Empress of the Nile

Praise

“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

“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 French resistance fighter 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, author of First: Sandra Day O’Connor

“Once again, Lynne Olson introduces us to a modern heroine who defied the odds and achieved historic results. 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, author of The Chancellor

“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, author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

“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.”—Lauren Willig, 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

“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

“This is a captivating portrait of a pathbreaking woman. Readers will be enthralled.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)