Book reviews: Modern Egyptian history

http://www.meforum.org/article/1679

This page on the Middle East Forum website might well be of interest to some visitors. It lists a number of books that look at modern Egyptian history. The page is introduced as follows: "Although its glory days may be past, Egypt remains an important player in regional politics. With almost eighty million people, it has by far the largest Arab population. While there may be twenty-two members of the Arab League, one in three Arabs is Egyptian. And although Islamists question the legitimacy of many Arab states formed in the wake of World War I, Egypt has a recognized legacy going back millennia. Because Egypt is one of only three Arab states to have full diplomatic relations with Israel, it retains an elevated position as a diplomatic intermediary. Despite its importance, though, recent literature on Egypt is scarce.
Since the 1952 Free Officers' coup which brought Gamal Abdel Nasser (r. 1952-70) to power, the Egyptian government has grown more opaque. Scholarly access is limited. Most scholars divide modern Egyptian history into three periods: post-French invasion modernization, 1798-1919; the liberal period, 1919-52; and the post-1952 order. Recent books about Egypt generally cover only three issues: history, politics, and Islamism. Major topics remain unaddressed: Few authors examine in depth Egypt's religious minorities or internal regional identities. Studies of the Egyptian army—from which have come Egypt's past three leaders—are sparse."

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