, flooding, robbers and deceitful dealers; yet he also uncovers evidence regarding the age of the world, then thought to be no more than 4000 years. These dispatches of his progress to his brother, a journalist, were impatiently read in Europe at the time, but have never been published in Britain.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jean-Francois Champollion, the founding father of Egyptology, is mentioned widely as the decipherer of the Rosetta stone in recent books and programs on codes. A widely reviewed biography, Race for the Keys of Egypt, was published in 2000 (HarperCollins). Peter Clayton was for 15 years an editor at Thames & Hudson, which publishes his best-sellers Chronicle of the Pharaos (1994) and A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Symbols (1982). He is currently editor of Minerva and lectures on tours to the pyramids in Egypt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Gibson Square (December 31, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 1903933021
• ISBN-13: 978-1903933022
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,248,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars needs pictures, May 4, 2003

By 

A. G. Plumb "Greg Plumb" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Egyptian Diaries (Paperback)

The story of the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics is one of the most exciting and stimulating of all. And my admiration of the Frenchman - Champollion - who achieved this attracted me to these diaries of his travels through Egypt to collect more transcriptions to refine his understanding of this ancient civilisation. As diary writer myself, I enjoy reading the diaries of others. Sadly I found these diaries less engaging than I hoped. It's not that they are dull but it is rather like looking at the monuments through a fog. No matter how well Champollion describes his endeavours I still craved a visual record, not just description. The written language - especially the Egyptian hieroglyphics - is such a visual medium. Champollion's lack of interest in the architecture is also a problem because it is the monuments that carry the script that are most immediately distinctive - for me anyway. Also there are the monuments, artwork and scripts that Champollion describes as substandard - after the peak of Egyptian achievement. But I cannot see these - I cannot agree or disagree with Champollion.

There is a lot of interest in these diaries but they also disappointed me in other ways. Perhaps an illustrated version of the diaries would work better.