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A review by jlynnelseauthor
Cleopatra's Needles: The Lost Obelisks of Egypt by Bob Brier
4.0
The first chapter gives us a brief explanation of our understanding of quarrying and erecting obelisks, which is very little. The information provided, though, is quite interesting.
I love Brier’s reflection that while the mechanisms to transport these monuments have become more complicated the closer we get to modern times, in ancient times, these feats were so commonplace that they were not even recorded on tomb walls or documents. Apparently, erecting, taking down, and moving an obelisk was “just another day at the office” for the ancient people of Egypt and Rome. Kind of hilarious when you think about the difficulties modern people have had moving these items (hint, hint - they shouldn’t be moved!).
It should be noted that this book isn’t about admonishing the people who have moved the monuments; it’s about how they were moved and how little we know about ancient engineering. Similar to the Nefertiti bust, these monuments will not be returned. However, you will definitely hold a greater respect for the ancient people and their wisdom in building and erecting marvels that have stood for thousands of years.
The ending came rather abruptly. I was left thinking, “wait… that was the last paragraph?” There were also a few grammatical errors in the book. Maybe the editor had a few days off before the book went into print? So a few formatting issues. However, overall, I enjoyed the read and found it very intriguing with its information clearly laid out and easy to follow. Brier’s explanations coupled with historical photos helped to explain the complicated engineering feats for us non-engineer-minded people.
Of course, the book also confirmed my belief that Rome was the evil empire of the ancient world. Brier writes: "...today Rome has more standing obelisks than any city in the world--more than Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor combined." That fact makes me very sad.
I love Brier’s reflection that while the mechanisms to transport these monuments have become more complicated the closer we get to modern times, in ancient times, these feats were so commonplace that they were not even recorded on tomb walls or documents. Apparently, erecting, taking down, and moving an obelisk was “just another day at the office” for the ancient people of Egypt and Rome. Kind of hilarious when you think about the difficulties modern people have had moving these items (hint, hint - they shouldn’t be moved!).
It should be noted that this book isn’t about admonishing the people who have moved the monuments; it’s about how they were moved and how little we know about ancient engineering. Similar to the Nefertiti bust, these monuments will not be returned. However, you will definitely hold a greater respect for the ancient people and their wisdom in building and erecting marvels that have stood for thousands of years.
The ending came rather abruptly. I was left thinking, “wait… that was the last paragraph?” There were also a few grammatical errors in the book. Maybe the editor had a few days off before the book went into print? So a few formatting issues. However, overall, I enjoyed the read and found it very intriguing with its information clearly laid out and easy to follow. Brier’s explanations coupled with historical photos helped to explain the complicated engineering feats for us non-engineer-minded people.
Of course, the book also confirmed my belief that Rome was the evil empire of the ancient world. Brier writes: "...today Rome has more standing obelisks than any city in the world--more than Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor combined." That fact makes me very sad.