Product Description
"The sense one gets from this most interesting book is that the change Nasser wrought in the Egyptian economy was more out of expediency than out of ideological commitment. According to Hosseinzadeh, those who argue that Nasser's development path was noncapitalist or socialist are wrong; he presents their arguments and refutes them. Indeed Egypt's path, he argues, was closer to state capitalism than to any other path. . . . Highly recommended for faculty, advanced undergraduates, and graduate students." Choice ... Read more

Product Description

This comparative analysis probes why conservative renderings of religious tradition in the United States, India, and Egypt remain so influential in the politics of these three ostensibly secular societies.

The United States, Egypt, and India were quintessential models of secular modernity in the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1980s and 1990s, conservative Islamists challenged the Egyptian government, India witnessed a surge in Hindu nationalism, and the Christian right in the United States rose to dominate the Republican Party and large swaths of the public discourse. Using a nuanced theoretical framework that emphasizes the interaction of religion and politics, Scott W. Hibbard argues that three interrelated issues led to this state of affairs.

First, as an essential part of the construction of collective identities, religion serves as a basis for social solidarity and political mobilization. Second, in providing a moral framework, religion's traditional elements make it relevant to modern political life. Third, and most significant, in manipulating religion for political gain, political elites undermined the secular consensus of the modern state that had been in place since the end of World War II. Together, these factors sparked a new era of right-wing religious populism in the three nations.

Although much has been written about the resurgence of religious politics, scholars have paid less attention to the role of state actors in promoting new visions of religion and society. Religious Politics and Secular States fills this gap by situating this trend within long-standing debates over the proper role of religion in public life.

Product Description

Despite the appearance of political and military stability, Egypt may be standing at the edge of a precipice as the state remains grounded in rigid authoritarianism while the population, including a struggling civil society, readies itself to make the leap to democratization. This characterization has far-reaching implications for relations between citizens and the government, as well as Egypt's foreign affairs posture, particularly in the Middle East. State repression of civil, political, and religious actors, the ineffectual provision of social services, and two religious divides, between Coptic Christianity and Islam on the one hand, and secular and conservative Islamic traditions on the other, make for an incendiary domestic environment. The resulting over-reliance on security services to quash dissent could result in a population more amenable to less democratic methods of regime change and/or the development of stronger linkages between regional Islamist groups, whether they be political, militant, or some combination thereof.

Global Security Watch—Egypt explores the historical background that created the current realities in Egypt and examines the players and events influencing the nation today. It concludes with a series of recommendations for the Egyptian political establishment, and for the American government, in the belief that meaningful political and policy changes in Egypt can lead to an improvement in human rights, democracy, justice, stability, and security for Egypt, and an improved partnership between Egypt and the United States.

Product Description
This book examines a key period in the formation of modern Egypt, the early years of military rule following the coup of 1952.The Free Officers, a secret organization of junior officers, overthrew Egypt's parliamentary regime in July 1952 and over the next few years consolidated their rule, brutally suppressing alternative political movements.Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the young officers, emerged as the leader of the military junta and launched an ambitious program for economic development, making Egypt a leader in Arab, African, and non-aligned politics, as well as a model for political mobilization and national development throughout the Third World.Focusing on the goals, programs, successes, and failures of the young regime, Gordon provides the most comprehensive account of the Egyptian revolution to date. Besides bringing to light newly opened American and British sources on the period, Gordon's book is also informed by interviews he conducted with a number of actors and observers of the events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The perfect example of euphoria with power
I can appreciate the first part of the title: "Nasser blessed movement'.
It is to the second part `Egypt's' Free Officers and the July Revolution, that I do not agree.
The July 23rd 1952 was not a Revolution per se.
The book if full of credible reasons behind what happened in 1952 and this additional note is, perhaps, of added value.

