James Henry Breasted (1865-1935) had a career that epitomizes our
popular image of the archaeologist. Daring, handsome, and charismatic,
he traveled on expeditions to remote and politically unstable corners of
the Middle East, helped identify the tomb of King Tut, and was on the
cover of Time magazine. But Breasted was more than an Indiana
Jones--he was an accomplished scholar, academic entrepreneur, and
talented author who brought ancient history to life not just for
students but for such notables as Teddy Roosevelt and Sigmund Freud.
In American Egyptologist, Jeffrey Abt weaves together the disparate
strands of Breasted's life, from his small-town origins following the
Civil War to his evolution into the father of American Egyptology and
the founder of the Oriental Institute in the early years of the
University of Chicago. Abt explores the scholarly, philanthropic,
diplomatic, and religious contexts of his ideas and projects, providing
insight into the origins of America's most prominent center for Near
Eastern archaeology. An illuminating portrait of the nearly forgotten
man who demystified ancient Egypt for the general public, American
Egyptologist restores James Henry Breasted to the world and puts
forward a brilliant case for his place as one of the most important
scholars of modern times.