Plenty of histories of Egypt have been written, as have cultural, theological, and archeological studies. For an exhaustive eye-witness account of 1850s Egypt and Arabia, dig into Sir Richard Francis Burton’s Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. In The Riddle of the Pyramids, the English physicist Kurt Mendelssohn proposes intriguing solutions to archeological puzzles. John Wilson’s Culture of Ancient Egypt provides an excellent overview for pharaonic-era enthusiasts.

E.M. Forster’s Alexandria: A History and a Guide is a comprehensive guide to the city (for greater amusement read Forster’s Pharos and Pharillon). E.W. Lane’s An Account of Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, first published in 1836, is a great companion for touring Islamic Cairo. A superb source of inspiration tor adventures in Islamic Cairo is Richard Parker and Robin Sabin’s A Practical Guide to Islamic Monuments in Cairo. Anwar as-Sadat’s autobiography In Search of Identity is also engrossing, as is his wife Jehan’s book, A. Woman of Egypt.