The young officers (the majority were in their late twenties and early thirties) started to trickle into army ranks to see how they could secure more votes to have recognizable presence in the Army. The real challenge now was the election of effective members to the Officers Club Board.
The young officers activities this time were more energetic because it came in the middle of the hot summer vacation periods when almost all public officials were out of Cairo (some travelled abroad), including the King who was in Alexandria and planned to travel to Europe for the family yearly recreation.
King Farouk was suspicious of General Mohamed Najib because he realized how far the General was backed by a group of`garrulous boys' (the King's preferred description of the Free Officers). The young officers were still determined to 1) have, for the first time ever, free elections to the Club, 2) try to push many reforms in the army that were past due after the military poor performance against Israel in 1948 and 3) their presence would be felt during the implementation of any reforms.
The King was determined he would never give up to `a bunch of garrulous boys', `the hysterical reckless gang'.......
In fact the king hit on a brilliant debating point, he proposed Ali Najib's candidacy. The King's Divan saw this solution in no way conflicted with the King's honour. (General Ali Najib is the borther of General Mohammad Najib).
Nevertheless, nothing could have delighted the young officers more than Mohammad Najib's election to the Club, but how could it be achieved.
Actually Najib was eloquent that he virtually persuaded key political players to agree to a purely symbolic reforms in the Army beginning with the Officers Club so that the Board would from now on be elected and not appointed by the King as before.

It seemed sensible to ask Najib (a General) to represent the Junta (many had been in the ranks of lieutenants) and to mediate with the King on the overdue reforms.
In the beginning the Junta never thought of deposing the King, all they were after was to seek reforms including the removal of some 'palace cronies' that they all heartily despised. The Palace men were mainly of certain non-Egyptians of Albanian, French, Italians, and Lebanese/Syrian origins.
But all was a frail when they learned King Farouk possessed a complete list of the names of the recalcitrant young officers; Gamal Abdul Nasser's was also mentioned. General Mohamed Najib's name was not there, because to the Egyptian monarch, in specific, and to the monarchy in general, Najib always gave his fidelity and support.

And it was only a matter of time to arrest them all.
So the `movement' was also a means of survival.

It is `blessed' because the recalcitrant Junta could save its neck from the King's noose.
It is blessed because there was no shooting to kill and no `slaughter or bloodshed' during the mid-night operation of July 22nd. And 23rd.
It is blessed because never in history has such Coup occurred by young Junta - with their different political leanings - came to `power' without any plans and/or experience on how to run a Country as big and densely populated as Egypt.
It is blessed because Najib went with it, slow, thoughtful - he knew something was seriously brewing and kept silent - and in his pontifical way and high rank, gave `the movement' the necessary aroma of prestige.

Did Najib ever anticipate the King would be ousted?
I do not think so.
I am sure he must have been mortified to `discover' two things that 1) the Young Officers' have changed their minds and decided the King should abdicate and 2) they took advantage of him.

Mohammed Najib could do no wrong, but the worst was to come in the context of euphoria with power.

... Read more

Product Description
The states of Egypt, India, Mexico, and Turkey have all developed extensive public enterprise sectors and have sought to regulate most economic activities outside the state sector.Their experiences have been typical of scores of developing countries that followed similar paths of industrialization.This study examines the origins of these state sectors, the dynamics of their growth and crises, and the efforts to reform or liquidate them.It is argued that public ownership creates its own culture and pathology that are similar across otherwise different systems.The logic of principal-agent relations under public ownership is so powerful that it swamps culture and peculiar institutional histories.While public sectors accumulate powerful associated interests over time, against most predictions these prove relatively powerless to block the reform process. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume presents a fresh look at Egyptian politics during the Sadat presidency. Beginning with an examination of the political and economic situation bequeathed by Nasser, Kirk Beattie describes Sadat's succession to the presidency and his consolidation of power. His analysis focuses on Sadat's effort to chart a new political and economic path, including the daring October 1973 war, liberalization of Egypt's political economy, the January 1977 food riots, and peace with Israel. Simultaneously, Beattie highlights the important obstacles presented by intra-regime, civilian and foreign opponents to Sadat's various political and economic development strategies, explaining the factors that led to Sadat's assassination. Based on hundreds of interviews with key actors representing diverse political viewpoints, this book provides insight into government and opposition behaviour during Sadat's presidency. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A realistic look at Sadat
Sadat's image is largely a result of his later peacemaking efforts. What is largely neglected by those who learn about Sadat is his early flirtation with Nazi Germany, his acceptance of Nasser's authoritarian regime, his own "correction" of the revolution which placed him in power and, of course, his role as war leader in the October War.

