The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution

(Paperback)

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An intimate account of the Arab Spring, and Egypt's past and present, seen through the eyes of a wide range of Egyptians- political operators, archaeologists and garbage collectors; women, the queer community and migrants. Fascinated by Egypt's rich history, Peter Hessler moved with his family to Cairo just after the Arab Spring had begun. In the midst of the revolution, he attached himself to an important archaeological dig at a site known as The Buried. In Cairo, he got to know a young gay Egyptian who struggled with pressures from the police and society. Hessler and his wife also struck up a friendship with their Arabic-language instructor, Rifaat, a cynical political sophisticate who helped explain the country's turmoil. And a different kind of friendship was formed with their illiterate garbage collector, Sayyid, whose access to the refuse of Cairo is another kind of archaeological excavation. Through the lives of ordinary Egyptians, Hessler creates a richly textured portrait of a revolution and the people swept up in it, drawing connections between contemporary politics and the ancient past. The Buried is a work of uncompromising intelligence and glorious humanity- an extraordinary achievement that unearths a new world for the reader.

Reviews

This is writing at its best and highly recommended for anyone interested in Egypt, modern or ancient. * Library Journal (starred review) *
Humorous and deeply empatheticHessler is a deeply humane teller of true tales, a keen observer, a graceful stylist. * Atlantic *
Hesslers genius has always been in his wry commentary and ability to transcribe the rhythms of his environment onto the page. * Wall Street Journal *
The author looks around and reflects: 'How could anybody hope to make sense of this world' We can only be grateful that we have Peter Hessler to try. * Guardian *
[An] absorbing account of the fallout from the Egyptian revolutions of 2011. It is an eclectic, beautifully written narrative that weaves a portrait of contemporary life in Egypt together with the complex strands of its pharaonic past, finding parallels between seemingly disparate ancient and modern worldsThe Buried is an ambitious book, and it delivers on all fronts. Its equal parts travelogue, history and memoir from a writer with a gift for conveying the humanity of his subjects. * Washington Post *
The Buriedis wonderfully impressive, not a conventional travel book at all, but the chronicle of a familys residence inEgypt, in a time of revolutionyears of turmoil in this maddening place. And yet Peter Hessler remains unflustered ashe learns the language, makes friends, puts up with annoyances (rats, water shortages, mendacity) and delves into thepolitics of the present and the ancient complexities. It is in all senses archeologytenacious, revelatory, and humane. * Paul Theroux *
Peter Hessler is one of the finest storytellers of his generation. The beauty of his writing is subtle and cumulativeitgets under your skin. After his years in China, Hessler moved with his family to Cairo during the electric, chaotic days ofprotests in Tahrir Square. Through him, you come to know many Egyptians as he came to know themcasually,intimately, forming deepening ties. And through them you experience Egypts turbulent recent history as it washappening, as it felt to live through it. * Larissa MacFarquhar, author of Strangers Drowning *
The Buriedis the kind of book that you dont want to end and wont forget. With the eye of a great storyteller PeterHessler weaves together history, reporting, memoir, and above all the lives of ordinary people in a beautiful andhaunting portrait of Egypt and its revolution. * Ben Rhodes, author of The World as It Is *
InThe Buried, Peter Hessler brings to life the secret history of the Arab Spring, masterfully weaving together amemoir of his time in Cairo with the hidden, intimate lives of ordinary Egyptians. With lyrical prose, Hessler introducesus to a side of the Middle East we never see in news accounts: an enterprising garbage collector, a gay man skirtingpolice repression, an Arabic-language instructor nostalgic for the countrys socialist past. These stories unfold on thebackdrop of Egypts 5,000-year-old history, as we learn about the parallels Egyptians draw to their pharaonic past.Witty and deeply humane,The Buriedis unlike any other book Ive read about the Egyptian revolution, and standsas a remarkable testament to the countrys extraordinary history and to the struggle for human freedom. * Anand Gopal, author of No Good Men Among the Living *
Nuanced and deeply intelligenta view of Egyptian politics...that opens onto an endlessly complex place and people. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *
Closely observed, touching and at times amusingDrawing both from daily life and from interviews with highly placed political figures, the book is an extraordinary work of reportageSensitive and perceptive, Mr Hessler is a superb literary archaeologist, one who handles what he sees with a bit of wonder. -- John Freeman * Wall Street Journal *
An edifying portrait of a nation that experienced a dramatic uprisingSeamlessly blends memoir, history and energetic reporting. * Star Tribune *
What Hessler offers [in The Buried] is something that no Egyptian could ever really write, and in that way, he adds alternate dimensions to a story, or the stories, of this place we call home, with all the good intentions of simply his own singular viewpoint and experience. * New York Times *
Extraordinary, beautifully writtenInsightful and humorousA must-read. * Qantas Magazine *
Hessler is a skilled practitioner of what might be called slow journalismWhat separates him from most other foreign correspondents is a strange alchemy in his writing and storytelling that gives him an ability to spin golden prose from everyday lived experience[The Buried] gathers pace and stature as it progresses, slowly revealing its intricate architecture. It is filled with insightThe result is a small triumph, one of the best books yet written about the Arab spring. -- William Dalrymple * Guardian *

Author Bio

Peter Hessler is a staff writer at the New Yorker (where he served as Cairo correspondent from 2011 to 2016) and also a contributing writer for National Geographic. He is the author of River Town, Oracle Bones, Country Driving and Strange Stones.