Walter Tyndale wasn't your typical tourist. An English painter and writer, he spent years living in and traveling around Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His book, 'L'Égypte d'hier et d'aujourd'hui' (Egypt of Yesterday and Today), is his personal record of that experience. He wrote it in French, aiming it at a European audience hungry for stories of the 'Orient.'

The Story

There isn't a single plot in the traditional sense. Instead, think of it as a series of vivid paintings made with words. Tyndale takes you on a journey down the Nile, from the bustling, modernizing streets of Alexandria and Cairo out to the ancient sites of Luxor and Aswan. He describes the grandeur of the temples and tombs with an artist's eye for detail and light. But he doesn't stop there. He turns that same observant gaze onto the people: the fishermen on their feluccas, merchants in the souks, farmers working the same land as their pharaonic ancestors. The 'story' is the contrast he finds everywhere—the silent Sphinx watching over new construction, the ancient irrigation methods alongside new engineering projects.

Why You Should Read It

What makes this book special is its perspective. Tyndale writes with genuine affection and curiosity. He's not just a cold observer; he tries to understand the culture. He gets frustrated by the hassles of travel and amused by the quirks of bureaucracy, which makes him feel relatable. His background as a painter means his descriptions are incredibly visual. You can almost feel the heat of the sun and smell the spices in the market. Reading it today, the book becomes a fascinating historical document itself. It captures Egypt at a very specific, fleeting moment—no longer isolated, not yet fully transformed. You see the roots of the tourist industry and the early rumblings of modernization through the eyes of someone who was both charmed and slightly worried by the changes.

Final Verdict

This book is a treasure for a specific kind of reader. It's perfect for armchair travelers and history lovers who want more than just dates and facts. If you enjoyed books like 'A Thousand Miles Up the Nile' by Amelia Edwards, you'll find a kindred spirit in Tyndale. It's also great for anyone interested in colonial-era travel writing, understanding how the West viewed Egypt. A small warning: some of his views are products of his time, so read with that in mind. But if you can look past that, you'll be rewarded with a beautifully written, deeply personal portrait of a country forever balancing its glorious past with an uncertain future.