Publisher's Synopsis
"The Last Egyptian Mamluk" brings to life a character in Egyptian lore surrounding the (real life) 1811 Massacre of the Citadel. The novel chronicles the life of the sole Mamluk who is said to have survived the massacre. Maxim, a young Russian boy, is rescued from a miserable existence as the property of an Arab horse trader. Under the guidance of his benefactor, a retired Mamluk general, Maxim becomes a talented soldier who dreams of glory on the battlefield. Maxim is envied by other Mamluks for his good fortune and one in particular becomes his nemesis. When Napoleon Bonaparte lands his troops in Alexandria and begins marching on Cairo, Maxim and his compatriots ride out eagerly to defend Egypt, only to find themselves outmaneuvred by the French. Following months of fighting up and down the Nile, the Mamluks are decimated and forced to flee into Lower Nubia. Injured and at the point of death, Maxim is rescued by Nubians who take him to their village, where he is healed by the daughter of their Chief, with whom he soon becomes obsessed. His sojourn among the Nubians will teach him life lessons that enlarge for him the definition of true soldierhood. Despite his contentment in his new life, he secretly yearns to be back in Cairo, where his adopted father may be either alive or dead. When the caravans bring news that Mamluks can safely return to Cairo, Maxim joins his former comrades in their homeward trek. By chance, Maxim encounters a man who calls himself Mehmet Ali who is the new Pasha of Egypt. Ali seduces Maxim with his vision of a new Egypt, but Maxim will soon learn that all is not gold that glitters..
