Empress of the Nile : the daredevil archaeologist who saved Egypt's ancient temples from destruction
Olson, Lynne2023
Books
"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 In the 1960s, the world's attention was focused on a nail-biting race against time: Fifty countries contributed nearly a billion dollars to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples, built during the height of the pharaohs' rule, from drowning in the floodwaters of the massive new Aswan High Dam. But the extensive press coverage at the time overlooked the gutsy French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples would now be at the bottom of a vast reservoir. It was an unimaginably large and complex project that required the fragile sandstone temples to be dismantled, stone by stone, and rebuilt on higher ground. A wilful real-life version of Indiana Jones, Desroches-Noblecourt refused to be cowed by anyone or anything. During World War II she joined the French Resistance and was held by the Nazis; in her fight to save the temples she challenged two of the post-war world's most daunting leaders, Egypt's President Nasser and France's President de Gaulle. As she told a reporter, "You don't get anywhere without a fight, you know." Yet Desroches-Noblecourt was not the only woman who played an essential role in the historic endeavour. The other was Jacqueline Kennedy, who persuaded her husband to call on Congress to help fund the rescue effort. After years of Western plunder of Egypt's ancient monuments, Desroches-Noblecourt did the opposite. She helped preserve a crucial part of Egypt's cultural heritage, and made sure it remained in its homeland"-- Provided by publisher.
Main title:
Author:
Olson, Lynne, author
Imprint:
Melbourne, Vic. : Scribe, 2023.©2023
Collation:
xx, 426 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:
97819225859989781922585998
Dewey class:
932.0090909932
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
531659
More Information:
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumaris Library | Adult Non Fiction - Biography | 932 DES | Available |
| Brighton Library | Adult Non Fiction - Biography | 932 DES | Available |
| Sandringham Library | Adult Non Fiction - Biography | 932 DES | Onloan - Due: 22 May 2025 |
| Sandringham Library | Adult Non Fiction - Biography | 932 DES | Available |