or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
63 used & new from $3.47

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt
 
 

Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Red Sea, Upper Egypt (more...)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

List Price: $25.95
Price: $19.72 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $6.23 (24%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 17? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
32 new from $5.90 29 used from $3.47 2 collectible from $25.95

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, November 27, 2007 $9.59 -- --
  Hardcover, November 30, 2007 $19.72 $5.90 $3.47
  Paperback, November 30, 2008 $10.19 $8.57 $5.00
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $21.00 or less with new Audible membership

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Discovery of Egypt: Vivant Denon's Travels with Napoleon's Army by Terence M. Russell

Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt + The Discovery of Egypt: Vivant Denon's Travels with Napoleon's Army

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Description de L'Egypte (Taschen 25th Anniversary Series)

Description de L'Egypte (Taschen 25th Anniversary Series)

by Gilles Neret
4.4 out of 5 stars (5)  $10.19
Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed and Forgery in the Holy Land

Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed and Forgery in the Holy Land

by Nina Burleigh
3.5 out of 5 stars (54)  $20.90
Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East

Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East

by Juan Ricardo Cole
3.9 out of 5 stars (16)  $16.47
Napoleon in Egypt

Napoleon in Egypt

by Paul Strathern
4.1 out of 5 stars (8)  $12.96
A Bishop's Tale: Mathias Hovius Among His Flock in Seventeenth-Century Flanders

A Bishop's Tale: Mathias Hovius Among His Flock in Seventeenth-Century Flanders

by Craig Harline
4.7 out of 5 stars (3)  $22.50
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When 28-year-old Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, his band of 50,000 soldiers and sailors was accompanied by 151 Parisian scientists and artists, who laid the groundwork for what became Egyptology. Ten of these remarkable men are the focus of Burleigh's narrative. Among them, three of the most prominent were the lowborn, pugnacious mathematician Gaspard Monge, a dedicated revolutionary who invented descriptive geometry; the painfully shy chemist Claude-Louis Berthollet, who invented new ways to make gunpowder and steel; and the witty artist and diplomat Dominique-Vivant Denon, who produced 200 architecturally precise sketches of Egyptian ruins and a bestselling travelogue; later he became Napoleon's first director of the Louvre Museum. The survivors of the team brought home a vast body of knowledge, but surrendered their greatest discovery, the Rosetta Stone, to conquering British troops. The result of the savants' work was the 24-volume Description of Egypt, magnificently illustrated with engravings and maps, which helped launch Egyptomania and the rape of the Nile, though Burleigh's discussion of this is scanty. Still, Burleigh (A Very Private Woman) offers an absorbing glimpse of Napoleon's thwarted bid for a grand French empire and its intellectual fruits. 8 pages of b&w photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Review

"Burleigh spotlights the Indiana Jones-esque scientists who joined Napoleon’s Egyptian invasion during the late 18th century." -- People

"With an easy style and an eye for striking detail, Burleigh concentrates on 151 French scientists, scholars and students who joined the expedition, tempted by hero worship of Napoleon and the prospect of scientific adventure." -- Associated Press

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (November 27, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060597674
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060597672
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #288,550 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #20 in  Books > Science > Archaeology > Egyptian
    #49 in  Books > History > Military > Napoleonic Wars > Napoleon
    #84 in  Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Social Scientists & Psychologists

More About the Author

Nina Burleigh
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Nina Burleigh Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt
91% buy the item featured on this page:
Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt 4.5 out of 5 stars (13)
$19.72
Description de L'Egypte (Taschen 25th Anniversary Series)
3% buy
Description de L'Egypte (Taschen 25th Anniversary Series) 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
$10.19
Napoleon in Egypt
2% buy
Napoleon in Egypt 4.1 out of 5 stars (8)
$12.96
The Discovery of Egypt: Vivant Denon's Travels with Napoleon's Army
2% buy
The Discovery of Egypt: Vivant Denon's Travels with Napoleon's Army
$17.05

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Account of an Important Campaign, February 27, 2008
By G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Many people have read about Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and of the many scientists and engineers who accompanied him. However, many history books usually allot but a few pages perhaps to this important event, which led, among other things, to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. The author of this book has done an excellent job of focusing entirely on Napoleon's Egyptian campaign with particular emphasis on the many "savants" who were charged with studying and documenting this ancient land. The many hardships that they endured are vividly described, as are their relationships with the French military and the local inhabitants. The author's writing style is accessible, friendly, authoritative and most engaging, making this a work that is difficult to put down. This account indeed forms an excellent link between the decaying ruins of an ancient civilization and the birth of modern Egyptology. This is a book that can be enjoyed by everyone, but history buffs, particularly those with a fascination for Egypt, will likely relish it the most.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Important historical event recounted in a terrific style, March 4, 2008
This is a terrific book. I highly recommend it to almost anyone. All you need is an interest in history or science or adventure or foreign affairs or botany or ancient Egypt. On many levels, this book is fun and informative. And it's all true. For flavor, it's like Indiana Jones meets Albert Einstein meets James Audubon. It's hard to put down.

