"Parks does a thorough job of explaining why the dam was built and how the construction was accomplished, despite numerous political, economic, and engineering tribulations; and discusses its impact. Having won its independence from Great Britain, Egypt did not want British assistance in building the dam. In 1958, the Soviets stepped in to help, but shoddy machinery held the project back. High daytime temperatures meant a lot of the work could be done only at night. Because their homes would be flooded, 100,000 Nubians had to be relocated. Despite all of the problems, President Nasser saw the undertaking finished just before his death in 1970 and the resulting reservoir was named in his honor. Although the history is often complicated, the author presents it clearly. The well-captioned photographs are colorful and enhance the narrative. Large type and wide margins make the clearly written text reader-friendly. An appended chronology handily sums up the events. Unfortunately, there are no maps. A helpful resource for reports."
                                  — Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI