Nilen: Historiens elv

by Terje Tvedt, Gerd Eng Kielland (Illustrator)

I denne boken følger vi Nilen, verdens lengste elv, fra utløpet ved Middelhavet til kildene i hjertet av Afrika. Dette er den fascinerende historien om elvens store økonomiske, politiske og mytiske betydning. Breddfull av fortellinger om sentrale personer i kampen om elven - fra Cæsar og Kleopatra til Churchill og Mussolini og fram til dagens statsledere. "Nilen" er en bok med bred appell om et hyperaktuelt område.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Africa, Egypt, Travel

464 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Boudewijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Nile, forever new and old, among the living and the dead, Its mighty, mystic stream has rolled ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For thousands of years, the Nile has flowed from the depths of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea, giving life to thousands of people from times immoral. This book is about that River, but is it a biography? No, rather a book about the history of the nations of the Nile and how the flowing water played a part in their fates.

Every book that tries to write a biography and reconstruct the history of the Nile has to try to demonstrate the intricate way which the river influences its surroundings. In this aspect the book succeeds beautifully - from Egyptian society, the stateless societies in the swamps, the African kingdoms in the green mountains from which the river springs and the Ethiopian highlands where the Blue Nile finds it origin. It captures the eternal struggle where the lower regions try to capture the amount of water needed for survival, from the British to the current Egyptian governments. In that aspect nothing has changed, but the menace the ever growing water consumption and the building of new dams upwards are a new reality. The Nile is no longer an Egyptian river, but a river shared by multiple nations who each have to get to terms with each other.

I would have given this book 4 stars, were it not for the authors personal stories interspersed within this book, which were sometimes rather distracting than illuminating. But all in all, a very good book to understand the role the Nile has played and will play in the region.

Read in Dutch

[Nora Rawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be honest: I did not end up liking this book. the author seems to have been seduced b his time presenting tv programs into delivering random, high falutin sounding diversions that add up to nothing more than 'Why did the Rwandan genocide happen? (general short blather, pretend pith statement, admission of who knows).'

His credibility was low with me from early on when he mentions Mahfouz's classic ADRIFT ON THE NILE as a sign of traditional Egyptian lethargy when it's actually entirely about the ennui of the *modern* elements of Cairo society; when he barely discusses any pre-British or Ottoman era hydro projects. Even his effort to include every territory with any water that goes into the Nile doesn't seem to work--Burundi, I would say, is not actually a Nile country! And his constant emphasis that only his approach reveals the region and its history is obscenely arrogant and clearly *wrong*, when you see how little he pulls from native history and how much he only cares about saying, 'See?? British policy decisions were based only on Nile hydrology!' Fine, I don't care, this isn't revolutionary! It's a bugbear! And while I appreciate his anti-aid stance, it leads him into hand-waving away allegiations of torture by Eritrea's regime-- because afterall, the president of Eritrea was an interesting guy to speak with. Cool story!!!

Last but not least, for someone supposedly interested in water, he doesn't discuss AT ALL that the age of building major dam projects is now one we are right to have many questions over! He dismisses deep ecology entirely, and yes, there is a balance of what water and irrigation as well as power can do for an impoverished region, but if dams aren't sound ecologically, if they cause many problems we can't forsee, if many people in the field now question . He brushes so quickly over the loss of the Nubian villages for the Aswan dam, of the evaporation issues, of the very premise that producing more is sustainable. Instead, he opines about random, quasi philosophical (groan) topics, and has unneeded gotcha moments over how actually the Brits aligned with X or Y because they wanted water for their cotton crop (sure, but is that really the one thing that should dominate our discussion?). It's true he's traveled extensively through all the places the Nile touches--but in the end, in my opinion, he doesn't tell us about the river *or* the rich history of development along it in any real way.

