The Buried

An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution

By: Peter Hessler

Narrated by: Peter Hessler

A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist

"Extraordinary.... Sensitive and perceptive, Mr. Hessler is a superb literary archaeologist, one who handles what he sees with a bit of wonder that he gets to watch the history of this grand city unfold, one day at a time.” (Wall Street Journal)

From the acclaimed author of River Town and Oracle Bones, an intimate excavation of life in one of the world's oldest civilizations at a time of convulsive change

Drawn by a fascination with Egypt's rich history and culture, Peter Hessler moved with his wife and twin daughters to Cairo in 2011. He wanted to learn Arabic, explore Cairo's neighborhoods, and visit the legendary archaeological digs of Upper Egypt. After his years of covering China for The New Yorker, friends warned him Egypt would be a much quieter place. But not long before he arrived, the Egyptian Arab Spring had begun, and now the country was in chaos.

In the midst of the revolution, Hessler often traveled to digs at Amarna and Abydos, where locals live beside the tombs of kings and courtiers, a landscape that they call simply al-Madfuna: "the Buried". He and his wife set out to master Arabic, striking up a friendship with their instructor, a cynical political sophisticate. They also befriended Peter's translator, a gay man struggling to find happiness in Egypt's homophobic culture. A different kind of friendship was formed with the neighborhood garbage collector, an illiterate but highly perceptive man named Sayyid, whose access to the trash of Cairo would be its own kind of archaeological excavation. Hessler also met a family of Chinese small-business owners in the lingerie trade; their view of the country proved a bracing counterpoint to the West's conventional wisdom.

Through the lives of these and other ordinary people in a time of tragedy and heartache, and through connections between contemporary Egypt and its ancient past, Hessler creates an astonishing portrait of a country and its people. What emerges is a book of uncompromising intelligence and humanity - the story of a land in which a weak state has collapsed but its underlying society remains in many ways painfully the same. A worthy successor to works like Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon and Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines, The Buried bids fair to be recognized as one of the great books of our time.

One of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2019

©2019 Peter Hessler (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2019

“Original, richly layered, and often delightful reporting. Hessler has a sharp sense of humor, a gift for observation, a healthy skepticism, and a knack for using memorable characters and anecdotes to demonstrate larger truths . . . . This is what reporting can be at its best: clear-eyed and empathetic, an addition to the historical record.” (New York Review of Books)

“Egypt’s tragedy has now found a non-fiction writer equal to the task in Peter Hessler . . . . What separates him from most other foreign correspondents is a strange alchemy in his writing and storytelling that gives him an ability to spin golden prose from everyday lived experience. . . . [The Buried] is filled with insight both about the cyclical nature of Egyptian politics and what is eternal and unchanging in this most ancient of countries, whose civilization goes back an astonishing, unbroken 7,000 years. The result is a small triumph, one of the best books yet written about the Arab spring.” (The Guardian)

“The Buried is wonderfully impressive, not a conventional travel book at all, but the chronicle of a family's residence in Egypt, in a time of revolution - years of turmoil in this maddening place. And yet Peter Hessler remains unflustered as he learns the language, makes friends, puts up with annoyances (rats, water shortages, mendacity) and delves into the politics of the present and the ancient complexities. It is in all senses archeology - tenacious, revelatory, and humane.” (Paul Theroux)

A treasure of personalized humanity

A personal, interesting, and amazingly thoughtful book about personal experiences of a journalist with egyptians. This book is more "Un-earthing of Egyptians" than about the fact that many people are living a smaller life than a westerner would want. It gives a great glimpse into poor administration where promises and signs lead no-where, male-dominated societies where woman have no power except with each other or foreigners, where leadership is even more blunt than in the west, where personal interaction is more true than hopes, conjecture, and fears, and where its ancient history when un-earthed reveals very different history.

When dusting off the people in this book I feel the sadness of lives that could be more fruitful with more kindness, support, regulation and focus. A book worth reading. The humanity is spell-binding.

A beautiful error. When I bought the book I thought it was going to deal with how archaeology was changing by virtue of the revolution (teaches me a lesson about reading a bit deeper) and I am so pleased with the story line - weaving people and history and current events and cultures.

Fabulous book!! Inspired me to read all his books!

I loved this book!! I was so impressed by this book and the author that I bought all 5 of his books and have listened to all of them in succession since in the last 6 months. I am so grateful for the thoughtful, personal writing and humanist telling of world events. Blending history current and past is a trademark of all Peter Hessler books and this book exemplifies that quality of his writing. I couldn’t put it down and frequently found myself sitting in my car at the end of my commute to void “putting down” the book!

Egyptology in breadth!

Wonderful weave of ancient history, archaeology, recent political events, and every-day life among "ordinary" Egyptian families, with particular emphasis on elder-male domination, the subservient role of women, and the struggles/dangers facing gays.
From amcient pharoahs to modern dictators to marriage, strongmen maintain their grip. Intimate Hessler-style observations, incites, and story-telling from his five-year stay in Egypt.

The Arab Summer through the eyes of people

We I purchased The Buried I thought that I would be enlightened by the history of this event in terms of causes and results. I was delightfully surprised to be exposed to the real people and their personal experiences.

A great experience

My favorite of all Peter’s books. I think the stories are more catching partly because, ironically, it’s not set in China where the author writes more often and it becomes a cultural context. The book is read by the author himself which ensured all the Arabic phrases were pronounced accurately, which was such an upgrade.

Peter and the People

I have been a fan of Peter Hessler's books since he first wrote about his time in China. In this book he writes about his interactions with the every day Egyptians in their neighborhoods and the good and not so good of this very complex society.

Informative

Nice stories. Good comparisons with China. Help me , as a Chinese, to know more about Egypt.

Read this

I lived in Cairo for 9 years in total. Listening to this vivid account brought back many memories and taught me things I did not know or had long forgotten. Best listen in a while.

AN OTHER GREAT BOOK

Yes, I highly recommend listening.
Peter Hessler has a unique style of writing., very informative and never boring.
I have listened to all his books that are available on Audible and have never been disappointed.
I will not go into details to spoil the content.
His narration is superb.
Thank you, Audible, JK

Unearthed

That is what Peter Hessler accomplished
Outstanding audio production
Peter’s reading is perfect. So much historical And political insight.so much humanity an humor
. It is Peter Hessler at his best.
Zeljko Zic