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The Struggle for Egypt: From Nasser to Tahrir Square 1st Edition

by Steven A. Cook (Author)

4.2 21 ratings

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The Struggle for Egypt: From Nasser to Tahrir Square (Council on Foreign Relations (Oxford))
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The recent revolution in Egypt has shaken the Arab world to its roots. The most populous Arab country and the historical center of Arab intellectual life, Egypt is a linchpin of the US's Middle East strategy, receiving more aid than any nation except Israel. This is not the first time that the world and has turned its gaze to Egypt, however. A half century ago, Egypt under Nasser became the putative leader of the Arab world and a beacon for all developing nations. Yet in the decades prior to the 2011 revolution, it was ruled over by a sclerotic regime plagued by nepotism and corruption. During that time, its economy declined into near shambles, a severely overpopulated Cairo fell into disrepair, and it produced scores of violent Islamic extremists such as Ayman al-Zawahiri and Mohammed Atta.

In The Struggle for Egypt, Steven Cook--a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations--explains how this parlous state of affairs came to be, why the revolution occurred, and where Egypt might be headed next. A sweeping account of Egypt in the modern era, it incisively chronicles all of the nation's central historical episodes: the decline of British rule, the rise of Nasser and his quest to become a pan-Arab leader, Egypt's decision to make peace with Israel and ally with the United States, the assassination of Sadat, the emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood, and--finally--the demonstrations that convulsed Tahrir Square and overthrew an entrenched regime.

Throughout Egypt's history, there has been an intense debate to define what Egypt is, what it stands for, and its relation to the world. Egyptians now have an opportunity to finally answer these questions. Doing so in a way that appeals to the vast majority of Egyptians, Cook notes, will be difficult but ultimately necessary if Egypt is to become an economically dynamic and politically vibrant society.

Review

"With meticulous historical context and the acumen of a political scientist, Cook, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, weaves together a narrative drawn from archives, interviews and his own firsthand reporting during a decade of visits to Egypt . . . What Cook has given us is a scholar's well-informed, analytical history, which offers invaluable insights to anyone interested in how Egypt came to its present impasse . . . a substantial and engaging book." --New York Times Book Review

"Incredibly vivid...the single best book on Egypt"--Fareed Zakaria

"[An] excellent new book." --The Christian Science Monitor

"From his wanderings on the Arab streets of Cairo (and dozens of other Arab and Turkish towns), Cook brings the revolution to life. But he does so with the depth of knowledge of someone who has understood the dynamics of Egyptian - indeed, Arab autocracy - for years." --Slate

"[A] detailed account of the build-up to revolution and how recent developments were organized . . . Cook, who is intimately familiar with Egypt and its political and cultural history, begins from Nasser's 1952 coup, providing broad context for his discussion." --Kirkus Reviews

"A timely and easily accessible account of Egypt's modern history ... Beyond Cook's analysis of Nasser's, Sadat's, and Mubarak's struggles to stay in power, build regime legitimacy, and extend the government's reach, The Struggle for Egypt also contains fascinating chapters on Washington's relationship with Cairo and how it also ultimately helped undermine the old order ... Ultimately, The Struggle for Egypt leaves the reader less surprised by the events of 2011, which are still buffeting Egypt. Instead, one is more startled by the fact that the reign of the Free Officers and the system erected and maintained by Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak held together for as long as it did." --Mediterranean Quarterly

"Tell[s] the story of Egypt in rich detail, beginning with Nasser and on to Sadat and Mubarak." --Nancy Youssef, Washington Week

"Jumping from the chaotic byways of Cairo to the highest reaches of international diplomacy, this providentially-timed account of modern Egyptian history combines immersion journalism with insightful policy analysis. A Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Cook translates an insider's perspective for a general readership." --Publishers Weekly

"Cook's timely, well-written history offers the best up to date review of Egypt's modern political history through the opening months of the revolution that brought down Hosni Mubarak. His account of how the 1952 Egyptian revolution produced the Nasserist authoritarian regime is more relevant today than ever, as is his discussion of the final years of the decaying Mubarak regime -- including intriguing new evidence about Gamal Mubarak's activities. " --ForeignPolicy.com, Best Books on the Middle East, 2011

"The Struggle For Egypt, is a timely, well-researched and lucid political history that sweeps back to the origins of the praetorian dynasty that has ruled Egypt since the 1952 military coup." --The Economist

"Cook's Struggle for Egypt is not just another Arab Spring book but one with lasting relevance for Egypt watchers. With 30 pages of footnotes, a 40-page bibliography and a comprehensive index, it is full of useful reference material, while personal anecdotes provide local flavor and add to the overall appeal . . . Cook's exploration of the history of the regime and the dynamics it produced help place current events in context and provide important insights about how the main protagonists are likely to respond to the evolving order. Even those who know Egypt well will learn something new from this fresh presentation of events." --iddle East Policy

