Overview

Full Product Details

9781501198946

Table of Contents

Reviews

An engrossing account of the 20-year competition that followed [the discovery of the Rosetta Stone]. . . . Dolnick exuberantly captures the frustrations and triumphs of scholars as they puzzle out the meaning of long-dead runes. -New York Times Book Review [Dolnick] does a masterful job of guiding the reader through the labyrinth of false starts, wrong turns, and dead ends that prefaced a fuller understanding of the symbols. . . . The Writing of the Gods is an engrossing account of one of the greatest breakthroughs in archaeological history, one that brought a dead language, and a buried culture, back to life. -Christian Science Monitor An entertaining account of a great intellectual achievement. -The Economist Dolnick treats [Young and Champollion's] efforts like a thriller, with both men making game-changing breakthroughs, benefiting from shrewd guesses, and being hampered by preconceptions or bad luck. While the codebreaking chapters captivate, the supporting material-covering the development of writing, the history and culture of ancient Egypt, Napoleon's military campaigns in the region, the academic milieu of the early 19th century and more-can be every bit as entertaining. -Minneapolis Star Tribune [Dolnick] does a first-rate job of storytelling; his scenes are vivid and his cast of characters wide-ranging. Too, he writes with wit. -New York Journal of Books According to Dolnick, the Rosetta Stone was not only, as its discoverers suspected, a key to Egyptian hieroglyphs, and thereby to a huge swath of otherwise inaccessible ancient history. It was also a lesson in decoding itself, in what the human mind does when faced with a puzzle. -The New Yorker

[Dolnick] has a remarkable ability to explain and contextualize complex topics and create compelling, lucid nonfiction narratives. . . . Dolnick brings this period of history to life in the same way the Rosetta Stone revived ancient Egypt. --BookPage (starred review) Stimulating. . . . an immersive and knowledgeable introduction to one of archaeology's greatest breakthroughs. --Publishers Weekly A fast-paced intellectual adventure. . . . Highly recommended. --Library Journal Masterful. . . . The Writing of the Gods is an engrossing account of one of the greatest breakthroughs in archaeological history, one that brought a dead language, and a buried culture, back to life. --Christian Science Monitor Dolnick exuberantly captures the frustrations and triumphs of scholars as they puzzle out the meaning of long-dead runes. --New York Times Book Review An entertaining account of a great intellectual achievement. --The Economist Dolnick treats [Young and Champollion's] efforts like a thriller. . . . entertaining. --Minneapolis Star Tribune

[Dolnick] has a remarkable ability to explain and contextualize complex topics and create compelling, lucid nonfiction narratives. . . . Reading The Writing of the Gods is like tagging along for a dazzling intellectual journey of discovery, akin to listening to a fascinating lecture. Dolnick brings this period of history to life in the same way the Rosetta Stone revived ancient Egypt. --BookPage (starred review) Stimulating. . . . Dolnick lucidly explains the complex steps taken to decipher the relic, and offers brisk and enlightening history lessons on the first appearances of written language, Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in the fourth century, the Scientific Revolution, and Napoleon's invasion of Egypt. The result is an immersive and knowledgeable introduction to one of archaeology's greatest breakthroughs. --Publisher's Weekly Dolnick presents a fast-paced intellectual adventure for general readers that surveys the invention of writing and the processes of deciphering and decoding. Highly recommended for anyone who relishes challenging puzzles. --Library Journal Prolific nonfiction author and prior science writer at the Boston Globe, Dolnick's prose is beautifully lyrical, and will engage even those unfamiliar with the three converging subjects of ancient Egypt, the Rosetta Stone, and Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. --Booklist Dolnick provides an exciting narrative of the journey to legibility. . . . Dolnick makes complicated linguistic challenges not only comprehensible, but also especially vivid for readers new to the subject, and, as in his previous books, his enthusiasm is infectious. --Kirkus Reviews An engrossing account of the 20-year competition that followed [the discovery of the Rosetta Stone]. . . . Dolnick exuberantly captures the frustrations and triumphs of scholars as they puzzle out the meaning of long-dead runes. --New York Times Book Review [Dolnick] does a masterful job of guiding the reader through the labyrinth of false starts, wrong turns, and dead ends that prefaced a fuller understanding of the symbols. . . . The Writing of the Gods is an engrossing account of one of the greatest breakthroughs in archaeological history, one that brought a dead language, and a buried culture, back to life. --Christian Science Monitor An entertaining account of a great intellectual achievement. --The Economist Dolnick treats [Young and Chamopillon's] efforts like a thriller, with both men making game-changing breakthroughs, benefiting from shrewd guesses, and being hampered by preconceptions or bad luck. While the codebreaking chapters captivate, the supporting material--covering the development of writing, the history and culture of ancient Egypt, Napoleon's military campaigns in the region, the academic milieu of the early 19th century and more--can be every bit as entertaining. --Minneapolis Star Tribune [Dolnick] does a first-rate job of storytelling; his scenes are vivid and his cast of charracters wide-ranging. Too, he writes with wit. --New York Journal of Books

Author Information

Edward Dolnick is the author of The Writing of the Gods, The Clockwork Universe, The Forger's Spell, and the Edgar Award-winning The Rescue Artist, among other books. A former chief science writer at The Boston Globe, he has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, and many other publications. He lives with his wife near Washington, DC.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available