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Soldiers, Spies, and Statesmen:Egypt’s Road to Revolt
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Gripping analysis of Egypt’s transformation from military regime to police state, on the road to revolution
One of the most momentous events in the Arab uprisings that swept across the Middle East in 2011 was the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak. As dramatic and sudden as this seemed, it was only one further episode in an ongoing power struggle between the three components of Egypt’s authoritarian regime: the military, the security services, and the government. A detailed study of the interactions within this invidious triangle over six decades of war, conspiracy, and sociopolitical transformation, Soldiers, Spies, and Statesmen is the first systematic analysis of recent Egyptian history.
This paperback edition, updated to incorporate events in 2013, provides the background necessary to understanding how the military rebranded itself as the defender of democracy and ousted Mubarak’s successor, Muhammad Morsi. Impeccably researched and filled with intrigue, Soldiers, Spies, and Statesmen is an indispensable guide for anyone trying to fathom what this latest development means for Egypt’s future.
Reviews
Soldiers, Spies and Statesmen serves as an indispensable read for anyone seeking clarity on the ongoing struggle between the military, security and political apparatuses of Egypt’s autocracy.
Hazem Kandil has written a brilliant revisionist account of the origins of the Egyptian Revolution. He focuses on how the regime’s repressive forces fell apart, making revolution possible. I found it eye-opening and convincing—a triumph.
This is a fascinating book that should be required reading for anybody interested in Egypt’s past and what happens next. It gives a unique insight into what the military and security forces were thinking and doing, and why they were not the monolithic force that most had imagined.
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Meticulous documentation, engaging style and skilful weaving of complex phenomena into a coherent narrative.
Times Higher Education -
By placing the struggle between the military, security forces, and the presidency at the heart of Egyptian politics and then mining a rich trove of relevant information, Kandil provides the most coherent, persuasive account available—from the rise of Nasser to the fall of Mubarak.
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The best account of Egypt’s central power structure in the last two decades.
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If you want to understand the underlying forces and mechanisms of Egypt’s recent revolutionary turmoil, you couldn’t find a more informative book than this ... an invaluable contribution to our understanding of Middle Eastern political and our comprehension of its mechanism of revolutionary change in general.
Morning Star