This book looks realistically at Sadat and how we ran Egypt following Nasser's death up to his own assassination. The author looked at primary sources and interviewed many of the key players of those years, opponents and proponents alike, in order to get a clear picture despite the murky nature of Egyptian politics.

This is more of a scholarly work than recreational reading and it helps if you already have a working knowledge of Egypt's recent history. This book gives the reader a clearer look at Sadat the politician, Sadat the leader, Sadat the thinker... in effect, Sadat the human being.

Egypt during the Sadat Years
This book sets a high standard for studies about the Sadat era, and I was very happy to find a used copy in good condition at an affordable price. It will be very useful in my research and writing about modern Egyptian history.

THE resource book for wonks and casual historians alike
Dr. Kirk Beattie's book on Egypt and Sadat is a balanced, authoritative piece of scholarship that isn't weighted with ideology and conjecture. The historical detail is here for diplomats, analysts, political scientists and historians, and so is the broad scope and backgrounding that will benefit the more general reader. Beattie does not write in the dense, impenetrable style necessarily employed by most academics, although his credentials are certainly world-class. Most notably, the scope of his interviews is remarkable, unequaled in any other book on the period. Anyone intersted in comprehending the origins of the ongoing Mideast imbroglio would do well to spend some time with Dr. Beattie's book on Sadat --- as well his previous volume on Egypt under Nasser. ... Read more

Product Description
This work examines both successes and failures of privatization and seeks to adopt a critical approach. The very idea of privatization has been called into question by some commentators, particularly in the context of transport, which often has prominent environmental and social factors to be taken into account. For this reason, this book devotes a chapter to the external environmental and social costs associated with road haulage and its privatization. It can also be seen as part of the increasing body of published work on business logistic and supply chain management. There has been a rapid growth of interest in logistics in recent years as manufacturers, retailers and other members of the supply chain appreciate the benefits of an integrated approach to production, the management of inventory, customer service and transport, particularly when associated with international distribution. The globalization of international business and its supply chains has led to a world-wide demand for higher quality freight transport services by all modes of transport.Most of the literature on logistics is associated with developed countries, particularly in North America and Western Europe, and there is a shortage of published work on logistics for developing countries, which are, nevertheless, part of the same global supply system. Poor transport systems in developing countries reduce the effectiveness of international supply chains and, consequently, the attractiveness of such countries for general industrial investment by overseas corporations. ... Read more

Product Description
The inverse relationship between farm size and productivity is accepted as a "stylized fact" of agriculture in developing countries. This study uses Egyptian fieldwork data to examine factors creating this relationship, and the impact of economic and technological change on the relationship. ... Read more

Product Description
The history of the Islamic movement in Jordan displays glaring contrasts with its counterparts like Egypt, Iran and Syria. In a marked departure from the frequent and bloody confrontations that have characterized Islamic opposition in these countries, the Jordanian Muslim Brothers have been nonviolent and often defended the state vis-à-vis the challenges of radical ideologies. This book explains the state-religion relationship in Jordan in terms of ideology, politics, class formation, and the relationship between the dominant classes and the Muslim Brothers. ... Read more

