A 1940s #1 Bestseller and a Historic Novel All-Time Favorite A historic novel all-time favorite, after its translation in English from Swedish, The Egyptian topped the bestseller charts in 1949 and the years following. The protagonist of the novel is the fictional character Sinuhe, the royal physician, who tells the story in exile after Akhenaten's fall and death. Apart from incidents in Egypt, the novel charts Sinuhe's travels in then Egyptian-dominated Syria, in Mitanni, Babylon, Minoan Crete, Mitanni, and among the Hittites.The main character of the novel is named after a character in an ancient Egyptian text commonly known as The Story of Sinuhe. The original story dates to a time long before that of Akhenaten: texts are known from as early as the 12th Dynasty.Much concerned about the historical accuracy of his detailed description of ancient Egyptian life forced the author to carry out considerable research into the subject. The result has been praised not only by readers but also by Egyptologists.Waltari had long been interested in Akhenaten and wrote a play about him which was staged in Helsinki in 1938. World War II provided the final impulse for exploring the subject in a novel which, although depicting events that took place over 3,300 years ago

    in Egypt, Greece, Crete and Palestine.

    Long before it was fashionable to be a solo traveler, much less a woman alone, she roamed the world. EAST IS WEST is the story of her war-time experiences in Egypt, Palestine and Syria. Stark tells her story with the freedom and independence of an intrepid traveler and with the authority of an official of the British Diplomatic Corps. "That she so triumphantly holds our attention and makes us long for more is due to her sensibilty, her courage, her honesty, and above all, to her gift that must leave all other travel writers desperate with envy." (The Listener)