Egypt (La Mort De Philae)

The dwelling-places of the Apis, in the grim darkness beneath the Memphite desert, are, as all the world knows, monster coffins of black granite ranged in catacombs, hot and stifling as eternal stoves.-from "Chapter VI: In the Tombs of the Apis" Called one of the finest descriptive writers of his day, and certainly one of the most original, French writer and sailor Pierre Loti traveled the world in the late 19th century and painted what he saw in prose acclaimed as extraordinarily rhythmic and lyrical. This 1909 novel is a dreamlike reverie of a journey through Egypt just before it became overrun by Western tourists. For readers today, it serves as a window into a world forever lost. Also available from Cosimo Classics: Loti's Between Two Opinions. French writer LOUIS MARIE JULIEN VIAUD (1850-1923), aka Pierre Loti, served in the French navy, his experiences in which were the basis of much of his writing. He is also the author of An Iceland Fisherman, Madame Chrysantheme, and The Story of a Child.

Pierre Loti, perhaps the world´s most prolific, romantic and exotic travel writer and novelist, was born as Julien Marie Viaud in Rochefort in Western France in 1850. A childhood fascination with exotic lands across the seas led him to embark on a naval career that enabled him to seek love and adventure in many latitudes. He drew on these real life experiences when writing the romantic novels and travel books that made him one of the most popular authors of his day. Although his prolific output brought him both fame and fortune he remained a romantic escapist and never gave up his beloved naval career. He retired from the French navy in 1910 and died in 1923.