Bernard's impatience with his sister Laura's pyramids opens a family evening of maps, questions, and storytelling that carries the children into the wonders of Egypt. Through their mother's lively instruction, the Nile, the desert, and the monuments of the ancient world become the setting for the astonishing career of Giovanni Belzoni, the brave explorer who left engineering for archaeology and made his name in Egypt and Nubia. Belzoni and Mrs. Belzoni travel from Europe to Alexandria and up the Nile through plague warnings, crude lodgings, and difficult river journeys, until dawn from a pyramid reveals the grandeur of desert, city, and ruin. He moves on to Sacara, Dajior, Cairo, and the court of Mahomed Ali, where his hydraulic machine wins success despite setbacks, and where scenes of electrical experiments, gardens, and village festivities bring modern Egypt vividly to life. The book also reflects on ancient Egyptian skill in carving, architecture, astronomy, and burial customs, then follows Belzoni among the tombs of Thebes, the dwellings of Gournou, and the sand-choked temple of Ybsambul, where every discovery is won through patience, courage, and endurance. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.