Napoleon‎'‎s military expedition to Egypt in 1798 famously included various scientists and savants‎,‎ among whom was the author of this three‎-volume work‎,‎ published in French in 1802 and in English in 1803‎.‎ Vivant Denon ‎(‎1747‎-1825‎)‎ was a dilettante and diplomat under the Ancien Regime‎,‎ but survived the Revolution thanks to the patronage of the painter David‎,‎ and met Napoleon through the salon of Josephine de Beauharnais‎.‎ He accompanied the army‎,‎ excavating and sketching‎,‎ sometimes even during battles‎.‎ The publication of this lively‎,‎ illustrated account is regarded as the chief stimulus for the so‎-called ‎'‎Egyptian Revival‎'‎ style of architecture‎,‎ interior design and even costume‎.‎ Volume 1 describes the voyage to Egypt via Malta‎,‎ the storming of Alexandria‎,‎ exploration of the Delta‎,‎ and travel down the Nile to Cairo and the Pyramids‎.‎ The combination of archaeological observations‎,‎ notes on the modern Egyptians‎,‎ and descriptions of warfare makes for a fascinating read‎.‎