The Keys of Egypt: The Race to Crack the Hieroglyph Code [Paperback]

Lesley Adkins (Author), Roy Adkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 27, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0060953497 | ISBN-13: 978-0060953492

When Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, his troops were astonished to find countless ruins covered with hieroglyphs -- remnants of a language lost in time. Egyptomania spread throughout Europe with their return, and the quest to decipher the hieroglyphs began in earnest, for it was understood that fame and fortune awaited the scholar who succeeded.

In rural France, Jean-Francois Champollion, the brilliant son of an impoverished bookseller, became obsessed with breaking the code of the ancient Egyptians. At sixteen years of age he decided that he would dedicate his life to the decipherment of hieroglyphs. Amid political turmoil in France caused by Napoleon's meteoric rise and catastrophic fall, Champollion was hounded, exiled, and even charged with treason, yet he continued to strive for the key to the ancient texts. In 1812, Champollion made the decisive breakthrough, beating his closest rival, English physician Thomas Young, to the prize and becoming the first person to be able to read the ancient Egyptian language in well over a thousand years. The Keys of Egypt is a true story of adventure, obsession, and triumph over extreme adversity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The authors have done great service to Champollion. Their biography is graphic, gripping and a great read." (Birmingham Post )

"The Keys of Egypt is a worthy tribute to the man who named--and unlocked--the Valley of the Kings." (Daily Mail (London) )

"A riveting account of the race to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs." (New Scientist )

"Champollion's achievement...is laid out lucidly in this thrilling account by husband-and-wife historians Lesley and Roy Adkins." (Michael Browning, Palm Beach Post )

"...a dramatic scientific quest..." (Publishers Weekly )

"Lesley and Roy Adkins have written a classic." (The Mail on Sunday (London) )

"A ripping tale of obsession and rivalry." (The Sunday Telegraph (London) )

About the Author

Roy and Lesley Adkins are a husband-and-wife team who run an archaeological consulting agency. They have written eleven reference books together on various aspects of archaeology and ancient history, and have published over 200 articles in journals and popular magazines. They are also acclaimed illustrators and photographers, and have established a picture library that specializes in archaeology, history and heritage

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (November 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060953497
• ISBN-13: 978-0060953492
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,313,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jewel of the Nile, February 7, 2002

By 

Sonny Singh (Lake Forest, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Keys of Egypt: The Race to Crack the Hieroglyph Code (Paperback)

My strong facination with the subject of ancient Egypt led me to pick up this book. The decipherment of heiroglyphics is something most people find facinating...Having been to Egypt over 10 years ago, I was captivated by these symbols and always wondered how it was humanly possible to decipher them. Upon reading the summary of the book, I instantly knew the plot was one filled with adventure, intrigue and above all; knowledge.

What I found most appealing about the book, was the main character the authors focused on; Mr. Champillion. I found his persona absolutely amazing...not only was he a born genius in linguistics (having mastered numerous languages at a very young age), but he was "driven" to say the least, in conquering this elusive ancient langauge which he believed would unlock history's secrets and reveal mysteries that until then, were very unknown to men...

As one reads the book, you can't help but feel sorry for Mr. Champillion...at times, it seems he is never going to succeed due to the overwhelming odds he had to conquer in his lifetime. He faced down life-long poverty, numerous political regimes who were against him, not to mention the countless critics who tried to downplay his achievements. On top of that, he suffered from ill-health from day one and was often wracked with pain on an ongoing basis. However, whatever the difficulties, he was able to conquer them and succeed in bestowing one of the greatest gifts ever given to the world at that time and in the present.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the author's use of historic content, particulary that of which was associated with Napolean and his drive to conquer Egypt and it's secrets. It's was from Napolean's conquest of Egypt and subsequent ejection from the country by the British, that the world became "infactuated" with anything Egypt...thanks to Napolean and the artifacts he brought back from Egypt, people like Mr. Champillion were able to take a simple facination with Egypt and turn it into something truly academic.

Anyone interested in the subject of Egypt, linguistics or history in general, will really take a liking to this book. I know I did!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A ripping tale of obsession and rivalry., December 31, 2001

By 

Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Keys of Egypt: The Race to Crack the Hieroglyph Code (Paperback)

It is not only as a biography of Champollion this book deserves high marks. It is a a riveting intellectual detective story, bringing vividly to life one of the milestones of scientific achievement, and afascinating tale of Europe's fascination with ancient Egypt in the years following Napolean's excursions there. Highly readable, and dramatically entertaining, the authors have made a very specialized subject into a fascinating story of discovery.

Also recommended in Egyptian History: The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A, January 14, 2002

By 

Claus Hetting (Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Keys of Egypt: The Race to Crack the Hieroglyph Code (Paperback)

This is wonderfully informative and entertaining book. While being a very good biography of Mr. Champollion, it also brings vividly to life a whole era of French history from around 1800 and 40 years on. While Champollion is well known in France, he is perhaps less so in English-speaking countries, and this book aids in rectifying this situation. Some other striking issues in the book is 19th Century whole sale looting of Egypt for relics, something that is entirely horrific to modern people. I wonder how it would feel to be the first modern person able to read inscriptions representing 3000 years of ancient history...!?