Review: The linguist and the emperor
Avis de journaliste - Kirkus ReviewsA sadly missed opportunity: a tepid account of code-breaking that might have made a fine, lean tale of scholarly detection. Jean-FranÇois Champollion was the kind of kid who, at the age of seven, knew that he would grow up to decipher the then-unreadable Egyptian hieroglyphs that European adventurers and soldiers were busily carting off to museums and markets back home. Tutored by a linguistically gifted priest who was then on the run from the French Revolution, Champollion mastered one language after another, arguing the merits of classical Persian and Greek thinkers before indifferent country schoolmasters. Napoleon was, well, Napoleon, certain from an early age that it was his destiny to conquer the world and perhaps—shades of Raiders of the Lost Ark—to rule with the aid of knowledge hidden away in the tombs of the pharaohs. "They will sit and talk about Egypt the way two men talk who have loved the same woman," writes Meyerson (Ellis Fellow/Columbia Univ.; Blood and Splendor, not reviewed), apparently possessed by the muse of Danielle Steel. "But not yet"—for Champollion has to get out of grade school, Napoleon into the saddle. In time, though, Napoleon's grenadiers hauled away the Rosetta Stone, a stele that glossed hieroglyphs with Greek phrases, and Champollion set about figuring out what they meant. The process Champollion used is one of the shining moments of linguistic deduction, one that has inspired subsequent generations of students of dead languages from Minoan to Tocharian to Mayan. Meyerson prefers sentiment to science, though ("These letters are not written in Coptic or Arabic or Latin or Greek, but in the language—where can he have learned it, poring over old, musty papyri night and day as he does?—the language of love"), and anyone seeking insight into Champollion's method, and the significance of his discoveries, will want to go elsewhere—and fast. Tone-deaf and uninteresting. The hieroglyphs, though, are nicely drawn.
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Ted Arrington - GoodreadsAs a historian, I cannot bear the historical present tense except in small doses. But the worst offense Dr. Meyerson makes is not checking his facts. About halfway through the book he notes that the ... Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Regina Lindsey - GoodreadsI selected this book because it appeared to be about the lives of two men, Napoleon and Cahmpollion, who were resposibe for the discovery of the Rosetta Stone and its eventual role in deciphering ... Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Eddy Allen - GoodreadsThe deciphering of the Rosetta stone was one of the great intellectual achievements of all time, unlocking the secrets of thousands of years of Egypt's ancient civilization. Yet in the past two ... Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Luisa Eisenstein - GoodreadsMeyerson is a brilliant re-teller of the history before, during, and after Napoleon and Champollion came to be. In my opinion, I believe that 'The Linguist and the Emperor' reaches out to a specific ... Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Reed - GoodreadsWritten in a very easy-to-read but sometimes over-embellished style, this book is nonetheless is a great overview of France's invasion and the subsequent race to decipher the hieroglyphs. Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Ryan Gorman - GoodreadsMy "Child prodigy series" pretty good book Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Denice - GoodreadsI got excited about this book after hearing about Napoleon's Savants in Egypt in a 'Stuff You Missed in History" podcast a long time ago. It was interesting at first, but just really poorly written ... Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - Jenna - GoodreadsBear with me while I walk down memory lane. It's been a while since I've read this book, but from what I remember (and that's ALWAYS a trustworthy source...), it was pretty brilliant. Actually, I'm ... Consulter l'avis complet
Review: The Linguist and the Emperor: Napoleon and Champollion's Quest to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
Avis d'utilisateur - GoodreadsI only finished this book because I was on a cruise. Hoping to learn more about Champollion and the Rosetta Stone, instead I got a complete list of ancient perversions. Not worth the time.
