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Chargement... Empires of the Plain: Henry Rawlinson and the Lost Languages of Babylon (2003)par Lesley Adkins
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Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. A difficult book to read. The opening chapter with Rawlinson precariously balanced on a ladder spanning a narrow path hundreds of feet up the cliff face was magnificent atmosphere. The following chapters were a tedious report of all the minutiae of young Henry's life and his unpleasant sea voyage to India. I abandoned the story at that point and cannot in all fairness provide a rating. Such an intrepid historian and explorer deserves a better biography. The story of Henry Rawlinson who pioneered the translation of cuneiform, a man of many talents, all crucial: physical endurance, agility, great intelligence and ability to focus. Posted to India at first and finding himself with time on his hands he learned Persian and then was sent to what is now Iraq as a result. There he became fascinated by cuneiform even to clambering around on cliffsides to copy the figures. Twenty years with no return to England he was outstanding as an administrator, admired by all he encountered, and achieved amazing progress in his goals. While there were others on the same path none of them had his combined talents and he must get special credit for putting his outstanding qualities to good use. Overall as a story, Adkins had no choice but to put in much detail about the pickier aspects of translating, but she does an admirable job at not going in too deep and staying focused on the main elements of Rawlinson's character and story. I spent a good deal of time reading about some of the places mentioned, looking for images and so on, always a good sign with me that I am engaged. Be aware though that this is not an 'exciting' read unless you are obsessed with cuneiform! ***1/2 aucune critique | ajouter une critique
This is the true adventure story of Henry Rawlinson, a fearless soldier, sportsman and explorer. From 1827 he spent 25 years in India, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. A brilliant linguist, fascinated by history, he became obsessed with cuneiform, the world's earliest writing. An immense inscription on a sheer rock face at Bisitun in Iran was the key to understanding the many cuneiform scripts and languages, and only Rawlinson had the skills to achieve the perilous ascent and copy the monument. the lost languages of Persia and Babylonia, overcoming his bitter rival, Edward Hincks. While Rawlinson was based at Baghdad, incredible palaces with whole libraries of cuneiform clay tablets were unearthed in the ancient mounds of Mesopotamia, from Nineveh to Babylon- the great flood plain of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers that had been fought over by so many powerful empires. His decipherment of the inscriptions resurrected these lost civilisations, revealing fascinating details of everyday life and forgotten historical events. By proving to the astonished Victorian public that people and places in the Old Testament really existed, Rawlinson assured his own place in history. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)492.1092Language Other Languages Semitic languages Aramaic Aramaic philologyClassification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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