EMPRESS OF THE NILE, the daredevil archaeologist who saved Egypt's ancient temples from destruction

426pp., illus., map, hardback, d.w., Melbourne & London, 2023

In the 1960s French archaeologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt (1913-2011) played an important role in saving ancient Nubian temples from the floodwaters of the Aswan High Dam.

"An exhilarating, in-depth look at a woman whose courage never faltered, whether facing Nazi interrogators, back-stabbing archaeologist colleagues, or the imminent destruction of Egyptian monuments and artefacts she held most dear. Olson's richly detailed biography takes the reader for a magnificent ride in this heart-stopping read." Fiona Davis, author of The Magnolia Palace

“A female version of the Indiana Jones story ... [Desroches-Noblecourt] was a daredevil whose real-life antics put Hollywood fiction to shame.” The Guardian

Lynne Olson is the author of Last Hope Island: Britain, occupied Europe, and the brotherhood that helped turn the tide of war, Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s fight over World War II, 1939–1941; Citizens of London: The Americans who stood with Britain in its darkest, finest hour, and Troublesome Young Men: The rebels who brought Churchill to power and helped save England. She lives in Washington, D.C.