"A delightful romp through key formative events that shaped our popular passion for all things ancient Egyptian." —Peter Der Manuelian, Professor of Egyptology, Harvard University

When the Romans conquered Egypt, it was really Egypt that conquered the Romans. Cleopatra captivated both Caesar and Marc Antony and soon Roman ladies were worshipping Isis and wearing vials of Nile water around their necks. In this book, renowned Egyptologist Bob Brier explores our three-thousand-year-old fascination with all things Egyptian—from ancient times to Napoleon's Egypt Campaign, the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb, and beyond.

In this original and groundbreaking book, Brier traces our fascination with mummies that seem to have cheated death and the iconic pyramids that have stood strong for millennia. He also includes twenty-four pages of color photos from his impressive collection of Egyptian memorabilia, which includes everything from Napoleon's twenty volume Egypt encyclopedia to archeologist Howard Carter's letters written as he was excavating the Valley of the Kings.