Egypt is as old as history itself. It is home to some of the world's greatest treasures, a pantheon of dazzling gods and kings, and the roots of the civilised world. Today it is the political and cultural heart of the Arab world and a country of startling contrasts and contradictions. River in the Desertis Paul William Roberts' account of his travels through Egypt, delving into the hidden depths of this great country - at once familiar and yet unknown. Setting out to explore every facet of ancient and modern Egypt, Roberts encounters magicians, politicians, monks and archaeologists. In Cairo he spends a terrifying night alone in the central chamber of the Great Pyramid and is smuggled into the clandestine gathering of a Sufi tariqa. In Nubia he is carried by boat to the great temple of Isis at Philae and reads Death on the Nilewhilst sleeping in Agatha Christie's bedroom. He embarks on an eventful voyage up the Nile from Aswan to Luxor,