[Olav Espolin Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interessant å få innblikk i Nilens historie - når det er relatert til Egypt. Men når herr Terje begynner å snakke om alle landene oppover Nil-strømmen, alle herskere og intriger i alle Herrens land, da kollapser jeg av forvirring. Elsker du Nilen over alt i verden, les hele boka. Ellers anbefaler jeg å stoppe etter ca 100 (spennende) sider.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐ -- Fascinating but a bit dry at times

I have been slogging through this one for a while now. That's not to say that I found it boring. There is a lot of fascinating and interesting stuff here. This book is a mix of both the history of the Nile and the author's travels. I found the history parts to be the most interesting, and the travel parts a bit dry. Which is rather perplexing because it is usually the opposite. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It still gets a recommendation from yours truly. Especially if (like myself) you love diving into the history of people and places!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book via NetGalley. I read the English version but that doesn't seem to be on Goodreads yet.

I should start by saying that this book is not quite the book I expected. Given it's the Nile, and given the blurb, I expected the book to be much more about the swathes of history involved in that region of the world. There is, of course, discussion about the role of the Nile in the grand sweep of ancient Egyptian history, and what might be called "medieval" history for want of a better term. There's mention of ancient Nubia, and some commentary on "medieval" Ethiopia, as well as the Rift Valley and the Olduvai Gorge. However, the reality is that the vast majority of this book is focused on European, and in particular British, colonialism - efforts to control the various parts of the Nile for their own purposes. So I was surprised by that, and occasionally disappointed that it was so modern in focus.

This is also not "just" a history book, and in general this is a good thing. It has aspects of a travel memoir; the author has travelled to every country he mentions, I think, and to most of the parts of the Nile and its tributaries discussed. So there are sections where Tvedt is quite personal in his writing, reflecting on his own experiences and how this matches - or doesn't - with historical or literary representations of the places. This aspect I enjoyed a lot.

As well, there are aspects of historical theorising that I found quite intriguing. The author challenges Edward Said's theories about 'orientalism' and whether it's appropriate for this challenge to apply to all aspects of European writing; and challenges most historians in their refusal to consider the very solid, material, and geographic nature of a river like the Nile. I don't know that much about the theories he's challenging so I can't say with full confidence whether he makes perfect sense; but certainly many of the ideas he raises seem fair.

But overall, the book is indeed about the Nile: as something that has shaped geography, as something that has shaped the civilisations that exist along its banks and those of its tributaries, as something that has contributed hugely to political tensions over the last 150 years or so. I had no idea there was a 1929 Agreement that basically said upstream countries could do nothing with the Nile unless Egypt agreed! And of course for most of those upstream countries, this was signed by the imperialist powers then in control... so since the 1960s there's been argument about whether those powers had the right to sign on behalf of these now-existing countries. Nor had I ever considered the notion of the Nile as a weapon (withhold water, or release too much if you've got a dam); or the idea that the Suez Canal crisis can also be linked to control of the Nile.

I learned a lot about the realities of European colonialism and imperialism in the Nile basin - primarily the British, but also German and Italian (I didn't learn anything new about Belgium, and Leopold). The machinations made me sick all over again: water for Egypt so Egypt can grow cotton to supply to England for the cotton mills...

In terms of structure, the book basically flows from the Nile Delta (seriously under pressure thanks to climate change) to the various sources of the Blue and White Niles (hello, Stanley and others). So it's not chronological; I quite liked this geographical perspective, though, and it certainly makes sense in the context. Each chapter is broken into what are basically vignettes. It means the author doesn't have to make one solid narrative for each geographical area, but instead takes various different issues and treats them in sometimes one, sometimes five, pages.

This is a thoroughly researched, detailed, meticulous and very clever story of the Nile.

[Karina Samyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een 5 plus. Heel boeiend, meeslepend wordt het verhaal van de Nijl verteld vanuit historisch, hedendaags en politiek perspectief maar ook "kleine verhalen" krijgen een plaats. Ik zou het boek zo terug willen herlezen.

[Douwe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een mooi boek over de geschiedenis van de Nijl waarin alle verschillende aspecten worden meegenomen inclusief de ervaringen van de schrijver. Soms heel boeiend en soms ontzettend langdradig.

[Tony Gualtieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part history and part travelogue, with an emphasis on British colonialism and the impact of hydrology on politics. As it’s written by a Norwegian, the perspective is different from what usually appears in English. I was surprised by the insouciance with which he brushes aside the thesis of Edward Said’s Orientalism.

