Empress of the Nile

The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction

By: Lynne Olson

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan

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.

A well-told story of history and an amazing life.

Thoroughly written and presented, this is a rich, detailed story of a woman responsible for, among other things, the saving of Abu Simbel. This masterful rescue happened in the late 1960s while I was in high school. It was the subject of a term paper I researched the old fashioned way in the library stacks.
I was fortunate to visit Abu Simbel in person in 1997 during a trip to the Middle East. Breathtaking to say the least.
I highly recommend this book.

A great story and a great woman!

Well written and read. Learned a lot about Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, Egyptology and ancient Egypt.

Christiane

Astounding life story of christiane desroches noblecort and hee life’s work and passion. Egypt. Read this what one person can accomplish for the good of humankind

A Fine and Exciting Read!

This book was outstanding. As an archaeologist with a keen interest in Egyptology, I found it very informative. The chapters about WWII were thrilling and educational, and overall I liked the pacing. I have enjoyed learning more about specific locations in Egypt, and the history of moving the southern temples due to the Aswan Dam. The narrative brings together French culture, military history, archaeology, geopolitical concerns, and museum studies, all tied together by the fascinating story of this one woman’s life. I was hooked!

Wonderful story!

I have to write at least 12 words so I recommend listening to it it.