What I'm Reading: March, 2011

The photo of is my gold library holding many of my antique books on the Middle East, including Egypt. The middle shelf is where I plucked six volumes to read.

Due to the recent events in Egypt, I felt driven to read, and to reread in some cases, some of the older tomes written about that ancient land. To know the past is always a help to understand the future, so I was thinking to find insight into the hearts and minds of the ancient Egyptians. I was reminded of a quote by Herodotus, the Greek historian who is known as the "Father of History." Speaking of Egypt, Herodotus wrote: "I shall now speak of greater length of Egypt, as it contains more wonders than any other land, and is preeminent above all the countries in the world for worlds that one can hardly describe."

I agree with Herodotus.

I was fortunate to visit Egypt on many occasions, falling in love with the country and the people from my first visit in 1979 until my last a few years ago. Although I would have traveled to Egypt on my own, my ex-husband, Peter Sasson, was born in Egypt to a Yugoslav mother and an Italian/British father. The Sasson family of Alexandria was a cotton-plantation family. Peter was the male heir, but never claimed any of the inheritance as the Sasson family was booted out of Egypt, along with other English and French nationals when Gamel Abdel Nasser became incensed by the British/French/Israeli attack on the Suez Canal on October 28, 1956. Of course, since Peter was born and raised to age eight in Egypt, he was always interested in the country of his birth and seeking out the place of his earliest memories. During the days when I first met Peter in Saudi Arabia, he was traveling to Egypt frequently, representing his family in the Egyptian courts, attempting to reclaim some of his family's lost holdings. Ater he and I became close, I often traveled with him.

It's fun to once again revisit Egypt, even if through the pages of some wonderful books. Here's a description of the books currently perched on my nightstand. Thus far, I have re-read three of the six books, and looking forward to reading the other three. I admit the journey has been intensely pleasurable.

1) Present-Day Egypt by Frederic Courtland Penfield (published in 1903).

This old tome is fascinating, describing Egypt and Egyptians in the early 1900's. Although the author acknowledges that Cairo is slowly being Europeanized at "an uncalled-for-pace", as the British is there with an army of occupation, there is still many native scenes to charm the visitor. When I am reading the author's descriptions, I am most delighted to realize that very little of local life had changed from the time of his journey, to my own, which occurred nearly 80 years prior to my first visit to Egypt.

2) Things Seen in Egypt by E.L. Butcher:

This very small tome (published in 1908) is a basic primer of the sights seen by the author. There are old photographs throughout the book, from the water carriers of Luxor to the Nile Bank at Wady Saba. It's a short but sweet look back at a land which has intrigued visitors since time eternal.

3) Lane's Modern Egyptians by Edward William Lane: Written in Egypt during the years: 1833, 34 & 35 and published in 1837.

Lane was a British Orientalist and translator. After beginning a serious study of the Arabic language, Lane left England to travel to Alexandria, Egypt in 1825, and soon traveled on to Cairo. Remaining in Egypt for nearly three years, he passed himself off as a Turk from the Ottoman Empire, winning the trust of many Egyptians. Keeping voluminous notes, he soon had a book about Egyptian customs. His book was published to great acclaim, and used as a reference by other famous travelers who explored Egypt in years to come, including Sir Richard Burton, the most famous of the English Orientalists.

Lane's Modern Egyptians is a very comprehensive look at Egyptians and Egypt. Lovely sketches are dispersed throughout the book.

4) I'm in the middle of reading: Egypt Past and Present by W.H. Davenport Adams. Published in 1887 with 100 illustrations, the book is a true treat. I'll fill you in on the details soon.

5) The Glamour of Near East Excavation by James Baikie: Published in 1927. As someone who longed to go on a true treasure hunt in Egypt, to participate in an excavate sites in the country ruled by some of the mightiest builders the world has ever seen, I'm settling for second best, to read about a very special excavation. I can't wait to get to this book.

6) Egypt, Painted and Described by R. Talbot Kelly: First published in 1902 -- (my edition was published in 1912). This glamerous book is a beauty with a capital B. The cover is cornflower blue with golden flowers. It's interesting to see that the author and artist dedicated his magnificent tome to his wife. He was obviously very romantic as well as extremely talented. The 75 color illustrations will occupy me for a long time. There's one of a Cairo Shop, A Bazaar, A Mosque Door, Cairo from the River, and so on. I wish I could share this book with you so you, too, could view these beautiful sights, once painted by a very sensitive man.

That's it for now! I look forward to hearing from readers as to what they, too, are reading! And, if you check back with me in a few weeks, I'll let you know what's next on my reading list...

HAPPY READING! Your reading friend, Jean Sasson

^ Back to Top ^