Belzoni: The Giant Archaeologists Love to Hate
The flamboyant and ingenious Belzoni has long been regarded as a key player in the early exploration of ancient Egyptian civilization, but we are long overdue for another biography. Noël Hume, who has a well-deserved reputation for archaeological and historical detective work, has written a very clear and elegant book, fully up to the very high standards he has practiced for many years.(Brian M. Faganauthor ofThe Rape of the Nile: Tomb Robbers, Tourists, and Archaeologists in Egypt)Ivor Noël Hume offers an informative and beautifully crafted biography of a man who is often demonized by modern-day scholars. The narrative allows the reader to feel as if they are by Belzoni’s side, and also on his side, by successfully exploring the complex character of this remarkable historical figure.(Sally-Ann Ashton, The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge)A lively, witty biography.... [I]n this entertaining and graceful account of Belzoni's adventures, Mr. Hume opens a window on the raffish days of early Egyptology, when an Italian giant towered over his competitors.(Wall Street Journal)While it’s entirely possible to cringe at Belzoni’s methods... it’s nearly impossible to resist the story of a life... full of 'naïveté, ambition, duplicity, avarice and poverty worthy of Charles Dickens or Henry James, differing only in that it happens to be true.(New York Times Book Review)Noel Hume brings Belzoni, and the world in which he carried out his explorations, to life in his own words, and adds much new insight into that life as well as his own pertinent observations(Egyptian Archaeology)Later archaeologists...have dismissed Belzoni as a vandal and thief, and Hume's biography embraces Belzoni's worth and vividly examines his life and legacy. His work is in no way dry history, as he recounts Belzoni's life story...(Richmond Times-Dispatch)