Napoleon's Pyramids
Page 41
The Great Pyramid’s precise geographic placement, its mysterious relationship to the size of our planet, its relationship to pi, and the fascinating correlations between the dimensions of its chambers and intriguing mathematical concepts are all true. The Fibonacci Sequence is a real phenomena, seen in nature in spiral patterns as Jomard describes, and the pyramid’s embodiment of the golden section, or golden number, is also true. Pascal’s triangle is a real mathematical concept and it yields many more number games than are mentioned in this novel. It does produce a value close to that of the Egyptian value for pi, though I won’t promise the pattern really leads to a secret door. I’ve taken the liberty of allowing my French savants to guess more about pyramid mathematics than was immediately apparent during Napoleon’s invasion. While Jomard really did publish intriguing theories, some of the concepts in this novel came from later scholars after more precise measurements could be made. A fascinating and controversial introduction to these concepts and an exhaustive analysis of pyramid mathematics can be found in the 1971 book Secrets of the Great Pyramid by Peter Tompkins and Livio Catullo Stecchini.
This novel closely follows the early history of Bonaparte’s military invasion of Egypt. Most of the characters are real people, including ten-year-old Giocante Casabianca, whose death at the Battle of the Nile inspired the famed nineteenth Century poem, ‘The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck.’ One historical liberty is that I place Desaix’s presence at the temple of Dendara three months earlier than the general actually arrived there. The army paused in late January 1799, and the weary artist Vivant Denon was so entranced by the temple’s glories that he wrote, ‘What I saw today has paid me back for all my misery.’ A few days later, when the French division first saw the ruins of Karnak and Luxor, the troops spontaneously came to a halt, applauded, and presented arms.
Many historical details used in this novel, including the presence of Conte’s balloons, are true. There is scholarly disagreement about whether Napoleon actually entered the Great Pyramid, and what happened to him if he did, but the author has lain in the granite sarcophagus as Bonaparte may have, and found it a remarkable experience.
This story weaves together military and political history, Masonic lore, biblical scholarship, mystic speculation, and information about ancient Egypt. For a general history of the invasion I recommend J. Christopher Herold’s 1962 prizewinning book Bonaparte in Egypt. Fascinating eyewitness accounts of the expedition include those by the artist Vivant Denon, French captain Joseph Marie Mouret, and the Egyptian Al-Jabarti. Some of the quotes attributed to Napoleon in this novel are taken from real life, though not all were spoken during the Egyptian campaign. His own words reveal a man of fascinating complexity.
There are hundreds of scholarly and popular works on scientific Egyptology. Speculative and historical literature on the pyramids, ancient gods, and Egyptian magic is also vast. A good recent introduction to alternative theories about ancient Egypt is the 2005 book Pyramid Quest by Robert Schoch and Robert McNally. A book that mentions the birth of the Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry and gives a sense of mystical yearnings in the Age of Reason is Iain McCalman’s 2003 biography, The Last Alchemist, about Cagliostro. A sprawling, sometimes incoherent, but truly monumental work of mysticism is Manly P. Hall’s 1928 classic, The Secret Teachings of All Ages. It summarises what enthusiasts label Hermetic lore, after the god Hermes, the Greek adaptation of the Egyptian god Thoth.
I’m indebted to dozens of nonfiction authors for the facts behind this novel, as well as the guide Ruth Shilling of All One World Egypt Tours; Egyptian guides Ashraf Mohie el-Din and Galal Hassan Marghany; and Egyptologist-in-the-making Richard Mandeville of the United Kingdom. What is true in this novel is to their credit, while the fictions are all mine. As always, praise must go to the support and insights of my editors at HarperCollins (USA): Michael Shohl, Jill Schwartzman, and Jonathan Burnham; senior production editor David Koral; copy editor Martha Cameron; and my agent, Andrew Stuart. Special appreciation to my wife and helpmate, Holly, who crawled through the pyramids with me. Finally, thanks go to the hospitality of the people of Egypt, who are so proud of their heritage.
Read more Ethan Gage adventures in …
THE ROSETTA KEY
‘Historical fiction meets thriller … The action is nearly nonstop, the humour is plentiful, and the intrigue is more than enough to keep the pages turning’
Library Journal
‘Marvellous and filled with colour … The Rosetta Key is action packed, reads easily, and is ideal for the big screen’
Historical Novels Review
Surviving murderous thieves, a nerve-racking sea voyage, and the deadly sands of Egypt with Napoleon’s army, American adventurer Ethan Gage solved a five-thousand-year-old riddle with the help of a mysterious medallion. But the danger is only beginning...
Gage finds himself hurled into the Holy Land in dogged pursuit of an ancient Egyptian scroll imbued with magic, even as Bonaparte launches his 1799 invasion of Israel, which will climax at the epic siege of Acre. Pursuing Napoleon to France, where the General hopes ancient secrets will catapult him to power, the wily and inventive Gage faces old enemies with unlikely new friends, and must use wit, humour, derring-do, and an archaeological key to prevent dark powers from seizing control of the world.
THE DAKOTA CIPHER
‘A supple, elegant thriller that carries the reader triumphantly from one exciting climax to the next’ Steve Berry, author of The Paris Vendetta
‘Fast, fun and full of surprises … a tale rich in intrigue and impressive historic detail with abundant wit and humour’ Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
Ethan Gage wants to enjoy the fruits of victory after helping Napoleon win the Battle of Marengo. But an ill-advised tryst with Bonaparte’s married sister has made that impossible. And the fantastic schemes of the wild Norwegian Magnus Bloodhammer soon have Ethan dodging hostile Indians on America’s frontier …
With President Thomas Jefferson’s blessings, Ethan and Magnus embark upon an expedition into the Western wilderness, keeping their eyes open for woolly mammoths. But another prize secretly impels them: the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, allegedly carried to North America more than a century before Columbus. Across a landscape no white man has ever traversed, Gage’s skills will be tested as never before – as he braves unimaginable peril en route to his most incredible discovery yet.
About the Author
WILLIAM DIETRICH is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, historian and naturalist. His non-fiction has been widely used in university classes, and his fiction published in twenty-eight languages. He lives in Washington, and when not writing, reporting, or teaching environmental journalism, he reads, hikes, sails, remodels, and waves around the Roman cavalry sword his wife gave him to inspire his novels.
www.williamdietrich.com
Copyright
Allison & Busby Limited
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Copyright © 2007 by WILLIAM DIETRICH
Maps by Nick Springer
First published in paperback by Allison & Busby Ltd in 2011.
This ebook edition first published in 2011.
Published by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers,
New York, New York U.S.A.
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ISBN 978–0–7490–1090–4