Overview

New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • The remarkable story of the intrepid French archaeologist who led the international effort to save ancient Egyptian temples from the floodwaters of the Aswan Dam, by the New York Times bestselling author of Madame Fourcade’s Secret War “A female version of the Indiana Jones story . . . [Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt] was a daredevil whose real-life antics put Hollywood fiction to shame.”—The Guardian In the 1960s, the world’s attention was focused on a nail-biting race against time: the international campaign to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples from drowning in the floodwaters of the gigantic new Aswan High Dam. But the coverage of this unprecedented rescue effort completely overlooked the daring French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples—including the Temple of Dendur, now at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art—would currently be at the bottom of a vast reservoir. It was an unimaginably complex project that required the fragile sandstone temples to be dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground. Willful and determined, Desroches-Noblecourt refused to be cowed by anyone or anything. As a member of the French Resistance in World War II she survived imprisonment by the Nazis; in her fight to save the temples she defied two of the most daunting leaders of the postwar world, Egypt’s President Abdel Nasser and France’s President Charles de Gaulle. As she told one reporter, “You don’t get anywhere without a fight, you know.” Desroches-Noblecourt also received help from a surprising source. Jacqueline Kennedy, America’s new First Lady, persuaded her husband to help fund the rescue effort. After a century and a half of Western plunder of Egypt’s ancient monuments, Desroches-Noblecourt helped instead to preserve a crucial part of that cultural heritage.

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9780525509479

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Reviews

Once again, Lynne Olson introduces us to a modern heroine who defied the odds and achieved historic results. Through sheer grit and an indomitable spirit that neither Nazis nor bureaucrats from Paris to Cairo could tame, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt rescued the Egyptian Temples of Nubia and other treasures from drowning. With her signature deep research and compassion for quirky characters, Olsen spins an inspiring tale with a sometimes surprising cast, including First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Empress of the Nile is a tonic for our times and a reminder that one unstoppable woman can bend history to her will. -Kati Marton, New York Times bestselling author of The Chancellor From facing down Nazis, to fighting to save Egyptian artifacts, to rehabilitating the reputation of Hapshetsut, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt's remarkable career reads like something out of fiction-but Lynne Olson's compelling biography makes clear that every word is pure fact. Empress of the Nile is the best sort of micro history: both an intimate portrait of a groundbreaking woman and a whirlwind tour through the major events and personalities of the twentieth century. To anyone who ever tossed a coin into the waters around the Temple of Dendur-you must read this book. -Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of Band of Sisters Lynne Olson has found yet another fascinating, unsung heroine: a French archaeologist with the moxie to take on the Egyptians, the Americans and the French to save historic Egyptian temples. -Meryl Gordon, author of three biographies including Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend Lynne Olson's many fans know her gift for storytelling and for bringing to life heroes who may not be well known but who demand-indeed, rivet-our attention. Who else but Olson could have found Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a beautiful and brave French resistance fighter brazen enough to tell her Gestapo interrogators to stand up when a woman enters the room, and who happens to be a kind of female Indiana Jones working behind the scenes-alongside Jackie Kennedy!-to save the ancient temples of Egypt? Readers will devour this wonderful book. -Evan Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of First: Sandra Day O'Connor Empress of the Nile is an exhilarating, in-depth look at a woman whose courage never faltered, whether she was facing Nazi interrogators, backstabbing archaeologist colleagues, or the imminent destruction of the Egyptian monuments and artifacts she held most dear. Olson's richly detailed, heart-stopping biography takes the reader for a magnificent ride. -Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was one of the leading Egyptologists of the twentieth century, yet her remarkable achievements have received little attention. Lynne Olson has done her justice with this comprehensive biography. -Toby Wilkinson, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt and Tutankhamun's Trumpet

A well-documented and sensitive portrait of a remarkable woman who shared her passion for Egypt and inspired so many others, myself included, to find their calling, while at the same time helping to reinvigorate the Louvre. -Henri Loyrette, former president and director of the Louvre Museum Once again, Lynne Olson introduces us to a modern heroine who defied the odds and achieved historic results. With her signature deep research and compassion for quirky characters, Olson spins an inspiring tale with a sometimes surprising cast, including First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Empress of the Nile is a tonic for our times and a reminder that one unstoppable woman can bend history to her will. -Kati Marton, New York Times bestselling author of The Chancellor Empress of the Nile is the best sort of micro-history: both an intimate portrait of a groundbreaking woman and a whirlwind tour through major events and personalities of the twentieth century. To anyone who ever tossed a coin into the waters around the Temple of Dendur-you must read this book. -Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of Band of Sisters Lynne Olson has found yet another fascinating unsung heroine: a French archaeologist with the moxie to take on the Egyptians, the Americans, and the French to save historic Egyptian temples. -Meryl Gordon, author of Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend Who else but Olson could have found Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a beautiful and brave French resistance fighter brazen enough to tell her Gestapo interrogators to stand up when a woman enters the room, and who happens to be a kind of female Indiana Jones working behind the scenes-alongside Jackie Kennedy!-to save the ancient temples of Egypt? Readers will devour this wonderful book. -Evan Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of First: Sandra Day O'Connor Empress of the Nile is an exhilarating, in-depth look at a woman whose courage never faltered, whether she was facing Nazi interrogators, backstabbing archaeologist colleagues, or the imminent destruction of the Egyptian monuments and artifacts she held most dear. Olson's richly detailed, heart-stopping biography takes the reader for a magnificent ride. -Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was one of the leading Egyptologists of the twentieth century, yet her remarkable achievements have received little attention. Lynne Olson has done her justice with this comprehensive biography. -Toby Wilkinson, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt and Tutankhamun's Trumpet Enriched by fascinating digressions into Egyptian history, museum rivalries, the plundering of archaeological sites, the 1956 Suez Crisis, and more, this is a captivating portrait of a pathbreaking woman. Readers will be enthralled. -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Lynne Olson's many fans know her gift for storytelling and bringing to life heroes who may not be well known but demand-indeed, rivet-our attention. Who else but Olson could have found Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, a beautiful and brave French resistance fighter who is brazen enough to tell her Gestapo interrogators to stand up when a woman enters the room? Who also happens to be a kind of female Indiana Jones working behind the scenes-alongside Jackie Kennedy!-to save the ancient temples of Egypt? Readers will devour this wonderful book. -Evan Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of First: Sandra Day O'Connor An exhilarating, in-depth look at a woman whose courage never faltered, whether facing Nazi interrogators, back-stabbing archeologist colleagues, or the imminent destruction of the Egyptian monuments and artifacts she held most dear. Olson's richly detailed biography takes the reader for a magnificent ride in this heart-stopping read. -Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was one of the leading Egyptologists of the 20th century, yet her remarkable achievements have received little attention. Lynne Olson has done her justice with this comprehensive biography. -Toby Wilkinson, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egyptand Tutankhamun's Trumpet

Author Information

Lynne Olson is the New York Times bestselling author of Madame Fourcade’s Secret War, Last Hope Island, Those Angry Days, and Citizens of London. She has been a consulting historian for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. She lives in Washington, D.C.

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