As enthralling as any work of fiction, A Thousand Miles up the Nile is the quintessential Victorian travel book.

In 1873, Amelia B. Edwards, a Victorian gentlewoman, spent the winter visiting the then largely unspoiled splendors of ancient Egypt. An accurate and sympathetic observer, she brings nineteenth-century Egypt to life. A Thousand Miles up the Nile was an instant hit in 1876, and is received with equal enthusiasm by modern readers.

Fans of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody Emerson mystery series will see similarities between the two Amelias. More importantly, A Thousand Miles up the Nile provides a wealth of background information and detail that will increase your understanding and enjoyment of Peters' novels.

This Norton Creek Press edition of A Thousand Miles up the Nile is an exact reproduction of the lavishly illustrated 1890 edition by Routledge and Sons. For more Norton Creek classic reprints, visit http: //www.nortoncreekpress.com.

Amelia B. Edwards was an author and co-founder of the Egypt Exploration Fund.