Tag: Book

A Secret Voyage? Zahi Hawass at the British Museum, London in December

Dr. Zahi Hawass in KV63 photograph by Sandro Vannini Have you always wished to meet Dr. Hawass in person? Now is your chance!The world-famous archaeologist comes to London in December and Heritage World Press invites you to a special lecture by the Egyptologist – and maybe even dinner. Zahi Hawass will also introduce his two new books: Inside the Egyptian Museum and A Secret Voyage.

Reception &Lecture at the British Museum

Tuesday, 8th of December Dr. Zahi Hawass – probably the world’s most famous Egyptologist – will speak at a special lecture in the British Museum’s lecture theatre, after a reception in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery. The lecture – where 600 of you will get the chance to hear Dr Hawass tell about his work – is organized by Heritage World Press and the British Egyptian Society to celebrate the launch of the SCA’s Secretary General’s new book.

Dr Hawass’ ‘A Secret Voyage’ chronicles his adventures as Egyptologist:the stories of his discoveries and explorations, illustrated with outstanding images by Sandro Vannini. Each of the 700 limited edition art quality books – selling for 2600each – will be signed by Sandro Vannini and Dr. Hawass, and the first copy will be gifted to – the director of the British Muesum – Neil Macgregor (unlikely in exchange for the Rosetta Stone).

Heritage World Press quotes Zahi Hawass as saying: “I have two great passions in my life:Egyptology and storytelling.”Having watched all of his videos, I can’t help but agree to that. The passion with which he brings to life the story of Zakaria Goneim (watch the video) or talks about the treasures found in the basement of the Cairo Museum (watch the video) is truly magical.

Dinner with Dr. Hawass at the Reform Club, London

If after the special lecture and reception in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery you want more, then why don’t you join Dr. Zahi Hawass, Sandro Vannini, Baroness Liz Symons of Vernham, Philip Bassett and Mr Stephen Byrne for dinner at the Reform Club, 101 Pall Mall, London on Friday 11th of December?

New Books: Inside the Egyptian Museum with Zahi Hawass &ASecret Voyage

‘Inside the Egyptian Museum with Zahi Hawass’ (published by Heritage World Press) is the most recent official guide to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo authorised by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) in which Dr. Hawass takes you on a journey to experience the wonders of Egyptian history. Shortly put, you get to explore the Egyptian Museum in Cairo with the world-famous Egyptologist as your guide.

In this video, Nico follows professional photographer Sandro Sannini documenting the tombs in the Theban Necropolis. The end results of this adventure you can enjoy in the upcoming ‘A Secret Voyage’ and Dr. Hawass’ latest book: ‘The Lost Tombs of Thebes: ALife in Paradise. (Buy the book now!)

Weekly we showcasae some of Sandro Vannini’s most amazing high-resolution photographs from the Tombs as well the treasures of King Tut and Ancient Egypt in General. For more videos starring Zahi Hawass, go to the Heritage Key Video page.

The world’s most famous archaeologist shares his knowledge of the museum’s unrivalled collection – which extends even to the basement, as you can see in this video – and goes into detail about the beautiful statues, the magic of the mummies, the shining gold and – of course – the treasures of King Tut. Scheduled for release in December, you can pre-order ‘Inside the Egyptian Museum’ now.

‘A Secret Voyage: Love, Magic and Mysteries in the Realm of the Pharaohs’ is Dr. Zahi Hawass unique and personal story of discovery and exploration in Ancient Egypt, beautifully illustrated with specially selected photographs from the Theban Necropolis by acclaimed Egypt photographer Sandro Vannini.

The publications promises a true journey through the history of Egypt, from Love in Ancient Egypt to fragments of paintings in tombs long-closed to the public.

To impatient? Still your hunger until December with ‘The Lost Tombs of Thebes: Life in Paradise’, the most recent released book written Dr. Zahi Hawass and Sandro Vannini. As usual it comes with splendid photographs by Sandro Vannini (learn how he does it and watch the video with Dr. Hawass) that capture the past in great detail, making that the book itself can be considered a treasure of ancient Egypt.

Lord Norwich and History’s Greatest Cities

We’ve already heard Lord Norwich‘s warnings about the perilous future of his beloved Venice (watch this video). But throughout human history, what have been the planet’s greatest cities – and how did they come to be? Lord Norwich’s latest book, The Great Cities in History (see more info here) attempts to explain that over 300 pages of exquisite photography and expert opinion on 70 of man’s greatest settlements. Famed writers such as Simon Schama and Bettany Hughes lend their views on cities from Nineveh to New York, with forewords on the ancient world and beyond by Lord Norwich himself.

Primordial Beginnings

But what was the most vital asset to the cities which emerged from the cradle of civilization and spread into antiquity – cities like Uruk, Mohenjo-daro and Memphis? For Lord Norwich the answer is obvious: “In any city rivers were much more important than the sea, because seaports meant the sea, and the sea was a very treacherous thing.” Great Cities stretches over five chapters: The Ancient World; the First Millennium AD; the Medieval World; the Early Modern World and today, the ‘Age of the Modern City’. Just about enough history for one book.

