The story of the intrepid French archaeologist who led the international effort to save ancient Egyptian temples from the floodwaters of the Aswan Dam.
Fast-paced, highly entertaining ... Olson’s narrative gathers steam in the tense days before the Nazis invaded Poland ... The highlight of Olson’s book is her thrilling account of the rescue of the giant statues of Rameses II and the Abu Simbel temples from inundation by the Aswan High Dam ... Meticulous detail ... Empress of the Nile's momentum falters after the Abu Simbel rescue ... Some later chapters take on an episodic feeling without adding much insight to Desroches-Noblecourt’s formidable personality.
Excellent ... It was quite a life. Certainly Empress of the Nile tells her story well, embedding it in the history of modern Egyptian archaeology, though at times it does approach the hagiographic. This lack of shading can grow tiresome ... A welcome and needed work of both rescue and reclamation.
Follows Desroches-Noblecourt every step along the way. And I mean every step. Deeply researched, it contains in its many detours and side trips a certain amount of historical TMI.
