Der Code der Pharaonen.

A child prodigy & brilliant linguist born in 1790, French scholar Jean Francois Champollion began his quest to crack the hieroglyphic code while still a schoolboy, beginning with the Rosetta Stone. For nearly two decades, he slowly pieced together the puzzle, always feeling the intense jealousy of his rivals in Britain, France, Germany, Italy & Sweden, who were also striving to stake their claim to the national pride & scientific immortality that would be bestowed on the victor. The Keys of Egypt presents his dogged pursuit as a riveting intellectual detective story, bringing vividly to life one of the milestones of scientific achievement. Richly narrated & flavored with fascinating historical detail, it reads like a novel, culminating in Champollion's 1822 triumph, when he finally solved the riddle of the hieroglyphs & revealed the glory of ancient Egypt to the world.