[Christiane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely learned some new things and the book was well written. However, it lacks structure which is less than ideal for such an extensive history. The author's scope is too broad. I found myself skipping some chapters (some just a paragraph or two long) because it felt like anyone and anything that has ever touched the river Nile was included.

[Bjørn Smestad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg lette etter bøker om Afrikas historie på Tronsmo, og dette var vel stort sett det jeg fant: ei bok om Nilen fra en norsk forskers perspektiv.

Men det var en spennende bok, som ga god innsikt i hvordan Nilen arter seg på vei fra sine kilder ned til Middelhavet, og hvordan Nilens ulike former har påvirket og påvirker samfunnene rundt den.

At så mange avsnitt starter med forfatteren sittende i en båt, et helikopter, et tog, en bil eller en stol på et hotell var mildt enerverende og ga en viss følelse av at boka hadde en annen hovedperson enn Nilen, men det var til å leve med. For boka er full av innsikter.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terje Tvedt The Nile History’s Greatest River I.B.Taurus Bloomsbury Press 2021

This is an immense book, both in scope and aspiration. Coming to my interest in reading The Nile from a mixture of dim recall from school history; Agatha Christie’s evocative Death Comes as the End, and the less inspiring, Death on the Nile; and a cruise from Luxor to Aswan I have mixed responses. They are those of an academic with a political and historical focus, and the general interest of a person who wants to read an accessible book on an area about which I know little, apart from the mentioned fiction and travel treatments.

The introduction was beautifully redolent of the movement of the Nile, its vast influence and history. I thought that I was in for a wonderful treat of information woven through the eye of an inspired writer whose background in documentary would lay before me easily accessed images of the Nile, geographically, politically, and historically. Not to mention that this book also serves as a travelogue of Terje Tvedt’s travels from the mouth of the Nile Delta to Tanzania and The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

As a description of his travels, I was disappointed. I am left wondering why the tone I found early in the book seemed to disappear to leave a somewhat flat rendition of observations, meetings, thoughts, and stories. There appeared to be little interest in the small matters. What did it mean to the parents of the virgin thrown into the Nile as a sacrifice? To the person who had to give up his goat or other animal, to drowning to appease the river – surely an economic disaster for the owner? What were the domestic lives of the people whose well being seems to have been drenched in political and economic unrest that sits side by side with the natural changes in the river that brought economic security? In these sections I would have liked to have learnt more about the way in which ordinary people lived. There is detail provided for explorers such as John Hanning Speke and Richard Burton who took with them a multitude of goods from folding tables and brandy to gifts such as ‘clothing, brass wire and pearls’. Fair enough, but as there is so much time given to warfare, murders, and unrest in the remainder of the book ordinary the addition of material about people’s lives would have provided a far more rounded story of the Nile.

Where history, politics and geography meet a wealth of information is provided. And it is here that there is so much to be learnt. I was gratified to do so. Although I would have liked the political events as they relate to British involvement clarified as to the governments in power at the time, major figures are mentioned and give some focus along with the dates of events. Describing and analysing over 5000 years of history is an impressive contribution to knowledge about a remarkable river and its influence on world events, far from its source as well as events those that directly impacted on the people along its banks and environs.

The role of colonialism is studied, with some myths destroyed, charging the reader with the responsibility of thinking about what other errors may have been made in historical writing by not only the victors as is commonly noted, but by the local entities that prosper under colonialism. Questions are also raised about racism and its impact on the way governments responded to local events, where rather than acknowledge local experience, racist understandings held sway in government policy making. Decisions made and not made move Terje Tvedt to question in the light of the 1913 civil war and continual conflict fighting over pastoral and other interests pastoral what the impact would have been on the proposed drainage of the swamps and building of the Jonglei Canal? Here, we are reminded of the canal building that he has reminisced over earlier in the book. I try to recall whether canals were mentioned on our tour. Canals and dams as a feature of the Nile are a constant reminder of the river as an industrialised source of economic prosperity as well as the natural provider of water flowing and receding to accomplish the same result in the past.

Photographs with detailed descriptions including reference to local events and comments are located at the end of the book. A useful index of names is included. The list of references is an informative read, with familiar names jostling with the unfamiliar, making it an interesting read in itself. End notes are comprehensive.

