Play Audiobook Sample
Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.10) - 166 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Little more than two hundred years ago, only the most reckless or eccentric Europeans had dared traverse the unmapped territory of the modern-day Middle East. Its history and peoples were the subject of much myth and speculation–and no region aroused greater interest than Egypt. It was not until 1798, when an unlikely band of scientific explorers traveled from Paris to the Nile Valley, that Westerners received their first real glimpse of what lay beyond the Mediterranean Sea. Under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Army, a small and little-known corps of Paris’s brightest intellectual lights left the safety of their laboratories, studios, and classrooms to embark on a thirty-day crossing into the unknown–some never to see French shores again. Carrying pencils instead of swords, specimen jars instead of field guns, these highly accomplished men participated in the first large-scale interaction between Europeans and Muslims of the modern era. And many lived to tell the tale. Internationally acclaimed journalist Nina Burleigh brings readers back to a little-known landmark adventure at the dawn of the modern era–one that ultimately revealed the deepest secrets of ancient Egypt to a very curious continent.
Download and start listening now!
"Burleigh offers a welcome fresh perspective on Napoleon's Egyptian campaign by focusing on the stories of ten of the savants who accompanied the Little Corporal to the Middle East. The author shows how these men, mostly under very trying conditions, were able to make discoveries of immense historical and scientific importance. Their discoveries were the only true victories in Napoleon's otherwise disastrous & ill-conceived adventure."
— Rich (4 out of 5 stars)
Mirage Listener Reviews
-
—
Doug , 8/31/2022
-
" It's pretty interesting, but I never did finish it. Definitely a surprise to find out that Napoleon spent so much time in Egypt. I associate the British with Egypt more than the French. "
— Mellen, 2/12/2014 -
" really fascinating history I knew absolutely nothing about! Really interesting! "
— Sandy, 2/7/2014 -
" A great introduction to the French "occupation" of Egypt, I just wish Burleigh had gone more in depth. In the end the sum feels very shallow, like she just barely scraped the surface. My interest was very much captured; wish there was more. "
— Cari, 2/4/2014 -
" Interesting audio book. Learned a lot about french imperialism in egypt. "
— Jose, 12/7/2013 -
" Did you know that Napoleon invaded Egypt and brought 150 of Frances top artists, scholars and scientists with him? Fascinating, no? YES. "
— Jenny, 12/1/2013 -
" Beginning of "egyptology" and decades of plunder. Learned a lot. Little repetitive though - like a long non-fiction piece was expanded into book form. "
— Katie, 12/1/2013 -
" Extremely interesting look at a period of history that I had no idea existed. Don't read it if you're looking for a strictly military history, though. As the title states, the book mostly focuses on the scientists; the soldiers are an afterthought. "
— John, 11/8/2013 -
" I'd heard of course of the cadre of scientists Napoleon took to Egypt in his failed bid to take over that country, but I knew little about them. Fascinating group of men, and laid the groundwork for what we today call the science of archaeology. "
— Michelle, 10/31/2013 -
" Interesting non-fiction book about Napoleon's expedition in Egypt. It really lowered my opinion of Napoleon, but I found the lives of the scientists interesting. And to think that I always believed that the Rosetta stone was discovered by the British... "
— Julie, 8/5/2013 -
" Interesting and a well-timed read for me, given some recent travel. The book was adequately written and reflects a depth of research. I particularly enjoyed reading about famous scientists that I know from other contexts, like physics and mathematics. "
— Tiffany, 7/12/2013 -
" Napoleon rounds up brilliant men and strands them in Egypt. They settle in abandoned Mameluke mansions. Good story, great details about the setting. Not too much science for this non-scientist. Good other details about Mr. Conte, (inventor of Conte crayons) and others you might NEED to know about. "
— Mary, 10/20/2012 -
" Certainly a piece of history that I was not really aware of before I read this book. However, it just didn't read that well and I got bored with the book. "
— Pat, 8/27/2012 -
" Wonderfully written book about a little-known period of history. Loved it. "
— Prubo, 1/30/2011 -
" What I learned from this book? When Napoleon asks you to go somewhere--no matter how exotic the locale, no matter what glory he promises you--be sure to say 'no'. "
— Emily, 11/12/2010 -
" I wanted to learn more about Egypt and less about the scientists. One of those history-is-so-much-stranger-than-fiction kind of books. "
— Yvonne, 8/6/2010 -
" Wonderfully written book about a little-known period of history. Loved it. "
— Prubo, 3/11/2010 -
" What I learned from this book? When Napoleon asks you to go somewhere--no matter how exotic the locale, no matter what glory he promises you--be sure to say 'no'. "
— Emily, 3/8/2010 -
" Interesting audio book. Learned a lot about french imperialism in egypt. "
— Jose, 11/22/2009 -
" really fascinating history I knew absolutely nothing about! Really interesting! "
— Sandy, 10/6/2009 -
" Certainly a piece of history that I was not really aware of before I read this book. However, it just didn't read that well and I got bored with the book. "
— Pat, 5/31/2009 -
" It's pretty interesting, but I never did finish it. Definitely a surprise to find out that Napoleon spent so much time in Egypt. I associate the British with Egypt more than the French. "
— Mellen, 1/9/2009 -
" Interesting and a well-timed read for me, given some recent travel. The book was adequately written and reflects a depth of research. I particularly enjoyed reading about famous scientists that I know from other contexts, like physics and mathematics. "
— Tiffany, 12/8/2008 -
" Interesting non-fiction book about Napoleon's expedition in Egypt. It really lowered my opinion of Napoleon, but I found the lives of the scientists interesting. And to think that I always believed that the Rosetta stone was discovered by the British... "
— Julie, 10/29/2008 -
" Did you know that Napoleon invaded Egypt and brought 150 of Frances top artists, scholars and scientists with him? Fascinating, no? YES. "
— Jenny, 9/15/2008
About Nina Burleigh
Nina Burleigh is an award-winning journalist and the author of a number of books, including the New York Times bestseller The Fatal Gift of Beauty and Mirage: Napoleon’s Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt, which was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and won the Society of Women Educators’ Award. Burleigh has been a staff writer at Time and People and currently covers national politics at Newsweek. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Huffington Post as well as in Time, the New Yorker, Elle, and many other journals. She has resided in France, Italy, and the Middle East and now lives in New York.
About Cassandra Campbell
Cassandra Campbell has won multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and the prestigious Odyssey Award for narration. She was been named a “Best Voice” by AudioFile magazine and in 2018 was inducted in Audible’s inaugural Narrator Hall of Fame.