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.
While we know she succeeds (it's in the title), Olson writes what at times reads like a suspenseful political thriller, with feuds and setbacks and promises of money rescinded ... Desroches-Noblecourt is such a compelling figure that the book's side tangents... occasionally take away from her narrative.