Would I like to reread this book from ‘cover to cover’ as I have done for this review? No, not at all. Its density makes it a heavy read. However, I shall enjoy returning to various sections again and again to develop my understanding of the Nile and the countries through which it runs. As Tvedt states, the struggle over exploitation of the Nile has a never-ending influence on regional and world development. The Nile deserves more than my dim recalls, a couple of Agatha Christies, and a cruise. Terje Tvedt’s book has given me the opportunity to do this in a comprehensive and largely agreeable manner.

[Triviasphinx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terje Tvedt's survey of the Nile river is a comprehensive but accessible work that blends the author's own travels in the Nile region with the historical and cultural perspective concerning what is probably the most famous river on Earth. Starting from the mouth of the Nile Delta, he travels as far south as Tanzania and Congo to uncover the sources of the river and its impact in the past and present on Africa. The famous tributaries of the Blue Nile and White Nile are covered in depth, but so are many lesser streams and lakes in East and Southern Africa.

Tvedt manages to blend the many ancient civilizations and celebrities associated with the river with the current condition of the river, with many nations and peoples fighting over the dwindling resources of the Nile. He shows that man's attempts to tame the river for irrigation and hydroelectric power are slowly changing the river downstream. For all of its importance throughout history, the Nile and its management remain critical to the future prosperity of modern Africa.

Because the scope of the coverage is so large, there may not be as much information about Egypt or the Sudan as one might expect. But this range helps to demonstrate the importance of the Nile to so much of the continent, and why we need to understand the significance of the river in today's world of expanding populations and severe climate change. Recommended for general readers interested in the Nile and Africa, as well as Egyptologists and other specialists.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A travelogue and analysis of the hydrology, historical and modern, of the Nile River.

The author describes the Nile, his travels, and what can be known of its history from Alexandria to the sources of the White Nile and then back up the Blue Nile. There is discussion of the prehistory of the Nile and the Nile in ancient Egypt and Sudan; yet the vast majority of the history involved centered on the British and their plans to adapt the hydrology of the Nile to lead to greater productivity from Uganda to Egypt, but especially Egypt.

To this end one learns about each segment of the river: its mouth at the delta; Memphis; Upper Egypt; southern Egypt/northern Sudan; Sudan to Khartoum; the White Nile and the marshes of South Sudan; the Nile, its lakes and its sources in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, etc.; then back to the Blue Nile in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

One is quickly impressed at the knowledge and research of the author and his ability to speak with African rulers throughout the Nile region. He explains the picture of what the British attempted to do, the various ways it was accomplished, and the various plans and potential conflicts regarding how the Nile water will be leveraged in the twenty-first century.

If one is interested in Nile hydrology, this is your book.

**--galley received as part of early review program

[Stefan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der Autor, Geograph, Experte für die Geschichte des Wassers und Kenner des Nils, sucht die Geschichte des großen Flusses in allen denkbaren Facetten darzulegen. Dabei hilft ihm die Tatsache, dass er nicht nur hervorragender Kenner der Materie ist, sondern zudem auch ein begnadeter Geschichtenerzähler. Dies erschwert zwar das Lesen an der einen oder anderen Stelle – er neigt zu Exkursen in unterschiedlichste Fachgebiete und erschlägt die Leser mit schier unendlichem Faktenwissen und doch kann man das Buch nicht aus der Hand legen. Die fesselnde Erzählung folgt dem Nil flussaufwärts, von der Mündung bis zu den Quellen und verbindet historische Analysen und naturwissenschaftliche Ausführungen mit vielen persönlichen Reiseeindrücken. Historisch führt Tvedt die Leser aus prähistorischer Zeit bis in die jüngste Gegenwart und schafft es allein schon damit zu überzeugen. Das Buch ist allerdings vielmehr als nur ein Geschichts- und soviel mehr als ein Reisebuch, es ist gleichsam eine Übersicht über moderne Hydropolitik und afrikanische Entwicklung, zudem verliert Tvedt nie die Globalgeschichte aus den Augen. Allem voran ist das Buch aber eine beispiellose und gleichsam sehr scharfsinnige Biographie des längsten und geschichtsträchtigsten Flusses der Erde.

