Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff

This book is a rather strange take on the usual "My Trip to Egypt" memoirs written by other intrepid adventurers to the area. Most of the book is spent with the author obsessively searching for a boat in which she can row herself down the Nile - alone. The quest to obtain such a boat brings her in contact with a bevy of wild and wonderful characters - none of them keen to see the author realize her ambition.I thoroughly enjoyed Mahoney's description of the Egyptian people - their confusion as to why on earth a woman alone would want to row down the Nile, and their often bumbling efforts to allow them to do the rowing for her. She brilliantly evokes the feeling of the Nile and the Egyptian land, so that you can almost feel the heat from the sand and hear the river in it's relentless flow. I came to love the character Amr - a gentle Egyptian with a huge heart and even bigger spirit.Mahoney peppers her account with fascinating insights from luminaries such as Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert, both of whom had travelled to Egypt in the previous century and had each written of their ownexperiences. And along with the historical points of interest, Mahoney unearths all sorts of weird and wonderful facts that won't fail to surprise and titillate the reader.But then we come to Madeleine Stein. Here is a woman who lives and works in Egypt, speaks fluent Arabic, is obviously somewhat of an adventurer, and she agrees to accompany the author down the Nile in order to satisfy the legal requirements of the inspectors. Indeed, the book is dedicated to her. A fascinating woman by anyone's account, but what does she look like? How old is she? Who does she live with? What does she think about things? Whereas Mahoney has intricately described every other character in the book, including herself from a self snapped photo, there is absolutely no quality information on Madelaine Stein other than the bare facts of her presence. This omission was almost irritating enough to deduct a star from my review.Other than this, an enjoyable read and highly recommended.

I thought the book was an especially interesting read in the light of current events in Egypt. It's a different perspective on Egypt that I appreciated hearing. Other reviewers have complained that somehow the book was culturally insensitive, that Ms. Mahoney was not fluent enough in the Arabic of Egypt or that she was somehow out of line in wanting to pursue her goal of a solo row down the Nile. But if you take the memoir at face value - as the experience of one American woman on her chosen journey - I think it stands up very well.I also liked the interweaving of her experience with the writings of Florence Nightingale and August Flaubert who took similar journeys at other times. Maybe my attention span for words and description is longer than some but I found Mahoney's descriptive passages and reflection on the people she met and experiences she had to be interesting. The narrative held my attention. It's the honest writing of a woman on a quest who has undertaken to push the envelope and takes responsibility for the outcomes. It's her prism but that does not make it an invalid view.Actually, I'd read it again.A few notes on the Kindle edition. It's my first encounter with shoddy editing which I found a distraction. Many words were hyphenated at syllabication points (sometimes, curiously, all the syllabication points) for no reason I could discern. And for some odd reason, every time the word "nervous" appeared in any form, it was capitalized. Perhaps it's also capitalized in the print version but I doubt it. I just thought all the hyphens and the Nervous-es were sloppy and distracting.All in all, I'd say it's a good and very timely read.

Granted, this writer can turn a phrase and many readers will be lulled by her overwrought prose. I have several problems with this book. Perhaps it is because as an American living in Cairo I take great exception to Ms Mahoney's cultural ignorance of Egypt and her presumptious statements about this wonderful country without having any knowledge of Arabic and having spent very little time in country. Also, I just wasn't overall moved by her grand adventure which only amounted to a total of five days on the Nile. And what happens on this trip? Not much of anything. The five days on the Nile drift by (literally) with some smartly written prose that repetitively describes the sky, the moon, the water, the banks of the river, etc., etc. But most offensive are her quaint descriptions of how Egyptians talk and her innate fear of the natives that she supposedly respects. She does have some insight into her own foolishness and naivete but there just seems something fundamentally dense about a stubborn woman who comes to Egypt and expects to row down the Nile without the societal baggage that comes with the country. Rose: next time you want to come to Egypt; learn some Arabic and leaves the boat fantasy back in Boston. Readers: There are several better travelogues and books on Egypt then this fool's errand. Also, if or when you visit Egypt your stories will be more exciting then those told in this forgettable book.

This is easily one of the best travel narratives I've ever read, in terms of both Rosemary Mahoney's experiences in Egypt and her enchanting style that draws the reader in.On her first trip to Egypt, in 1996, Mahoney, aboard a cruise ship out of Luxor, quickly became charmed and entranced as the Nile slipped by. Returning home, she became more or less obsessed with Egypt and the Nile until she returned two years later, determined, as she writes: "not just to see the Nile River but to sit in the middle of it in my own boat, alone."Mahoney draws from history, art, architecture, politics, literature, other traveler's accounts, the people, the land, the food and every conceivable aspect of what makes travel beguiling. But it's her captivating style that will inspire me to read this memoir over and over again.

A book to escape the pandemic. A fearless woman’s journey on the Nile, with helpful historical background that is never pedantic. The author relates her observations with both acuity and compassion. Thanks for a few hours of freedom from the present!

A most interesting account of Rosemary Mahoney's efforts to get a boat and to undergo part of the journey she had hoped to make. Wish there had been another chapter at the end, it concluded rather abruptly. But a very good accounting of the history, geography, customs, and the people she encountered. I will read more of her books.

This is a very good book mostly about how Western women are percieved and misunderstood by the majority of Arab men. It's well written and informative on a number of subjects including Florence Nightingale and other early travellers. I was able to identify sites from the descriptions in the book and this rounded out facts given by tour guides.Don't expect hints on rowing but do take the advice on what to wear,say and behave when in Egypt.

Living in Egypt and familiar with the Nile this book brought a very real and vivid picture of travelling on the Nile. It brought into sharp focus the very different place of women in Egyptian society. The sights and sounds along the ebb and flo of the river punctuated the account with a sense of being in Luxor and sharing the journey forst hand. An account well worth sharing

Ce récit montre à quel point, malgré toutes les difficultés inhérentes au fait d'être une femme dans un pays conservateur comme l'Egypte, Rosemary Mahoney est parvenue à réussir son paris, descendre le cours du Nil, à la rame!Le trajet en barque est presque anecdotique par rapport à son analyse très juste des fossés entre la vision occidentale du monde et des rapports hommes-femmes et ce qu'il en est sur place! Passionnant!