The Nile, the world's longest river system, has figured prominently in historic events over millennia. This book views the Nile as both the stage on which these events occurred and as an actor in its unfolding history. It examines the intersection of natural forces and human intervention to take readers on a series of historical journeys along the river, from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea. Nezar AlSayyad explores the histories of important individuals who played significant roles in the development of settlements and nation-states along the Nile, and engages with space and built form as the primary units of analysis, anchoring specific events in the cities of the Nile.