The Sleeper in the Sands [Paperback]

Tom Holland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1999

In Egypt in 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter exposes a flight of stone steps leading to a mysterious tomb sealed and marked with a terrible curse. What is the nature of the tomb's deadly secret? And what is the web of connections reaching back to the very heart of Egypt's past?

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Holland is a literary excavator, stripping away layer after layer of history and legend...' OBSERVER 'If you have a yearning for the arcane and the unusual this is a novel to read into the wee small hours.' HISTORICAL NOVEL REVIEW 'An exciting tale and an enjoyable Arabian nightmare.' LITERARY REVIEW

About the Author

Tom Holland was brought up near Salisbury and now lives with his wife and baby daughter in Brixton, South London. He has written extensively for radio as well as writing five other novels. He is currently at work on a new novel, THE BONE HUNTER, which will be published by Little, Brown in 2000.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0349112231
• ISBN-13: 978-0349112237
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,914,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What was the Curse of the Pharoahs?, June 2, 2000

By 

"judithb" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sleeper in the Sands (Paperback)

I was drawn to this book by the cover, which features a representation of a statue of Akhenaten, perhaps the most intriguing and mysterious of the Egyptian pharoahs. Anyone who has ever read anything about Akhenaten will understand what I mean. His unusual life and ambiguous demise have been the basis of several novels (The Watch Gods by Barbara Woods, Pillar of Fire by Judith Tarr, and others I can't remember the names of just now). For anyone with a passing interest in this fascinating period of Ancient Egyptian history, 'The Sleeper in the Sands' is a intruiging read, if only to get this rather unusual dimension of the mystery.

'The Sleeper in the Sands' has been described as "combining the Curse of the Pharoahs, with Indana Jones, a good measure of the Arabian Nights, a touch of Rider Haggard and a hint of late Burroughs" and I cannot argue with that description. Like Indiana Jones and Rider Haggard's works, it is a 'ripping yarn'. Like the Arabian Nights, it contains a story within a story within a story.

Without giving too much away, it starts with Howard Carter's story of his 30 year quest for the tomb of Tutankhamen and reveals the document that spurred him on. We then follow that writer's story, and so on, back and forth through various eras of Egyptian history - medieval, Arab-ruled Cairo, ancient Thebes - until the culmination we all know (it's no secret the tomb was opened!)

Like other well written historically based fiction, you find yourself believing this is what really happened. Some of it may have. Even if it didn't, perhaps it could have. The well researched and beautifully written journey through time on which Tom Holland leads us is certainly rewarding. This is the first book I've read by Tom Holland, and it won't be the last.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a sleeper, March 20, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sleeper in the Sands (Paperback)

I borrowed this book from a friend and couldn't put it down. I will be purchasing it to read it again. Needless to say, I feel this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. As one reads this it feels like one is peeling an onion, removing layer after layer until you finally hit the core. The use of different voices enhances this feeling and takes one through different times times periods in history until you almost feel like you're reliving a real story. I recommend this to anyone with any interest in ancient history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely not a sleeper., June 10, 2004

By 

ander (Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sleeper in the Sands (Paperback)

Tom Holland takes us on a fascinating ride through ancient Egypt and weaves together a magical, and often horrific, tale of those who ruled the golden land and the great treasures that existed within the walls of palaces and within the walls of tombs. It is his own theoretical account based on what is known about the Egyptian Pharaohs today and what is speculated.

The story starts off with Dr. Howard Carter about to discover the tomb of the legendary Tut-Ankh-Amen and he knows this because of what was found buried just beneath the sands. A writhing corpse with its throat slashed. He writes to his financier, Lord Carnarvon, to let him know what he is about to uncover and why he believes it to be the burial place of "King Tut." As Carter relates this to him, the story unravels. It is a tale within a tale within a tale. It might sound confusing but Holland flows from one time in history to the next flawlessly.

This is the first novel of Mr. Holland's I have read and it won't be my last. I highly recommend `Sleeper in the Sands.'