The Accidental Tourist, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, and the British Invasion of Egypt in 1882 (Middle East Studies: History, Politics & Law) [Hardcover]

Michael Berdine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0415946441 | ISBN-13: 978-0415946445 | Edition: 1

This fascinating account highlights the extent the world's major powers will go to as they seek to insure their own interests and agendas, despite the wishes of those whose countries they invade and occupy. "The Accidental Tourist" profiles Wilfrid Scawen Blunt's involvement in the so-called "Arabi Revolt" in 1882. It addresses Blunt's tireless efforts on behalf of the Egyptian Nationalists to mediate the differences between Britain and Egypt and prevent a British invasion of Egypt. It highlights what amounted to a government cover-up of the actions of certain governmental officials to precipitate the invasion by falsifying intelligence information and manipulating the press. It also takes to task the scholarly tradition of maligning Blunt and questioning the accuracy of his version of the events of 1882. Blunt was branded a traitor in the House of Commons. This book was written to set the record straight. It is ideal reading for those interested in the field of Middle Eastern, Imperial or Colonial history and will provide readers with a better understanding of the real story of imperialism that went on at the time and is still going on in the Middle East today.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 330 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (July 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415946441
• ISBN-13: 978-0415946445
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,312,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Denis Berdine (1945- ) was born in Los Angeles, California. The son of an American oil company executive, he was raised in the Middle East, England, India, Italy and Germany, before returning to the U.S. for university. He has a B.A. and M.A. in Modern British History, an M.A. in Near Eastern Studies, with a focus on the histories of Islam, the Middle East and the British Raj, and a Ph.D. in British Imperial History, with a focus on Britain in the Middle East. His current area of research is the history of the 19th and 20th century Muslim world, about which he is currently writing a book. Since 2009, he has been principal of Cambridge Muslim College, in Cambridge, England (www.cambridgemuslimcollege.org) where, in addition to his administrative duties he also teaches history.