Egypt: Gift of the Nile: An Aerial Portrait

Book Synopsis: Twenty-five centuries ago Herodotus proclaimed Egypt "the Gift of the Nile." Imagine, then, the famous Greek traveler's reaction had he enjoyed the perspective available to modern visitors, and to readers of this new book: the unparalleled view from the air.

Here is Egypt as it is rarely seen, in 178 remarkable color images by Guido Alberto Rossi, an Italian photographer well known for his aerial pictures. Accompanying the illustrations is a lively and informative text by Max Rodenbeck, an American writer who has lived in Egypt for more than 15 years. Together, they bring to light the heritage of a great ancient civilization - and the beauty of a modern land.

Here is the valley of the Nile, no more than a few miles wide and starkly bordered by ocher deserts that stretch to the sea. It holds the vast wealth of past inhabitants, a wealth extending back to the birth of civilization. Vivid photographs reveal the temples and tombs of the pharaohs, the desert monasteries of the early Christians, the mosques and palaces of caliphs, sultans, khedives, kings, and presidents. Seen from the air, their grandeur comes fully alive; the pyramids, after all, are the sole survivors of the seven wonders of the Greek world.

Beyond the valley and its man-made splendors lie unspoiled and inaccessible natural phenomena. Luminous colorplates uncover an extraordinary variety of landscapes in the endless sands, from sensuous dunes to ragged cliffs to gem-like oases. The soft light of early morning reveals the somber desert blossoming into color: the mountains of Sinai turn red, black, green, and yellow. Along the Red Sea the startling beauty of rich coral reefs stops abruptly at the barren shore.

Few places are as alive in the collective imagination as Egypt. But the cacophony of modern Cairo has all but drowned ancient rhythms, and roads, factories, and oil fields have befouled the pristine desert. From the ground, among throngs of tourists and teeming millions of Egyptians, it is easy to lose sight of the past. Only when seen from the air do Egypt's mystery and magic come completely to life.