Product Description
This comparative study examines the experiences that led Egypt and Mexico to embark on their current paths of "development through liberalization" over the course of this century. Nineteen essays by prominent Egyptian, Mexican, and American scholars cover the historical background of development and analyze a range of related topics: agriculture and industry, private and public economic sectors, planning and bureaucratization of the state, population and urbanization, the role of women, and cultural and political development. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of papers on new dimensions in the study of social history of the Middle East delivered at the Cairo Papers Eighth Annual Symposium by Horst Unbehaun, Joseph Massad, Nelly Hanna, Martina Rieker, Khaled Fahmy, and Peter Gran. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Farouk Hosny, Abdel Latif Boghdadi, Rashad Mehanna, Ahmed Orabi, Salah Salem, Hussein Kamel of Egypt, Bahey El Din Barakat Pasha, Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Ahmed Shafik, Hassaballah El Kafrawy, Gamal Salem, Mustafa Khalil, Aziz Sedki, Omar Suleiman, Yousef Wali, Kamal Hassan Ali, Mustafa Kamel Murad, Ahmed El-Leithy, Makram Ebeid, Mahmoud Mohieldin, Hany Mahfouz Helal, Mohamed Nasr Eldin Allam, Ibrahim Shoukry, Yousry Saber Hussein El-Gamal, Ali El-Sayed Ali Al-Moselhi, Mohamed Abd Elsalam Mahgoub, Mokhtar Khattab. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 99. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Farouk Hosny (or Hosni) (Arabic: ) , (born 1938 in Alexandria) is an Egyptian abstract painter who was appointed in 1987 to his current position of Minister of Culture. Hosny was born and grew up in Alexandria. He graduated from Alexandria University's School of Fine Arts in 1964 and upon graduation directed the Al-Anfoushi Cultural Palace for several years. An abstract painter, Hosny held exhibitions worldwide and won the Japanese Soka Gakai International University cultural and peace prize. Between 1971-1978, he was Egypt's cultural attaché in Paris and from 1979 to 1987 served in the same position in Rome, where he also was the director of the Egyptian Academy of Arts. In 1987, Hosny was appointed the Minister of Culture in Egypt from his position in Rome. During his tenure, he expanded state-run exhibition spaces and initiated various cultural programs, including the Horizon One Gallery, the Palace of Arts, Gezira Arts Center, Alexandria Center of Arts, the Modern Dance Troupe and School, the Cairo History Rehabilitation Project (which included a number of Jewish synagogues), the Nubian Museum in Aswan and the Alexandria National Museum (under construction are the Grand Egyptian Museum and ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=3861968 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: List of Prime Ministers of Egypt, List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, List of Ministers of Education of Egypt, List of Ministers of Finance of Egypt. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 30. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: This article is part of the series:Politics and government ofEgypt This page lists the holders of the office of Prime Minister of Egypt. The office was created when Egypt's Council of Ministers was established in August 1878, after Khedive Isma'il Pasha agreed to turn his powers over to a cabinet modeled after those of Europe. Nubar Pasha was thus Egypt's first Prime Minister in the modern sense. Prior to that, Egypt had traditional Muslim-style viziers. Ahmed Nazif, in office since 2004, is the current Prime Minister of Egypt. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=735444 ... Read more

Product Description
Covering the time span from the Paleolithic period to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., the eminent Egyptologist Donald Redford explores three thousand years of uninterrupted contact between Egypt and Western Asia across the Sinai land-bridge. In the vivid and lucid style that we expect from the author of the popular Akhenaten, Redford presents a sweeping narrative of the love-hate relationship between the peoples of ancient Israel/Palestine and Egypt.Covering the time span from the Paleolithic period to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., the eminent Egyptologist Donald Redford explores three thousand years of uninterrupted contact between Egypt and Western Asia across the Sinai land-bridge. In the vivid and lucid style that we expect from the author of the popular Akhenaten, Redford presents a sweeping narrative of the love-hate relationship between the peoples of ancient Israel/Palestine and Egypt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Masterful Study
Naturally as an Egyptologist Redford relates the history of the Near East from the angle of Egyptian activity and thought, beginning from pre-dynastic times and following through to Assyrian empire, focusing mostly on Egyptian intercourse with Syria-Palestine, whether that be in the form of its control over its peoples, trade relations with them, or hostility towards them. (or in the case of the Hyskos, subordination) The origins of several Semitic groups, including the Israelite community, and those of different stock are explained, and there is a tangent of two chapters on the influence of Egypt on the Israelites in the political, ideological, cultic and literary spheres. All the events discussed acuminate with Nebuchadrezzar's destruction of Jerusalem, and an epilogue of two pages ends on a kind of cheesy note. But forgiving this, *Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times* is anything but a cheesy work. This is knitty-gritty historiography which far from 'attractively presents for the lay reader' anything. (see the review comment on the back cover by the *Journal of Palestinian Studies*) Nothing about Redford's book, excepting the pictures, maps, and tables perhaps, is 'lay'. That is, unless the laity in perspective are scholars who just aren't Egyptologists. Those unaccustomed to this kind of reading, with all its jargon and impressive eloquence, will find it overbearingly pedantic. Otherwise, you'll love it, as I did, and it will be easy enough to follow along. The footnotes are usually short and to the point, citing references with little or no comment, so no real worries about a choppy read, eyes moving constantly athwart between main text and footnote. (I hate that for myself) I would like to have seen provided a chronological chart for the periods discussed. I have other ready resources for this, but of course not everyone would. I wouldn't mind a bibliographical list either.