[Ariel Chu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book tells the stories from a hydro-politics perspective to talk about not just Egypt, but what happens in the upstream countries for Blue and White Nile River, and the African Great Lakes. How the countries like Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan politics and strategies were affected by the resource of water, and focus a lot on what’s the role as colonialists like UK etc. were looking for in this region and what’s the impact to locals.

The author tries to bring both local and western perspectives of it. However, it still emphasizes lots on post western discovery and colonial period. Somehow there are some travel journals from his personal experiences and encounters blended in between and repeating some topics without a clear structure. Eventually, the history and decisions made are way more complicated and we can’t based on just the Nile it self’s. Overall, I still like the book as it provides insights of the region and inspires me of as an introduction on histories and landscapes of this area.

P.S. I read in Chinese version.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were parts of the book that I found outstanding - those about the hydrology of the Nile and the geopolitics of the Nile drainage basin. I liked how the book was organized, with discussion starting at the north end of the river and then following the river south, so following a geographic and not chronological discussion. The historical treatment is also excellent, with an in-depth discussion of colonialism. On the other hand, while I normally enjoy reading about the author’s journey, in this case, these sections came out flat. I also didn’t enjoy the use of historical jargon or the numerous detours to discuss historical theories, for example, about Orientalism or ethnicity. Overall, though, this book is well worth reading. Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Academic for the advance reader copy.

[Senne Cambré · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the semi-scientific language and the irredeemable lack of a map, I can think of no other way to tell the entirety of the history and geography of 1/10 of the African continent.

Tved regularly loses himself in anekdotes that seem to lose their connection to the river, but it’s at all times fascinating. He is also forced to glance over centuries of history and wildly complex economic, political and sociological evolutions. But, although the magnitude of what he tries to accomplish with this book is confounding, he regularly recapitulates important events, people and ideas to drive home the most important take-aways.

When you get through this book, you can justly say you’re starting to understand a thing or two about the Nile.

[Christian Ritter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing travelogue-cum-history of the worlds greatest river and the hydropolitics which has shaped this region, civilisation and the world.

As the original Norwegian text was published in 2011 it does seem that despite updates for the translation, a lot of recent developments mentioned are in fact a decade old.

The author has, however, succeeded in writing a highly informative and remarkable book for the lay reader, combining personal anecdotal insight, a broad yet precise guide to the region's contemporary geopolitics and a robust research tradition to shift the focus of 5000 years of history to the river as nexus of change.

A lot of copyediting errors but this can be forgiven.

[Tjeerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

De Nijl wordt uitgebreid beschreven; geschiedenis, hydrologie, cultuur en politiek; heel interessant. Er staan veel leuke details en weetjes in het boek, er is duidelijk te merken dat de schrijver al tientallen jaren bezig is met onderzoek in het Nijlgebied.

Sommige stukken zijn een beetje taai en langdradig. De relatief lange zinnen helpen ook niet mee. Desondanks zeker de moeite waard om door te lezen! Zeker een aanrader voor iedereen die interesse heeft in de geschiedenis en cultuur van Afrika.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fascinating and informative read, I learned a lot about the Nile.
The author tells us about the different areas where the Nile flows.
It's part a travelogue and part historical/geographical/politcal essay.
It found it interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting though not always convincing; as with any grand history book, the scope simply exceeds what can be trusted as any one person's understanding. I appreciated the nuanced treatments of Orientalism and colonialism, I was less convinced by some of the modern history excursions. An oddly structured book, perhaps meant to accompany a TV show -- if so, quite a dry one.

[Anthony Steadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history that flows from ancient empires to the current nation states, with the Nile as the central character. This book was such a treat. Woven throughout is a travelogue about finding the source, all whilst debunking common myths of Africa. A completely fresh lens to examine history and politics: hydrology. Tvedt is so great, not dry at all.

[Peter Dhondt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een fascinerende tocht doorheen de geschiedenis van de Nijl en langs de elf landen met uiteenlopende belangen die de langste rivier van Afrika moeten delen. Af en toe treedt het verhaal wel ver buiten de oevers en soms komt de auteur wel erg pedant over.

