Liberation Square: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation [Hardcover]

Ashraf Khalil (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 3, 2012

A definitive, absorbing account of the Egyptian revolution, written by a Cairo-based Egyptian-American reporter for Foreign Policy and The Times (London), who witnessed firsthand Mubarak's demise and the country's efforts to build a democracy

 

In early 2011, the world’s attention was riveted on Cairo, where after three decades of supremacy, Hosni Mubarak was driven from power. It was a revolution as swift as it was explosive. For eighteen days, anger, defiance, and resurgent national pride reigned in the streets---protestors of all ages struck back against police and state security, united toward the common goal of liberation.

But the revolution was more than a spontaneous uprising. It was the end result of years of mounting tension, brought on by a state that shamelessly abused its authority, rigging elections, silencing opposition, and violently attacking its citizens. When revolution bloomed in the region in January 2011, Egypt was a country whose patience had expired---with a people suddenly primed for liberation.

As a journalist based in Cairo, Ashraf Khalil was an eyewitness to the perfect storm that brought down Mubarak and his regime. Khalil was subjected to tear gas alongside protestors in Tahrir Square, barely escaped an enraged mob, and witnessed the day-to-day developments from the frontlines. From the halls of power to the back alleys of Cairo, he offers a one-of-a-kind look at a nation in the throes of an uprising.

Liberation Square is a revealing and dramatic look at the revolution that transformed the modern history of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A thrilling account of Egypt’s revolution. . . .  What’s remarkable about Liberation Square is how good it is, how well written, how perfectly calibrated in its amounts of background, commentary and prognostication—and above all how thrilling it is to read.” —Salon

“Egyptian journalist Ashraf Khalil confounds expectations with an insightful account that feels rich…. It is difficult to imagine a better guide to the Egyptian portion of the so-called Arab Spring than Khalil’s book Liberation Square…. [Khalil] offers plenty of wisdom, along with action-packed reportage, along the way.” —Christian Science Monitor

“Compelling, nuanced, and engaging. . . . Blends astute observations with reportage of the demonstrations as they unfolded. . . . Khalil’s account is essential reading, evoking the urgency and vitality of the Arab spring’s Egyptian chapter.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Khalil’s illuminating reporting situates the revolt in the stultifying decades that preceded it…He does an admirable job pulling together the threads of the early dissident and activist efforts rooted in the late 1990s.” —The Daily Beast

“A personal account that will be appreciated by those looking to move beyond the day's headlines, from one who wrote some of the stories published under those headlines.” —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

ASHRAF KHALIL has covered the Middle East for the The Times (London), The Economist, Foreign Policy, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Middle East edition of Rolling Stone. He worked as a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times in the Baghdad and Jerusalem bureaus and has been based in Cairo for most of the last fifteen years.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781250006691
• ISBN-13: 978-1250006691
• ASIN: 1250006694
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ground-level, Egyptian view of the unexpected revolution February 4, 2012

By Jean E. Pouliot

Format:Hardcover

Ashraf Khalil's "Liberation Square" is a smart and lucid view of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Khalil is an Egyptian journalist who has worked for the LA Times. He has the benefit of understanding the politics and personalities of Egypt, while being able to communicate effectively to an American audience. The story takes a few chapters to take off, but include the highlights and prime movers of the revolution and its immediate aftermath. He sets the stage of an Egypt in which corruption is endemic, and well-educated men have little chance of getting a job, and hence getting married. Khalil see the hopelessness of young men about having sex as a primary factor in the rage of the protesters. He discusses the tireless work of long-suffering political activists, who laid the groundwork over years, finally bearing fruit in January 2011. He tells of Khaled Saieed, the unlikely martyr, beaten and killed by Egyptian Security forces, whose ordinary looks and middle-class aspirations allowed so many Egyptians to identify with the protesters. He describes the effect of YouTube videos by Asmaa Mahfouz, a young female activist whose stirring words dared her male counterparts to come to the protests.

Khalil is frank. He is clear the Tahrir Square would not have been possible with the prior example of the Tunisia uprising. He highlights the widespread non-violent protests while acknowledging the role of violent and rageful rock-throwers. He speaks of the Mohammed ElBaradei's irrelevance to the revolution. He speaks of Muslim Brotherhood, an organization once banned from a role in Egyptian politics, its initial lack participation in the revolution and its eventual rise in prominence. Khalil speaks of the regime's use of the Brotherhood as a bogeyman to frighten moderates. He respects the group's organizational abilities, but tempers the fears of those worried about its post-revolution status. The group, he feels, is not as monolithic as outsides think, and will diminish in power when faced with open elections.

"Liberation Square" provides a ground-up view of a popular movement to overthrow a dictator and his ruthless security apparatus. It is a story of a people finally fed up with living in fear, lies and hopelessness, taking their destiny in their own hands. It is informative and inspiring look at how many factors combine to move a people to overthrow their shackles and live as free people

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Get the Whole Story February 2, 2012

By JMiner

Format:Hardcover

I am not the most political person in the world. Still, I've watched the Arab Spring on the news, and read about it online, and in newspapers. Stories change, though. Details are missed or buried. Certain aspects like the impact of digital technology are so trendy that they overwhelm the flow of what actually happened. History is subsumed in current events. I never quite got the full story on Egypt.

Now here we are, one year later, and there's already an incredible book on the subject.

Liberation Square is, for someone like me, a damn near perfect way to better understand what happened Egypt. The book is a seasoned journalist taking the reader through Mubarak's rise to power and the details of his reign and then into the revolution itself. I'd say about half the book is devoted to the causes and history of dissent and half to last year's events proper.

There's a little bit of history, following Egypt from Nasser to Sadat to Mubarak, and the unrest in surrounding areas. There are eyewitness accounts, some from the author himself. But Khalil also catalogues the jokes that Egyptian citizens told about their leaders and their situation, and he traces how those changed just as artfully and clearly as he traces the literal facts of succession. The best part of all is that nothing is ever boring. Ashraf Khalil is someone who (luckily for us) is both perfectly informed and deeply passionate about what he is writing.

I almost wish that the author had gone further with his timeline, to examine Egypt and its possible future. But I suppose that that story isn't over yet. Somehow I doubt that any speculation could be as interesting as everything that has actually happened, and everything that will. For someone wishing to understand the fall of Mubarak and the events of Tahrir Square, I haven't found better.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Journalist Doing His Job Well May 6, 2012

By Michael Bray

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The author lays a clear and comprehensive outline of Mubarak's rise to power and describes the make-up and effects of the regime on Egyptian life. The sense of hopelessness and despair the author portrays is consistent with my own feelings and observations from living in Cairo for over three years. This book is thoroughly documents and gives voice to people of all stations in Egypt, while also being highly readable and informative to a non-Egyptian readership that is interested in what happened during this tumultuous times. This level of objectivity and investigation is what all journalists should strive for.