"Flinders Petrie's output was extraordinary, his energy tireless" a quote from MS Drower (1995,xxi) illustrating the adventurous and industrious life of one of the greatest British archaeologists and Egyptologists. His story begins on the evening of 3 June 1853, born William Mathew Flinders more commonly known simply as Flinders Petrie (Drower,1995,p13). He became one of the most significant figures in archaeology, beginning his research in Egypt in the 1880s until “a year or two before his death” (Drower, 1995, p.xxi). Excavating over fifty different sites, Flinders Petrie "revolutionized excavation methods" by revealing the importance of meticulously recording every detail found. Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie established the "fundamental principles of excavation" in archaeology, which have been followed by archaeologists around the world. (Drower,1995,pxxii). In this essay the life and work of Sir Petrie, WM Flinders will be critically analyzed by examining how his background, personal experiences and other events in his life influenced his approach to archeology and the discoveries he made, resulting in the writing "over a hundred books and more than a thousand articles and reviews" (Drowner,1995,p.xxi). Consequently, making him one of the most influential British Egyptologists and archaeologists to date, as highlighted by EP Uphill (1972, p, 356) "no other Egyptologist or archaeologist has ever covered so wide a range, or shown interest in so many different topics." It was clear from a young age that Flinders Petrie had a thirst for knowledge and discovery of the world around him, as cited by Drower (1995, p14) with a reference from his mother Anne Flinders expressing his curious nature "understanding maps and his f.. .... middle of the sheet ......ian treasures (Petrie,1931,p256-257) Flinders Petrie continued his passion for archeology and Egyptology by continuing to work in Palestine until his death during the Second World War in 1942. "in his ninetieth year" (Drower,1995,pxxi).BibliographyBrown,H. (1917) 'The Exodus Recorded on the Stele of Menephtah', The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 4( 1), pp. 16-20.Drower ,MS (1995) Flinders Petrie: a life in archaeology, 2nd ed., Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press.France,P (1991) The Rape of Egypt: How the Europeans Stripped Egypt of Its Heritage, Michigan: Barrie & Jenkins.Petrie,F, (1931) Seventy Years in Archaeology, London: Marston & co.Petrie,F (1939) The Making of Egypt, London: The Sheldon Press.Uphill, EP (1972) 'A Bibliography of Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942)', Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 31(4), pp. 356-357.