[Øystein Berge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bra bok. Litt for lang og litt for mye fokus på britisk politikk i regionen.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tvedt describes his book as a "biography of the Nile," but it's probably better understood as a potpourri of history, travel, and hydro-political theory. Interspersed with his impressively-researched historical narratives as we journey with Tvedt from delta to headwaters, are the author's own travel diaries, philosophical musings, opinions, reviews of classic literature, and other side-streams. Among Tvedt's central theses is the idea that much of the modern history of the Nile is best seen in the context of a British imperial policy that sought to control Egypt (and therefore the Suez), through control over the flow of the Nile in its upstream territories. This feels well-researched and compelling, and much of it was a lot of fun to read.

However, the book constantly winds back and forth between enjoyable anecdotes, fascinating historical insights, and dreary academic tangents that feel unnecessary or out-of-place. The results can vary wildly. There is a (charmingly forgivable) impulse to emphasize the historic contributions of his fellow Norwegians. There is a (less charming but certainly understandable) axe to grind against the system of global aid and its effects on the region. There is a random, un-cited paragraph that implicitly accuses the Obama administration intentionally leaving Jospeh Kony on the lam in order to make it easier for American companies to exploit the instability in East Africa. There is an extended meditation on Huysman's "A Rebours." Most obnoxiously, there is long running one-sided feud with Edward Said that pops up over and over again throughout the book, where Tvedt spends page after page seemingly trying to justify why a northern European academic should even be allowed to write a book about the Nile instead of simply writing the book and trusting his readers to sort out their own opinions.

As I read, I kept coming back to the thought that a decent editor probably could have turned this into a very good book--not just to rein in some of Tvedt's more egregious tangents, but to clean up some very mundane editorial mistakes and typos. "The Nile" abounds with what are either simple factual errors or simple translation errors. To name a few: On page 8, Fayoum is described as being "east of the Nile Valley" when it is verifiably to the west. Caesar is described as being "30 years old" during his time in Egypt instead of (as the author seems to want to state) "30 years old(er than Cleopatra)." The Fashoda incident is dated to 1989 instead of 1898 on page 272. The Mamluk sultanate is dated incorrectly by centuries on page 27. On page 303, an Eritrean railway is given the completion date of 2011, troublingly described as 20 years after the initial Italian occupation. The Treaty of Wuchale was, according to page 306, signed in 1899 instead of 1889. All of this comes in addition to not-infrequent typos, grammatical missteps, and innumerable unwieldy, run-on sentences. This general editorial sloppiness is distressing because I really want to like this book, but errors in simple facts always sow the seeds of doubt in an author's bigger-picture points. Can I trust this author's theories on British colonial administration if he can't be bothered to get his dates right?

Of course, it's trite to use river metaphors here, but Tvedt's book meanders and eddies and (on more than one occasion) clearly overflows its banks. I truly, deeply enjoyed the parts that were enjoyable--but maybe I would prefer Tvedt in his dry season rather than during his floods.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spekket med informasjon og historie! Jeg leste boka mest for å ha bakgrunn til å forstå de konflikter som allerede finnes - og som vil oppstå i kampen om vannet. Nilen renner gjennom tre klimasoner og 11 land med tilsammen mer enn tusen folkeslag og en halv milliard mennesker. Den har i tusenvis av år vært kilde til liv, religion, sivilisajonsutvikling, politikk, økonomisk motor og maktkamp. Hva som skjer med Nilen i tiden fremovervil ha stor betydning for Nil-landene, for Afrika - maktkampen som pågår er av verdenshistorisk betydning.

[Ole Kristian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Etter å ha sett tv-serien om vannets fremtid fikk jeg øynene opp for Terje Tvedt, og da jeg fant denne nye boka om Nilen måtte jeg bare lese den. Veldig spennende perspektiv på Afrika og blant annet norsk bistandspolitikk, "den arabiske våren" og selvfølgelig Nilens historie. Språket trekker litt ned, men allikevel : Anbefales!

[Stig Aune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound, important and well written

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and interesting, my dad gave it to me as a Birthday gift knowing how much I would enjoy it.

[Jakob Erle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of Nile Basin politics, hydrology, history. A must read for anyone interested in the region.