Customer Reviews

The Rape of the Nile: Tomb Robbers, Tourists, and Archaeologists in Egypt, Revised and Updated

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Fagan is a great tour guide of the heyday of Indiana Jones style archaeology in Egypt during the 18th and 19th centuries. His narrative is compelling and the ancedotes entertaining - but do yourself a favor and find the original edition (it came out in 1970's) at a used bookstore (on or off-line). It is PACKED with gorgeous illustrations that really bring the story to life. I can't believe they reissued this edition without them. I can only assume they did so to save money on printing costs.
It is still, of course, a great book without the illustrations; but they do so much to bring the story to life.

After reading several novels set in Egypt (particularly the Amelia Peabody mysteries), I found myself curious to learn about the "reality" of the subject. I don't want to know EVERYTHING about this topic, but I wanted to get some grounding in it.

This book was a perfect solution. It covers the "investigations" (or more commonly looting) of the Egyptian treasures, starting with Herodotus and ending, pretty much, with Petrie. (I was surprised that it didn't follow the history to Carter.)

The author manages to explain what each era was like, describing both what an individual (such as Belzoni or Petrie) did, the conditions in which the events occured, and why it was important. He also writes with humor and a steady non-judgemental hand -- pointing out what the detractors said (then and now) as well as the supporters' view.

It's not all fascinating stuff; there were some subjects that didn't hold my interest, but I didn't mind flipping over them.

The pictures are all in black and white, but they're all interesting and they illuminate the people as well as the places.

It was certainly enjoyable reading for a subject amateur like myself.

I read this some years ago when it first came out. It was a fascinating read. Now I am trying to buy a copy of my own so I can read it again before I go to Egypt for the first time. I educated and trained as an archaeologist and spent years working in the field. Brian Fagan is a well known archaeologist and a scholar. This book reflects that kind of attention to the facts.

I don't know what book the previous reader read but this book is fascinating and highly readable. It chronocalizes the arrogance of Europeans in their never ending quest for wealth - just as they raped Africa and the Americas. Though the true is that had they not the world would have never known the wonders and achievements of Egypt, Nubia or Cush. Highly recommended.

I would say this is an excellent book for Egyptology lovers; especially beginner, who would like to have an overview of where , who & how the treasures have been robbed all through the years. Readers can have a thorough understanding on how the European museums acquired all these artefacts, the logistics & the historical incidents involved.

The book is easy to read & is able to keep your interest from beginning to the end. The footnotes is especially useful if you would like to go into more detail reading.

Even if you aren't overly interested in ancient Egypt, Brian Fagan's Rape of the Nile is written in such a fast-paced, exciting, engaging way, that you'll keep turnin' and learnin' until the book ends...perhaps leaving you wanting more.

It's not a five-star book...some passages are too choppy and abrupt, and the updates contain informational redundancies that, given their context, make them stand out.

A minor quibble, though.

This is a book you'll be hard-pressed to put down, and when you do, you'll marvel that IT'S ALL TRUE. These events ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Giovanni Belzoni is by no means a household name, but you might come to think it should be, given what he managed to accomplish.

You'll feel like you're a member of the party as Belzoni frenetically travels the length of the Nile, removing ten-ton stone heads nearly single-handedly, and re-opening the temple of Abu Simbel after it had been lost to history for millennia.

The vicarious thrills don't end there, as you'll be peeping over Howard Carter's shoulder as he opens up the near-pristine tomb of King Tut, the only Egyptian pharaoh whose sepulcher survived being completely looted in antiquity.

(You may then feel the desire to travel to Egypt yourself, in which case you'll be somewhat prepared, per Belzoni and others' descriptions of the native populace, to deal with the hassle, headache and constant demands for baksheesh. But once you step into the Tut galleries at the Egyptian Museum...)

Most people have at least a superficial knowledge of ancient Egypt, but a closer investigation into the subject is greatly rewarding. This book is a perfect way to enhance one's understanding of the remarkable people who built the world's first civilization, and the remarkable people who brought the grandeur and majesty of the Egyptians to the attention of the world, and into our collective imagination.

This is a well written story of the acquisition of Eqyptian treasures for the British Empire. Facinating tale of Belzoni using his talents as a strongman for English shows to manuver massive stone artifacts. Truly a good read.

When we think of archaeological excavations today, we think of very slow and careful work. With these modern methods ingrained in our minds, we can only gasp when we read about the methods used in the nineteenth century and earlier. I have read a number of books by this author and this is one of his best. He describes how antiquities were treated in the past - where being a tomb robber in Egypt was reputable and the source of much income for individuals and museums outside of Egypt. The discovery of ancient monuments and artifacts was encouraged by those in power in Egypt only so that they could be presented as gifts to potential allies. Despite this "rape of the Nile" that has so tragically taken place on such a large scale in the past, it encouraging to read Dr. Zahi Hawass's comment that only about 30% Egypt's antiquities have been discovered thus far. This book is well written and difficult to put down. I heartily recommend it!

This is a very interesting account of the 1800's scramble to get antiquities and the careless attitude of those in power for what they had. It read like a novel. An entertaining account of Belzoni and his ability to gain the respect of the locals, his fortuitous discoveries in the Valley of the Kings and the day to day saga of getting artifacts out of the country. The many accounts of treachery, competition, politics and greed surface throughout.
Well worth reading!

The scandalous rape of Ancient Egypt is a historical vignette of greed, vanity, and dedicated archaeological research. It is a tale vividly told by renowned archaeology author, Brian Fagan, with characters that include the ancient historian Herodotus; Theban tomb robbers; obelisk-stealing Romans; Coptic Christians determined to erase the heretical past; mummy traders; leisured antiquarians; major European museums; Giovanni Belzoni, a circus strongman who removed more antiquities than Napoleon's armies; shrewd consuls and ruthless pashas; and archaeologists such Sir Flinders Petrie who changed the course of Egyptology.