Tea on the terrace takes the reader on a fascinating journey down the Nile with legendary Egyptologists. Spending time with these remarkable men and women at their hotels and on their boats, the book reveals that a great deal of important archaeological work took place away from field sites and museums.

Arriving in Alexandria, travellers moved on to Cairo before heading south for Luxor, the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. The book follows a cast that includes Theodore Davis, Emma Andrews, James Breasted, Wallis Budge, Maggie Benson and Howard Carter, listening in on their conversations and observing their activities. It reveals that hotels in particular became crucial spaces for launching careers, building and strengthening scientific networks and generating new ideas.

Combining archaeological tourism with the history of Egyptology, and drawing on a vast array of archival materials, Tea on the terrace takes the reader behind the scenes of familiar stories, showing Egyptologists' activities in a whole new light.