THREE EMPIRES ON THE NILE The Victorian Jihad, 1869-1899

Dominic Green has the knack of mixing a true story with a dry sense of humor to make learning enjoyable. His history focuses on Egypt and its split from the Ottoman Empire following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869. Narrator Stephen Hoye adopts a false stodginess to capitalize on the humorous alliterations: for example, “Christ, cricket, and cheese sandwiches” or “Sudan, slavery, and salvation.” His slow pace magnifies the enjoyment of the author’s delicious descriptions of characters as arrogant and colorful as those in a Dickens novel. Stephen Hoye uses an upper-class British accent and segues to French and Arabic accents expertly. We give two thumbs up: one for the tale and one for the teller. J.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]