I only gripe with the fact that Redford gets a little caustic when he addresses biblical studies, and gives off the impression that all or most biblical scholars are 'apologists' for the historicity of the biblical tradition. This is misleading and in some cases I would say unfair. His passion for his own field erupts through the pages at this point, as is evident, e.g., from the first-person pronouns used on pp. 268 & 421(when the norm of self-reference everywhere else is 'the present author') and remarks such as: 'At least we can thank such writers for providing us with comic relief.' [n. 113, p. 310] I don't think he should have crossed so antipathic to a field he's not an expert in...then he would not have made a mistake such as: 'The absence of the Exodus tradition from early Biblical material should also be noted.' [n. 76, p. 410]; but then not long later: 'Despite the lateness and unreliability of the story in Exodus, no one can deny that the tradition of Israel's coming out of Egypt was one of long standing. It is found in early poetry (e.g., Exod. 15) and is constantly alluded to by the prophets.' [p. 412] My guess for such a contradiction is that he wrote the footnote some distance prior to discovering and writing the fact of the latter (despite their spatial closeness in the text) and never emended his error. However, on most counts I agree with the points he's making about biblical literature.

I'll be holding on to this one.


Fun Facts:

* There are multiple trivial flaws in this book of the humorous kind, like the sentence on p. 64 ending with a comma ['...and perhaps disease, With all this...']; or the sentence on p. 213 being interrupted by a period when it should have been a comma ['In fact, in the schematized scenes of tribute bringing. Syrian ornamental vases often stand symbolically...']; or the curious 'J. J. Rowley' in n. 11, p. 260 for the proper 'H. H. Rowley'.

* Redford states [p. 257]: 'The patient and observant reader will have noted that, up to this point in our study, no mention has been made of Israel'. This is false. See pp. 172 & 237.

* Redford cites his wife, Susan Redford, once in n. 63, p. 271.

An outstanding work
I will make this review as short as possible without being being useless, I hope.
This is one of the finest books on ancient Israel and Egypt that I have read for a long time for two reasons (1) the author, escapes the trap of being caught up in the mire/maze that can be biblical studies studies and/or Christian origins; (2) with success, challenges many of the prevailing orthodoxies of this area which are nothing more than myth surrounded by very little fact. It is very scholarly, and has to be so, because it is addressing a very complex and difficult field. But it is well worth reading. His other works repay the effort also.

An Impartial and Honest Recount of Egyptian influence on Canaan & Israel

"As well as being scholarly, Redford's work meets my criteria for impartiality and honesty: he provides evidence against his own position and references to dissenting scholars; he uses the same standards for evaluating his own theories and alternatives;... " Danny Yee



Canaan & the Levant:
The land known as Canaan was situated in the territory of the southern Levant which today encompasses Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan and the southern portions of Syria and Lebanon. Many names have been given to this area, throughout ancient times, called by the Egyptians Rhetenu or Kharu, and Canaan by the Syrians of the second millenium BC.
The Levant is an imprecise geographical term, historically referring to a large area in the Middle East south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the northern Arabian Desert and Upper Mesopotamia to the east.

