Ever since the first intrepid European explorers ventured up the Nile, an eclectic crowd of tourists, soldiers, fortune-seekers, tomb-raiders and empire-builders has travelled to Egypt. Whether sparked by its rich history and compelling landscapes, the elusive ruins of a once-magnificent civilisation or the country's strategic importance in world politics, the west's fascination with Egypt has flourished over that past two centuries. In a fast-paced narrative, richly adorned with gossip, anecdote and adventure, Anthony Sattin illuminates the passions and intrigues of an extraordinary cast of characters. From Florence Nightingale to Lord Nelson, Giovanni Belzoni to Howard Carter, Somerset Maugham to E.M. Forster and Gustave Flaubert to Noel Coward, they scrambled up the pyramids, floated down the Nile, partied on the terrace of Shepheard's Hotel, plotted, ransacked, lived, loved and were forever changed by their experience - as Egypt was by them. 'Lifting the Veil is based on the agreeable idea of travelling the tourist routes in Egypt and buttressing impressions with those of previous visitors, from James Bruce, the Nile explorer of the late 1760s and early 1770s, through to Noel Coward; and Mr. Sattin has drawn on members of the British community and the historians. The result is a book that conveys a great deal of the expatriate's experience... The steamers that make Nile cruises today usually have a library to entertain and instruct the passengers. Lifting the Veil will do just that and no doubt will eventually be found in every one of them.' - P.H. Newby, TLS

'A new and lively portrait of an ancient, dormant land, catapulted into a hasty modernisation drive… full of interesting snippets and brimming with a genuine fondness for the country and its people, Lifting the Veil has become my favourite reference.' Fayza Hassan, Al Ahram Weekly

'Just the book to take along with your Agatha Christies and Olivia Mannings (and the Alexandria Quartet for good measure) as you board that Luxor-bound steamer at Cairo.' Charles Allen, Sunday Times

'Steamers that make Nile cruises today usually have a library to entertain and instruct the passengers. Lifting the Veil will do just that and no doubt will eventually be found in every one of them.' P.H. Newby, TLS