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9781250026699

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Behind every great fortune is a crime, Balzac once declared. But Theodore Davis's struggle for wealth and power is only one side of the amazing story. The tycoon is a complex character driven by his demons to achieve something noble and unforgettable with his ill-gotten gains. And in the barren wastes of Egypt's Valley of the Kings, Davis achieves just that. Unstoppable, self-educated, kind and tyrannical in turn, Davis embodies the energy of an America just coming into its own. The book is a meditation on the mysteries of the past Davis uncovers as well as a study in the contradictions of human nature. I could not put it down. I loved the anecdotes Adams 'dug up' and held my breath as Davis descended into ancient, sealed tombs. A wonderful book. --Daniel Meyerson, author of In The Valley of the Kings and The Linguist and the Emperor <p> A fascinating book: a lively split-screen account of the corrupt rise of a Tweed-ring mogul, Theodore Davis, interlaced with his later distinguished career as an Egyptologist and primary excavator of the Valley of the Kings. --Charles.R. Morris, author of The Tycoons <p> It's high time we had a biography of Theodore Davis, the eccentric millionaire who cut a wide swath in Egyptology (and elsewhere) during the 1900's. Was he as big a crook as some of us suspected? John Adams has the answer! - Dr. Barbara Mertz, author of Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs and, as Elizabeth Peters, of the Amelia Peabody mystery series. Theodore Davis, a flamboyant American millionaire, was responsible for some of the most provocative discoveries ever in Egyptian archaeology, and an accessible authoritative biography of this curious, remarkable man is long overdue. John Adams tells the story of Davis with substance and enthusiasm in his enjoyable book, which should greatly appeal to anyone with an interest in Ancient Egypt and the exploration of its remains. - Donald P. Ryan, archaeologist and excavator in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. A contemp

<p> This fascinating tale, told with panache, is a must-read for anyone interested in ancient Egypt, archaeology, art and the history of collecting. --Professor Salima Ikram, American University in Cairo, author of The Mummy in Ancient Egypt<br><br> Evocative, erudite, irresistibly readable, The Millionaire and the Mummies brilliantly brings to life one of the key movers of the golden age of Egyptian archaeology. It is an exhaustively researched page-turner. An utterly compelling account of a completely extraordinary man. --Paul Sussman, author of Labyrinth of Osiris

Behind every great fortune is a crime, Balzac once declared. But Theodore Davis's struggle for wealth and power is only one side of the amazing story. The tycoon is a complex character driven by his demons to achieve something noble and unforgettable with his ill-gotten gains. And in the barren wastes of Egypt's Valley of the Kings, Davis achieves just that. Unstoppable, self-educated, kind and tyrannical in turn, Davis embodies the energy of an America just coming into its own. The book is a meditation on the mysteries of the past Davis uncovers as well as a study in the contradictions of human nature. I could not put it down. I loved the anecdotes Adams 'dug up' and held my breath as Davis descended into ancient, sealed tombs. A wonderful book. --Daniel Meyerson, author of In The Valley of the Kings and The Linguist and the Emperor A fascinating book: a lively split-screen account of the corrupt rise of a Tweed-ring mogul, Theodore Davis, interlaced with his later distinguished career as an Egyptologist and primary excavator of the Valley of the Kings. --Charles.R. Morris, author of The Tycoons A rounded biography. Theodore Davis's work, though overshadowed by later excavations, was revolutionary in its methodical thoroughness, and Adams is similarly scientific in his factual resurrection of Davis's life. Throughout the book, there is a compelling tension between Davis's uniquely American style of self-made wealth and the divinely granted kingships of the ancient Egyptian rulers. It's a fresh look at Egyptology, and the author skillfully dusts off a historic life, presenting his subject as a full-bodied human. -- Publishers Weekly A fast-paced narrative. Adams brings to life a fascinating individual and his world. Highly recommended. -- Library Journal It proves to be an extraordinary read, thoroughly and freshly researched, and well written. It is the book everyone interested in the golden age of Egyptioan archaeology has been waiting for, a

Behind every great fortune is a crime, Balzac once declared. But Theodore Davis's struggle for wealth and power is only one side of the amazing story. The tycoon is a complex character driven by his demons to achieve something noble and unforgettable with his ill-gotten gains. And in the barren wastes of Egypt's Valley of the Kings, Davis achieves just that. Unstoppable, self-educated, kind and tyrannical in turn, Davis embodies the energy of an America just coming into its own. The book is a meditation on the mysteries of the past Davis uncovers as well as a study in the contradictions of human nature. I could not put it down. I loved the anecdotes Adams 'dug up' and held my breath as Davis descended into ancient, sealed tombs. A wonderful book. --Daniel Meyerson, author of In The Valley of the Kings and The Linguist and the Emperor A fascinating book: a lively split-screen account of the corrupt rise of a Tweed-ring mogul, Theodore Davis, interlaced with his later distinguished career as an Egyptologist and primary excavator of the Valley of the Kings. --Charles.R. Morris, author of The Tycoons A rounded biography. Theodore Davis's work, though overshadowed by later excavations, was revolutionary in its methodical thoroughness, and Adams is similarly scientific in his factual resurrection of Davis's life. Throughout the book, there is a compelling tension between Davis's uniquely American style of self-made wealth and the divinely granted kingships of the ancient Egyptian rulers. It's a fresh look at Egyptology, and the author skillfully dusts off a historic life, presenting his subject as a full-bodied human. -- Publishers Weekly A fast-paced narrative. Adams brings to life a fascinating individual and his world. Highly recommended. -- Library Journal It's high time we had a biography of Theodore Davis, the eccentric millionaire who cut a wide swath in Egyptology (and elsewhere) during the 1900's. Was he as big a crook as some of us suspecte

Author Information

JOHN M. ADAMS is director emeritus of the Orange County Public Library. He has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the American Research Center in Egypt (the professional organization for U.S. Egyptologists) and founded the Southern California Chapter of ARCE and served as its president. He is a regular contributor to Kmt: A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt. He edited the Egyptological newsletter Sedjem for five years. He lives in Winchester, Illinois.

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