The story concerns Napoleon's foray into Egypt in 1799. Ostensibly it was to expand scientific knowledge of this ancient and mysterious land. In reality, it was the start of the anticipated conquest and annexation of Egypt. As the British did with India (i.e., creating a far-east outpost), the French were hoping to do with Egypt. But things did not go exactly as planned.

In other books on the subject, the focus is on the military aspect of the expedition. About 50,000 soldiers and sailors accompanied Napoleon. In Mirage, the author (Nina Burleigh) focuses on the 151 scientists (or savants) who also accompanied him. Here, the savants are the "heroes." We learn of their trials, tribulations, and successes.

Each chapter concerns a different savant and their respective expertise: botany, math, medicine, engineering, art, etc. Through the eyes of learned gents, we learn about Egypt, the parochial views of 19th century Europe, and the folly of imperialism. It's a terrific perspective that is told in an easily accessible style.

Burleigh keeps up the suspense. She covers many academic fields but does not overwhelm a reader. It's a fun read and you can't help but learn. For example, she describes the savants' discoveries while stuck in desert sands. She puts discoveries in the context of the time and shows how some still apply, like Fourier's math work.

The only knock on the book, and it is minor, is that it lacks a map of the region. Readers should print one before starting the book.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Curious minds in a strange land, January 23, 2008
Nina Burleigh paints a vivid picture of the curious minds of the scientists who accompanied Napoleon to Egypt, a land beyond their imagination.

The scientists' desire to understand what they were seeing and to map, catalogue, paint--and in some ways, dominate--this exotic place feels real. Though the cast of characters is large, and occasionally unwieldy, the book draws fine portraits of individuals, many of whom are worthy of their own biographies. And Mirage projects a sense of excitement about learning that is contagious.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Link to Modern Egyptology
Nina Burleigh's, Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt (HarperCollins, 2007) is a historical non-fiction book about Napoleon's occupation of Egypt. Read more
Published 21 days ago by John J. Gaudet

3.0 out of 5 stars Napoleon in Egypt
Although his expedition was not successful, Napoleon brought artists and scientists with him ( like Alexander before him) to document what was seen and found. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Stephen Harlen

5.0 out of 5 stars Napoleon & Egypt
I just finished reading this. Wow! One of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. The other reviewers have already gone into all the details. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Artist/Dreamer

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate writing, wonderfully researched and organized. A real page turner.
A thoroughly engrossing, thoroughly fascinating account account of Napoleon's disastrous and ill-conceived campaign to conquer Egypt,and pre-empt British influence in the area... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Allana Elovson

1.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT SUBJECT SQUANDERED
This book was about 15 % the Napoleonic savants and about 85 % salacious descriptions of wounds, torture, illnesses, and petty human bickering. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Frank Rizzo

5.0 out of 5 stars "it was quackery, but it was Quackery of the First Order"
Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt
Mirage

"The scholars' work was thrilling and tedious. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Philip W. Henry

4.0 out of 5 stars Opening Egypt
Ms. Burleigh's Mirage is an excellent account of the invasion of Egypt by Napoleon's army, and the French intellectual Savants that accompanied the military on this ill-conceived... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Readerbuff

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!


Though I normally don't read nonfiction, Mirage immediately drew me in with its vivid descriptions of this strange, historic expedition. Read more
Published 22 months ago by J. Roberts

5.0 out of 5 stars Mirage
This is the story of a great adventure and the beginning of Egyptology. Full of insights and anecdotes about the savants--the artists, engineers, mathematicians, botanists and... Read more
Published 22 months ago by P. Remler

5.0 out of 5 stars Mirage: Napoleon's scientists and the start of our troubles
Nina Burleigh's book, Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt, is a great discovery on the earliest era of western ambition in the middle east. Read more
Published 22 months ago by J. Simon

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.