Alexandria: The Last Night of Cleopatra
Language: English
Ancient BIO000000 BIO026000 Biography & Autobiography Egypt General HIS000000 HIS001000 HIS001020 HIS001030 HIS002000 HIS002030 History Personal Memoirs TRV000000 TRV002000 TRV002050 TRV015000 TRV015010
Publisher: Penguin
Published: Jul 29, 2014
Description:
When Peter Stothard found himself stranded in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in the winter of 2010, he set out to explore a nation on the brink of revolution. Guided by two native Egyptians, Stothard reawakens his life long obsession with the life and myth of Cleopatra while exploring the city and country she once ruled. Blending aspects of memoir, history, and travel narrative into an elegant and unique tapestry, Stothard uses the sights and sounds of the ancient city to reconnect with the experiences that shaped his life. Melancholy yet often humorous, Alexandria probingly deconstructs the enigma of modern Egypt—with its uneasy mix of classical touchstones and increasingly volatile Middle Eastern politics—and offers a first–hand glimpse into the fracturing state just before the Tahrir Square uprising and the start of the Arab Spring.