"Cook is a compelling writer who has a knack for memorable openings and knows how to appeal to both a scholarly audience and the interested general reader. The treatment of the recent political changes in The Struggle for Egypt is a master-class in how popular historians can cover sudden developments while still maintaining a focus on a longer period." -- Matthew Partridge, London School of Economics (June 2012)

"This is an excellent introduction to Egypt's politics and the 2011 revolution."--CHOICE

"The Struggle for Egypt is obviously not a rush job written to respond to the recent
high-profile events in Egypt. Instead, it is clearly well researched and well argued and is the result of considerable work and effort." --Mediterranean Quarterly

Book Description

A sweeping account of Egypt in the modern era, ranging from the decline of British rule to the demonstrations that convulsed Tahrir Square

About the Author

Steven A. Cook is the Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. A leading expert on Arab and Turkish politics, Cook is the author of Ruling But Not Governing: The Military and Political Development in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey.

ISBN-10

0199795266
ISBN-13

978-0199795260
Edition

1st
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

October 7, 2011
Language

English
Dimensions

9.3 x 1.2 x 6.5 inches
Print length

424 pages
See all details

Steven A. Cook
48
Hardcover
42 offers from $4.84

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (October 7, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 424 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199795266
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199795260
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.54 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.3 x 1.2 x 6.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,365,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,490 in Egyptian History (Books)
- #4,494 in Middle Eastern Politics
- #88,937 in World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 21 ratings

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4.2 out of 5

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Glaudrung

Great for history buffs.

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is a basic political history from pre-independence to the muslim brotherhood, it focuses on the machinations of the executives. The upside is that this book provides info on an understudied region of history, which is useful to a history student like me. The downside is that it is still a broad subject and many events are only covered in summary. It glosses over the Attrition War, the Golan Front of the Yom Kippur War, terrorism and the retaliation raids. It would have been better if Mr Cook had focused around a particular administration as then he could be more discriptive over how the 'coersive apperatus' works.

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David M. Taub

Excellent history and insight into last 60 years of Egyptian political history

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

Superb recent history of Egypt. Provides important insights to understanding current turmoil gripping Egypt. Highly recommend for anyone interested in comprehensive view of this important Arab state, as well as understanding current events in the Middle East.

2 people found this helpful

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L amérloque

Excellent Historical Summary

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2011

Verified Purchase

I ordered this book to help prepare for a series of talks I was asked to give on Egypt. I've lived there off-and-on over the past twenty years, but I was unsure what to say about current developments there. I found the book to be an excellent historical review of what has happened to make Egypt the place it is today. The predictions for the future were less focused, but who really knows or can say where Egypt is going? This book, while it could be more ambitious in dealing with where Egypt is going, is very good, indeed, on where it has been. Well worth the read.

19 people found this helpful

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Senior consumer

Struggle for Egypt

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2011

Verified Purchase

Excellent book for both history and current content, also interesting for the personalities and quirks of Egypt's leaders. I will use it heavily in my own writing about modern Egypt.

5 people found this helpful

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Zen Nomad

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2011

Verified Purchase

Well informed and highly readable history and analysis of Egypt's recent history. The author created an engaging narrative of the historical events and the repressive regimes leading to its first true revolution. The book is also highly notable for exposing and elucidating the US regional policies and trilateral Egypt/US/Israel relationship that fuel the negative Arab sentiment towards the US.

6 people found this helpful

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Robert M. Tucker

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2016

Good

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2013

Verified Purchase

The content of the book is valuable but was very difficult to find considering the organization of the text. Since I was using this book for a research paper, it was very frustrating and I wound up not really using the book in my paper as a result.

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Lynn A. Carpenter

Readable and relevant

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2013

Verified Purchase

I read this book for course and thought it was excellant. The last half was more interesting than the first half and went much faster. It was helpful in understanding the relationship between Egypt and US and the role Isreal plays in the dynamic.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Rob

Strong overview from pre-Nasser to early 2012

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2012

Verified Purchase

Steven Cook's medium length history of the political scene in Egypt provides a decent overview of what can seem like a political system rooted in despotism. For anyone who doesn't know or remember anything about Egypt pre-Hosni Mubarak, Cook write an interesting and informative guide to how the military launched Nasser to the presidency, and the colonial pressures that pushed the military - specifically a cabal of young offices - to take the action they did.

The Struggle of Egypt neatly explains the main reasons why Egypt has been happy to take American aid whilst simultaneously decrying American patronism of Israel, why many Egyptians are against the unilateral Egypt-Israel peace treaty known as the Camp David Accords (much more to do with anti- colonialism than anti-Semitism), and why the army is seen as the protector of the civilians rather than the police. Cook also discusses in passing why an American democracy agenda is unlikely to work in a country like Egypt - and therefore to a certain extent the rest of the Arab world - and why successive American presidents have supported Mubarak despite this.

The book is not always a seamless read; at occasional points it can read like an undergraduate essay and there are points when the text doesn't flow as well as it might. But overall these are minor points and are fully outweighed by the depth of the research and the author's obvious affinity with the country. If you are looking for a good primer that covers colonialism, Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak then this is the book for you.

maria

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Good!

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