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.

©2023 Lynne Olson (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“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 beautiful and brave French resistance fighter brazen enough to tell her Gestapo interrogators to stand up when a woman enters the room, and who 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, New York Times bestselling author of First: Sandra Day O’Connor)

“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)

“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, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt and Tutankhamun’s Trumpet)

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 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.

Excellent I learned something new

I visited Egypt. I saw the temple at Abu symbol. I heard how it had been moved. This woman had a fascinating life.
I was happy to learn how these things came to be

The history we just returned from visiting Egypt. It was great to get all this additional information

Liked the history and reader and the links between Christian and Jackie Kennedy in saving the antiquities

I have new appreciation for Abu Simbel!

This was a great story that even when I was in Egypt, I didn’t hear about. I love the side stories of Jackie Kennedy, and and others who came to influence the process by which our heroine saved so much. This is my third book by the author, and I’ve loved all three.

Must read for travel to Egypt

This book explains the entire history of archeology in Egypt. Includes world politics and within the archeological profession. I have a much better understanding and appreciation of the Pharaohs, what they left behind and why. This is much better than my guides in Egypts and my readings before the 2 week trip.

Extremely interesting and well written

I have studied Egyptian art history, and this book taught me things I had not heard before. This book is very well written, and researched. The subject is an incredible person with a love for Egypt that brings the subject to life. If you enjoy Egyptian art, this is a must read.

A life well-lived

Well written history of Derrick’s-Noblecourt, archaeology, and Egyptology and the global politics involved. A fascinating account of how she managed the seemingly impossible challenge of saving the Egyptian temples from destruction. This exceeded my expectations.

The Woman Egyptologist Behind Our love Pharohs!

I liked this book so much because at 18 yrs of age, I saw the Tutankhamen exhibit in LA and never knew a woman was behind it’s trip around the world and the henceforth the global popularity of Pharoahs. I will forever be grateful for her love of pharaonic culture and if “you do what you love, all else will follow.”