Vivant Denon was known as 'Napoleon's eye'. He was Bonaparte's adviser on artistic matters, accompanying him to Egypt where he witnessed the battle of the Nile and travelled in Upper and Lower Egypt. He was, in effect, the first war artist, always by Bonaparte's side, or that of his generals, feverishly recording the events unfolding before him. He sketched the monuments and temples and observed the customs and manners of the people of Egypt, writing with insight and humanity. Denon presented to Europe the first true and honest image of ancient Egypt and its civilisation. Terence M. Russell tells the story of Vivant Denon's travels in Egypt, using his extraordinary "Journeys in Upper and Lower Egypt", published in 1802, as the basis for a vivid and moving account of the discovery of ancient Egypt. The scientific party that accompanied Napoleon on his Egyptian campaign accomplished an extraordinary thing: they brought back to Europe a rich, mature civilisation which no one had hitherto suspected existed.