W.J. Cherf has always wanted to write a book without footnotes, to tell a fascinating tale that is so real that his avid readers are left puzzled over what was real and what was Memorex.

To craft such a tale takes wit, a love of science fiction, and above all a deep reverence for ancient history and archaeology.

All of these qualities are stitched together beautifully in his books, because Cherf has been there, dug that. He's even seen the sun rise from atop the Great Pyramid.