In the October 10th issue of The New York Review of Books, writer and podcaster Ursula Lindsey reviews the book, writing:
The Buried promises to uncover an essential truth about Egypt, but this is a promise that it can’t keep. What it does deliver is original, richly layered, and often delightful reporting. Hessler has a sharp sense of humor, a gift for observation, a healthy skepticism, and a knack for using memorable characters and anecdotes to demonstrate larger truths. Not all of his observations and parallels persuade, but they add up to a vivid picture of a country in turmoil that grinds painfully against the difficulties of achieving real change, as seen by an attentive, opinionated, and at times bemused observer.
Peter Hessler‘s The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution is published in the English language by Penguin Press in North America, Profile Books in the United Kingdom, and Text Publishing in Australia and New Zealand. A German language edition will be published by Hanser in March 2020. Japanese, Polish, Arabic and Complex Character Chinese character editions are also forthcoming.