The early 19th century was the 'heroic age' of Egyptology, a period dominated by Napoleon who had led his ill-considered invasion of Egypt. One of the most important figures in Egypt at this time, Bernadino Drovetti, has never before been the subject of a biography and what little is said of him in general works is mostly erroneous. This biography, based on innumerable published and archival sources, attempts to redress the balance.