"They made a hole in one of the blocks, looked into the tomb, and discovered parts of a boat: rudder, oars, heavy planks, posts, columns, beams, doors." The year was 1952, the place was Giza near Cairo, and what had been found was the gigantic building kit of an ancient Egyptian ship, lying intact for over 4,600 years in a grave on the south side of the Cheops pyramid. Built of cedar of Lebanon, Pharaoh Cheops' great Royal Ship now stands almost ready restored close to the pyramid while waiting for a museum of her own.

Björn Landström has long been fascinated by Cheops' ship, and by the hundreds of models, paintings, and reliefs of vessels found in Egyptian tombs. He has seen it as something of a challenge to attempt to answer the many technical questions raised by these finds and by this strange pictorial world; he has been reading, drawing, photographing, writing, discussing with egyptologists, studying in museums and libraries all over the world, and he has made five long visits to Egypt.

The outcome of his efforts is this unprecedented pioneer work on 4,000 years of shipbuilding in Egypt, on slender papyrus boats, lumbering river barges, warships, light fishing craft, ceremonial sun-boats, and magnificently decorated ships of state. Björn Landström describes them all in his matter-of-fact, detailed text which links the different epochs together thus allowing us to make out lines development, and in his precise, an at the same time marvellously beautiful reconstructions, constructional plans, and photographs.

25cm x 35cm, 159 pages, Hardcover,  1970 (Condition: Very Good)

Condition Definition:
As New / Fine = New or almost without defect
Very Good = Showing signs of wear
Good / Fair = A bit worn but complete, with defects noted
Poor = worn with visible defects