“Spain and Portugal like to think they explored to spread the gospel. But I think gold was more important for most of them.”

But how did we get from the dusty cities of Sumer to the epic metropolises of our time? Again, Lord Norwich points to man’s manipulation of water: “It was really only after about 1000 AD that shipbuilding got very much better,” he says in his trademark booming brogue. “Venice was top of them all.” As we explored in the previous video, Lord Norwich is one of Britain’s best experts on the city Italians call La Serenissima, having penned A History of Venice: The Rise to Empire and Venice: A Traveller’s Companion. He has even been on the board of the Venice in Peril Fund.

It’s no surprise then that Lord Norwich sees Venice as a crucial gear in the step towards megalopolis, with shipbuilding its key asset. During the height of its power, he says, the city could churn out a ship a day. “There were 15,000 men working, every man doing his one job exactly as he had to do,” he claims. “It was the first mass-production in the world.” Venice would command the seas from the 13th to 15th centuries, a gateway between east and west.

A Smaller World

Yet the next big breakthrough would come with exploration, again via the seas, when Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama discovered America and a route to India respectively at the end of the 15th century. What thus followed, many commentators have claimed, was an explosion of globalised fortunes and culture spurred on by religion, with the Iberian nations at its forefront. Lord Norwich disagrees: “The principle reason for exploring was to increase trade. Of course, Spain and Portugal like to think it was to spread the gospel. But I think gold was more important than the gospel for most of them even then.”

Great Cities comes rushing to its denouement at the age of the modern city. Roughly half the world’s population now lives in cities, and Lord Norwich pays particular attention to the great cities of America, which have risen in the past century to become some of the world’s most important locations. New York and Los Angeles may have been known by foreigners during their birth, he says, but others like Chicago, which grew up on the great 19th century railroads, would not have. Chicago is the ‘Engine of America’, as James Cuno notes in Great Cities: its population boomed from 30,000 to over 300,000 between 1850 and 1870.

What for the Future?

The book ends with an epithet to Shanghai, which John Gittings claims in its post-Mao heyday, has regained its place as China’s ‘brash, do-it-all, ultra-modern super-city.’ It’s clear Great Cities paints a pragmatic view of its pantheon of places. And Lord Norwich’s opinion on the fleeting, organic lives of cities is as clear and lyrical as ever: “One of the most extraordinary phenomena in all history is the way suddenly, from one moment to the next, one city is touched by the angel’s wing and then, just as suddenly, it’s gone.” Suddenly the giant cities we call home seem a little less indestructable.

HD Video: John Julius Norwich on the Great Cities in History

(Transcription of this video.)

Have Your Say

Do you agree with Lord Norwich’s views on the driving forces behind the world’s greatest cities? Have you got an opinion on his latest book, or do you feel your own home town deserves a mention? Don’t hesitate to get in touch either , our contact page or by emailing me direct. Exploring the planet’s ancient past has never been easier with Heritage Key: Unlocking the Wonders.

More Lord Norwich to come

Lord Norwich is one of Britain’s great storytellers, and these interviews and articles on Heritage Key are just a sample of the new book “The Great Cities of the World“. Read fantastic accounts from a several well-travelled writers on some of the most intruiging and stunning cities since the dawn of civilisation. Also watch out for another video coming soon to Heritage Key, on some of history’s lesser-known tales – including the fall of empires and female Popes!

Beneath the Pyramids: Exploring Egypt’s Underground for the First Time

BRITISH WRITER DISCOVERS THE PHARAOHS LOST UNDERGROUND
Wednesday, 16 September 2009

A British writer has staked claim to finally finding the lost underground of the Pharaohs which has been rumoured to exist since the construction of the Great Pyramid nearly 5,000 years ago, creating a stir that is set to rock the Egyptological world.

Armed only with the forgotten memoirs of a nineteenth century British engineer, history and science writer Andre Coolings, tracked down the entrance to this forgotten tunnel system and was the first to explore it in modern times.

Is it possible that Coolings has beaten the Egyptologists at their own game by finding the entrance to Gizas lost underground?

Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypts Supreme Council of Antiquities has been quick to dismiss the discovery: There are no new discoveries to be made at Giza, he stated. We know everything about the platform – amateurs cannot find anything new. Yet Coolings is confident that his discovery is genuine: We have consulted the TFL in London, the MTA New York, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and have found no mention of the tube in modern times.”

Coolings says that since the tunnels are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years old, they may have influenced the development not only of the famous pyramid field but also ancient Egyptian beliefs in an underground where the soul achieves resurrection before ascending to the stars. Ancient funerary texts clearly allude to the existence of a subterranean world in the vicinity of the Giza pyramids, calling it variously the Underground of the Soul and the Subway. He said. Hopefully, the existence of the caves will help us understand the earliest human activity on the platform.

The full story of the discovery of Egypts lost underground is revealed in Coolingss new book Beneath the Pyramids.

From the same ‘Egypt’s Greatest Secret Uncovered’ series:”How to Construct Your Very Own Pyramidiot Theory” and “RoboScarab: The Next Generation of Robot Pyramid Explorers“.