The Obelisk and the Englishman: The Pioneering Discoveries of Egyptologist William Bankes

This narrative has all of the makings of a fictional account—adventures in ancient Egypt, hobnobbing with the British upper crust, a little bit of archaeology, and even a complex hero. But Seyler (emerita, English, Northern Virginia Community Coll.) details the real life of the relatively unknown explorer William John Bankes (1786–1855). The author weaves a fascinating tale of Bankes's archaeological discoveries in Europe, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria; adventures with famous friends such as Lord Byron and the Duke of Wellington; days as a member of Parliament; and even his subject's various sex scandals. Bankes was clearly a product of his time and social background, but one wonders if there are more psychological aspects than Seyler lets on (she does not gossip). Readers are left wondering why Bankes didn't publish more of his scholarly work, why he disregarded England's draconian sex laws only to have dalliances with men in public places (with the second offence forcing him to flee England because the punishment was death by hanging), why he returned to England to visit his house, and why he engaged in unexplained shopping sprees toward the end of his life.