Grandmasta just finished two great books on Egypt that need to be added to the MediaShack Bookshelf.

The first is Egypt  from Independence to Revolution, 1952-1952 by Selma Botman (1991, Syracuse U).  Historians of Egypt tend to ignore this period, acting as if the country’s modern history suddenly started in 1952.   One can find dozens of works on the Nasser and Sadat eras, but very little on what came directly before it.  Therefore, anyone interested in 20th century  Egyptian history should read Botman’s book which, while not providing earth-shattering analysis, is a solid survey history of this period, which Egyptians increasingly consider their Golden Age of Democracy.

Also added  is The Sphinx  and the Commissar; The Rise and Fall of Soviet Influence in the Middle East by Mohamed Hussanein Heikal.  Few contemporary Arab intellectuals are as polarizing as Mohamed Heikal and Grandmasta has met more than a few Egyptians who hate him.  But, whatever one thinks of the former editor of Al-Ahram, his books are essential for those interested in Strategic political issues of the Middle East.  The Sphinx and the Commissar features 300 pages of excellent coverage of the Soviet Union’s role in the Middle East.   For students of Middle Eastern politics, its a gold-mine of strategic analysis.

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