Nile - Hardcover

Holmes, Martha; Maxwell, Gavin; Scoones, Tim

4.14

7 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0563487135 ISBN 13: 9780563487135

Publisher: BBC Books, 2004

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From the beginning of recorded history, the River Nile has been a blessing in an otherwise barren world, but at first was a mystery. As the centuries passed, explorers braved rapids, swamps, jungles, and disease to push further and further up the river, each time bringing back new clues to its origins. Nile charts the full story of this great river. Beginning with an exploration of the world of ancient Egypt, we then journey upstream as the river splits into its two main arms the White Nile and the Blue Nile. Finally, we follow in the heroic footsteps of the great explorers as they raced to solve the riddle of the river’s source, deep in the heart of Africa. Abundantly illustrated with color photos and detailed maps, Nile weaves together history and natural history in a fascinating portrait of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

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From the Publisher:

From the beginning of recorded history, the River Nile has been a blessing in an otherwise barren, inhospitable world. Over 5,000 years ago, the river’s fertile valley gave rise to one of the world’s first and greatest civilizations: ancient Egypt. Every year, vital floodwaters replenished the rich farmland along the river’s banks, but the ancient Egyptians never understood how the flood was generated or why it occasionally failed. As the centuries passed, explorers braved rapids, swamps, jungles, and disease to push further and further up the river, each time bringing back new clues. Nile charts the full story of this great river. Beginning with an exploration of the world of ancient Egypt, we then take a modern journey upstream as the river splits into its two main arms: the White Nile and the Blue Nile. Finally, we follow in the heroic footsteps of the great explorers as they raced to solve the riddle of the river’s source, deep in the heart of Africa. Abundantly illustrated with color photos and detailed maps, Nile weaves together history and natural history in a fascinating portrait of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

From Publishers Weekly:

This study of the world’s longest river is also a journey through time and space, as the authors show how strongly interwoven the Nile is with the histories and beliefs of the people who live near it. Published in concert with a BBC/Discovery Channel series on the same topic, the book is a thorough and eye-pleasing introduction to the river. The first chapter tells the story of ancient Egypt as it relates to the Nile, describing how crucial the rich resources in the river basin were to the development of that civilization’s agriculture, mythology and customs. A chapter on the yearly flooding takes the book to the river’s southern and eastern reaches in Sudan and Ethiopia, which feature some of its most striking geography and animals (such as the semi-aquatic Sitatunga antelope and the flat-snouted lungfish). The longest chapter covers the searches for the Nile’s source by determined but often unlucky British explorers, and potently evokes the attitudes and ideas dominant during Victorian colonization. The writing is textbook-dry, but the photos make up for this lack of color. Towering stalks of papyrus, a hideous, fierce vulture and aerial photos of the marshy valley bring the Nile to splendid life. Beautiful and informative, this book should satisfy anyone looking for a visual overview of this exotic locale. 100+ color photos, 7 maps.
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