CLEOPATRA'S PALACE. In Search Of A Legend. Foreword By Franck Goddio. Published To Coincide With The Discovery Channel Special.

In 30 b.c., against the backdrop of Alexandria, Egypt, one of the most majestic of all ancient cities, a great queen proudly and defiantly took her life. More than two thousand years later, the world remains fascinated and haunted by this most intriguing woman, Cleopatra VII, yet practically everything we know about her is based on ancient text fragments, literature, and myth. Was she the temptress of legend? A ruthless, ambitious conqueror? Or was she a strong, brilliant, visionary ruler, a passionate and loyal woman, and a fiercely devoted mother?

Discovery Books presents Cleopatra's Palace: In Search of a Legend--a dramatic look at Cleopatra's world based on ancient accounts and modern scholarship. Gifted storyteller Laura Foreman brings Cleopatra's legendary tale to life, from the founding of Alexandria by Alexander the Great, to Cleopatra's ascent to the Egyptian throne amid treachery and betrayal, to her passionate alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and her doomed battle against Octavian.

But the legend doesn't end there. Cleopatra's Palace also presents the astounding recent findings of world-renowned underwater explorer Franck Goddio, who, with his team of underwater archaeologists, has succeeded in mapping the Royal Quarter of Ancient Alexandria, long submerged beneath the Mediterranean by cataclysmic earthquakes early in the millennium. In a fascinating narrative illustrated by exclusive underwater images, the expedition's successes are presented, including the discovery of such artifacts as jewelry, statues, sphinxes, rare pottery, and an ancient shipwreck, as well as architectural remains that were found on the site of this magnificent drama.

Lavishly illustrated with over 200 extraordinary full-color photographs, expedition images, fine-art reproductions, drawings, and maps, and interlaced with discussions on the art, architecture, religion, politics, and society of the Graeco-Roman period, Cleopatra's Palace is sure to captivate all lovers of discovery.

Blending biography, history, and modern exploration into great storytelling, Cleopatra's Palace re-creates the glory of Egypt's long-vanished capital and its Royal Quarter, and brings Egypt's greatest queen unforgettably to life.

Laura Foreman is an accomplished journalist who has worked for the Associated Press, UPI, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and The New York Times. Franck Goddio, one of the most important underwater explorers of our time, has salvaged twelve sunken ships, including the Spanish galleon San Diego. His IEASM (Institute Européen d'Archéologie Sous Marine) team operates with the support of the Hilti Foundation in Liechtenstein.

Discovery Books is affiliated with Discovery Communications, Inc., which produces high-quality nonfiction television programming, interactive media, books, films, and consumer products. Discovery Networks, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc., operates and manages Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, and Travel Channel.