Ancient Egypt, Canaan & Israel:
In a study of Ancient Egypt, and Near Eastern history and archaeology, Donald Redford, an eminent Egyptologist, and a leading Canadian scholar of Near Eastern studies, highlights Egypt's dominant influence on the cultural, political, and religious traditions of the peoples of Assyria, Canaan, and the Israelite during three millennia, to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
This study is a lucid sociopolitical history of the relationship between Egypt and its Northern neighbors taking into account the related biblical studies. Rather than stressing Egyptian origins of clusters of Israelite culture, frequently advanced by most Egyptologists, he points out the long-lasting distinctions and differences between the cultures which prevailed to the SW and the NE of Sinai.

Study Highlights:
Exploring three thousand years of social anthropology, from prehistoric times to the Hyksos, and the continuing influential contacts across Sinai, between Egypt and its northern neighbors, with resulting resentment of the ancient superpower cultural influence and military superiority by the peoples of Canaan& the Levant. Starting with the prehistory of Egypt and drawing on archaeological evidence from the Levant, compared to Biblical history, the study then explores the Egyptian New Kingdom and its Empire in Asia.
Redford begins by considering some of the differing theories about the origins of the Hebrews, and the relationship between Egypt and the monarchy in Israel. At the end of the study, the biblical 'four great origin traditions' : the Creation accounts, the Table of Nations, the Sojourn and Exodus narratives, and the story of Joseph are discussed, within the historical context in which they were written.

Papyrus Ipuwer & Exodus:
The theme of this work has previously been taken either as a lament inspired by the supposed chaos, or as historical fiction depicting the fall of the Old Kingdom (pp. 63/67) several centuries earlier, or possibly a combination of both. This ancient Egyptian poem is preserved in Leiden Papyrus I 344. Ipuwer describes Egypt as afflicted by natural disasters and in a state of social collapse. The poor have become rich, and the rich poor, and warfare, famine and death are everywhere. One symptom of this collapse is the lament that servants are leaving their servitude and acting rebelliously. Because of this, and such statements as "the River is blood", some have interpreted the document as an Egyptian account of the Plagues of Egypt and the Exodus in the Hebrew Bible, and it is often cited as proof for the Biblical account by various biblicalauthorities.

End of Last Repository:
"The political defeats of 586 and 525 B.C. were destined ultimately to exert a deleterious influence on the intellectual life of both Egypt and the Levant. The reputation of Egypt for metaphysical inquiry into imponderables, which brought many a Greek of the seventh and sixth centuries to the feet of an Egyptian priest, vanished in the fifth and fourth,... The dominance of foreigners in the affairs of Egypt and Judah set the intelligentsia in both communities in a defensive posture." Epilogue, page 470

Qualified Reviews:
"What distinguishes this study is the perspective of an Egyptologist who approaches the subject of ancient Egypt and Israel without the usual preconceptions and emphases found in the studies emanating from biblical studies scholars." Paula Nielson, Loyola Marymount University.
In a book review, Danny Yee comments that, "Christians or Jews raised on 'orthodox' accounts of Israelite history may find some of it disturbing, but should persist unless they are literalists -- Redford is not out to discredit the Bible, he is just determined to treat it as one historical source amongst others."

Sometimes a tough slog, but worth it
Redford has probably read every ancient inscription and has knowledge of every archiological site in Egypt-Middle east - as well as knowledge of every language written then. For the serious scholar of the region, book a must, both for its detail and his debunking of past popular "reasoning" about events in the area. For the casual reader, at times irritatingly challenging - he uses proper and place names often with no previous reference and maps are very sparse, and in tiny print. However, the overall sweep of history he presents is fascinating, but the sidebars - often for pages - into minutae a bit hairpulling - but, then again, one can skip these sections.

Truly Profound in its Scope ...
This book is excellent in its usage of facts that no other author had thought of using ... Intellectually elite -- it is used on my own website often for excerpts ... ... Read more