The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest

The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone

The deciphering of the Rosetta stone was one of the great intellectual achievements of all time, unlocking the secrets of thousands of years of Egyptâ€™s ancient civilization. Yet in the past two centuries, the circumstances surrounding this bravura feat of translation have become shrouded in myth and mystery. Now in his spellbinding book, Daniel Meyerson recounts the extraordinary true story of how the lives of two geniusesâ€“the emperor Napoleon and the linguist Jean-FranÃ§ois Champollionâ€“converged in a breakthrough that revolutionized our understanding of the past.

In this sweeping narrative, the haunting story of the Rosetta stoneâ€“its discovery in a doomed battle, the plot to secure it, the agonizing race to unlock its secrets, and the pain it seemed to inflict on all who touched itâ€“reads like the most engrossing fiction. As counterpoint to the stories of the brilliant linguist and the visionary emperor, Meyerson interweaves the ancient tales of love, intrigue, brutal death, and miraculous rebirth that were hidden for centuries on the walls of Egyptian tombsâ€“stories that Champollion finally made accessible to the world.
Country USA
Manufacturer Random House Trade Paperbacks
Binding Paperback
ReleaseDate 2005-02-08
EANs 9780345448729

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Random House Trade Paperbacks
Binding	Paperback
ReleaseDate	2005-02-08
EANs	9780345448729

The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone