Review by Choice Review
Meyerson (a fellow at Columbia Univ.) teaches writing and this is evident in this clever mixing of the histories of Bonaparte and Champollion, decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs. This is not a scholarly history; for that one should read Richard Parkinson's Cracking Codes: The Rosetta Stone and Decipherment (CH, Mar'00). Though it is nonfiction account of real events, the book reads like a novel (or resembles a film) that depends on flashbacks and sidetracks to reveal the plot, building up the excitement around what is inevitably to come. The individual chapters are not in chronological order. Errors occur: Mary Gow is the assistant librarian of the Wilbour Library of Egyptology at The Brooklyn Museum; the wrong Hebrew letters are used for the biblical On; it certainly cannot be taken for granted that the Hebrew toph is a rattle; traveling south along the Nile is going upstream, not downstream. And there are more. In addition, Meyerson's style of writing renders the context unclear, and in one case he gives the impression that the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms were known as such before the decipherment of hieroglyphs. And what does he mean by Chaldean--Aramaic, Syriac, neo-Assyrian, Babylonian? All this renders the book an inexact, if exciting, read. ^BSumming Up: Optional. General readers. S. M. Paley University at Buffalo, SUNY
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
During Napoleon's forays into Egypt, the study of this ancient civilization became formalized as a serious field, for word of Napoleon's discoveries of artifacts covered with mysterious writing sparked a number of efforts to decipher the hieroglyphs. One scholar thus engaged was the brilliantean-Francois Champollion, who spent countless hours poring over every available bit of evidence to become the first person in more than 1,000 years who could reasonably claim to understand the ancient writing. Meyerson provides a good deal of biographical information on the little-understood Champollion, chronicling his studies and discoveries and relating them to Egypt's storied history. Meyerson explains much about contemporary French history and the relevant episodes of Egyptian history; nonetheless, there are still instances when he assumes his readers will be familiar with the basics. For that reason, this is probably not a book for the casual reader. Audiences with more than just a passing interest, however, will find this an interesting account of one of the most significant contributors to the study of Egypt. --Gavin Quinn Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This florid adventure tale, presented in colorful episodes that read as if drawn from a Hollywood film treatment, interweaves Napoleon's obsessive empire building with Jean Fran?ois Champollion's determined mission to crack the code of hieroglyphics. The story hinges on the long, drawn-out Napoleonic campaign in Egypt (1798-1801), during which the Rosetta stone, which enabled Champollion's breakthrough, was discovered. Meyerson, an Ellis Fellow at Columbia and the author of a previous book on despots, conjures two fanatic visionaries, lingering on Napoleon's insecurities and cruelties and on Champollion's dogged devotion, flashes of passionate intuition and periodic exhaustion. Beginning with an account of Champollion's obscure childhood and experience of the revolutionary Terror, and tracing the prodigy linguist's early interest in ancient languages in the context of narrow-minded lyc?e life, the book renders Champollion's adult career as one long struggle to justify his theories. The Napoleonic campaign in Egypt is mined for its colorful generals and scenes of thirst-crazed soldiers, while the history of Egypt and how its ancient language came to be lost is skimmed, with an emphasis on sensuous detail. Overwritten and festooned with continuous anticipations of the various fates and destinies of each of its personages, repeatedly casting Egypt as a mysterious muse or virgin, this romance treats neither history nor linguistics with any degree of seriousness. B&w photos and illus. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Meyerson (Ellis Fellow, Columbia Univ.) offers a literary biographical-historical narrative of the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing by enigmatic French linguist Jean-Fran?ois Champollion. Intended for general readers, the book incorporates the career of Napoleon Bonaparte-in particular his militarily ill-fated yet scientifically successful Egyptian Expedition of 1798-1801, which made possible the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, the key to the entire puzzle. Meyerson cinematically juxtaposes significant events in both men's lives, taking readers unexpectedly back and forth in time to enhance the plot lines. Snippets of ancient Egyptian and Classical texts are included to impart some of the richness of the world that Champollion's achievement made accessible after two millennia. Not a formal history or biography, this work omits references and an index. A final author's note does include some suggested readings for those whose interest has been piqued, but, unfortunately, outmoded works by E.A.W. Budge are touted among them. With little currently available about Champollion, this book will serve as an engaging introduction for public library patrons. (Illustrations not seen.) [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/03.]-Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A sadly missed opportunity: a tepid account of code-breaking that might have made a fine, lean tale of scholarly detection. Jean-FranÇois Champollion was the kind of kid who, at the age of seven, knew that he would grow up to decipher the then-unreadable Egyptian hieroglyphs that European adventurers and soldiers were busily carting off to museums and markets back home. Tutored by a linguistically gifted priest who was then on the run from the French Revolution, Champollion mastered one language after another, arguing the merits of classical Persian and Greek thinkers before indifferent country schoolmasters. Napoleon was, well, Napoleon, certain from an early age that it was his destiny to conquer the world and perhaps--shades of Raiders of the Lost Ark--to rule with the aid of knowledge hidden away in the tombs of the pharaohs. "They will sit and talk about Egypt the way two men talk who have loved the same woman," writes Meyerson (Ellis Fellow/Columbia Univ.; Blood and Splendor, not reviewed), apparently possessed by the muse of Danielle Steel. "But not yet"--for Champollion has to get out of grade school, Napoleon into the saddle. In time, though, Napoleon's grenadiers hauled away the Rosetta Stone, a stele that glossed hieroglyphs with Greek phrases, and Champollion set about figuring out what they meant. The process Champollion used is one of the shining moments of linguistic deduction, one that has inspired subsequent generations of students of dead languages from Minoan to Tocharian to Mayan. Meyerson prefers sentiment to science, though ("These letters are not written in Coptic or Arabic or Latin or Greek, but in the language--where can he have learned it, poring over old, musty papyri night and day as he does?--the language of love"), and anyone seeking insight into Champollion's method, and the significance of his discoveries, will want to go elsewhere--and fast. Tone-deaf and uninteresting. The hieroglyphs, though, are nicely drawn. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
