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Cracking the Egyptian Code

Cracking the Egyptian Code

by Andrew Robinson

First published 2012 · 272 pages · about 5 hours to read

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About this book

In 1799 Napoleon's army uncovered an ancient stele in the Nile delta. Its inscription, recorded in three distinct scripts -- ancient Greek, Coptic, and hieroglyphic -- would provide scholars with the first clues to unlocking the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphs, a language lost for nearly two millennia. More than twenty years later a remarkably gifted Frenchman named Jean-Francois Champollion successfully deciphered the hieroglyphs on the stele, now commonly known as the Rosetta Stone, sparking a revolution in our knowledge of ancient Egypt. Cracking the Egyptian Code is the first biography in English of Champollion, widely regarded as the founder of Egyptology. Andrew Robinson meticulously reconstructs how Champollion cracked the code of the hieroglyphic script, describing how Champollion started with Egyptian obelisks in Rome and papyri in European collections, sailed the Nile for a year, studied the tombs in the Valley of the Kings (a name he first coined), and carefully compared the three scripts on the Rosetta Stone to penetrate the mystery of the hieroglyphic text. Robinson also brings to life the rivalry between Champollion and the English scientist Thomas Young, who claimed credit for launching the decipherment, which Champollion hotly denied.

Will you like it?

Readers interested in the history of science and the study of ancient writing will find a clear account of how hieroglyphs were read. The book suits those who enjoy biographies of scholars, and it follows the Napoleonic expedition, the Rosetta Stone, and the journey up the Nile.

  • the decipherment of hieroglyphs
  • scientific rivalry
  • the napoleonic expedition
  • birth of egyptology

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Quick answers

What age is Cracking the Egyptian Code for?
Adults.
Is Cracking the Egyptian Code a standalone?
Yes, it stands on its own.
Does Cracking the Egyptian Code have violence, sex or strong language?
Nothing a reader needs warning about.

Written with AI from what's known about the book.

Reader's guide

Themesthe decipherment of hieroglyphs, scientific rivalry and credit, the Napoleonic expedition, linguistic detective work, the birth of Egyptology, scholarship and national pride

the decipherment of hieroglyphs · scientific rivalry and credit · the Napoleonic expedition · linguistic detective work · the birth of Egyptology · scholarship and national pride

StyleExpository biography in continuous prose, organised roughly in chronological order with thematic passages on the decipherment. It is written for general readers rather than specialists, with technical points about the scripts explained step by step. The book is about 272 pages long.

Expository biography in continuous prose, organised roughly in chronological order with thematic passages on the decipherment. It is written for general readers rather than specialists, with technical points about the scripts explained step by step. The book is about 272 pages long.

How it was writtenAndrew Robinson is a British writer on writing systems and scholarship, and he is the author of The Story of Writing. Cracking the Egyptian Code was published in 2012 and is described as the first biography of Champollion in English. Its subtitle in some editions is The Revolutionary Life of Jean-François Champollion.

Andrew Robinson is a British writer on writing systems and scholarship, and he is the author of The Story of Writing. Cracking the Egyptian Code was published in 2012 and is described as the first biography of Champollion in English. Its subtitle in some editions is The Revolutionary Life of Jean-François Champollion.

How it was receivedThe book was reviewed as an accessible account of the decipherment and of the rivalry with Young. Readers who come to it for the history of Egyptology tend to value its clear account of the scripts. I am not sure of specific review quotations or sales figures, so none are given here.

The book was reviewed as an accessible account of the decipherment and of the rivalry with Young. Readers who come to it for the history of Egyptology tend to value its clear account of the scripts. I am not sure of specific review quotations or sales figures, so none are given here.

Questions to discussHow much credit should Thomas Young receive for the decipherment, and how far was Champollion's dispute with him fair?

These may talk about the whole book.

  1. How much credit should Thomas Young receive for the decipherment, and how far was Champollion's dispute with him fair?
  2. Why did it take so long to read hieroglyphs when the Rosetta Stone had three versions of the same text?
  3. What did Napoleon's expedition contribute to Egyptology, beyond the discovery of the stone?
  4. How does a biography of a scholar differ from a history of the discovery itself?
  5. What does the story say about nationalism in European science in the early nineteenth century?
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