William Wallace or Inside Egypt

William Wallace: Brave Heart

Author: James MacKay

Sir William Wallace of Ellerslie, now the subject of a major film, is one of history's greatest heroes, and one of its greatest enigmas - a figure whose edges have been blurred by myth and legend. Even the date and place of his birth have been mis-stated. This biography tells of a man who, without wealth or noble birth, rose to become the Guardian of Scotland. It describes the heroism and betrayal, the valiant deeds and attrocities, and the struggle of a small nation against a brutal empire.

Look this: First Mothers or Fixing Failed States

Inside Egypt: The Land of the Pharaohs on the Brink of a Revolution

Author: John R Bradley

Five decades after Nasser and the Free Officers overthrew the British-backed monarchy in a dramatic coup d'état, the future of Egypt grows more uncertain by the day. John Bradley examines the junctions of Egyptian politics and society as they slowly disintegrate under the twin pressures of a ruthless military dictatorship at home and a flawed Middle East policy in Washington. Inside Egypt is a tour-de-force of the most brutal Arab state where torture and corruption are endemic--but one that is also a key U.S. all and a historic regional trendsetter. This uniquely insightful book brings to vivid life Egypt's competing identities and political trends, as the Mubarak dynasty struggles to resolve a succession crisis and the disciplined Islamists wait patiently in the wings for a chance to seize power.

Nader Entessar Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information - School Library Journal

Egypt has long played a pivotal role in the Arab world's cultural and political development. Today, one out of four Arabs is an Egyptian. Furthermore, Egypt is crucial to Washington's strategic goals in the Middle East. However, as journalist Bradley (Saudi Arabia Exposed) demonstrates, Egypt suffers from a host of sociopolitical and economic problems that are undermining the government's stability. In this highly readable and thoughtful volume, Bradley provides a devastating critique of Egypt's current dictatorial government. He traces the evolution of Egypt's authoritarianism from the end of the monarchy in 1952 (and the emergence of Nasserism) to the Mubarak regime. His fluency in Egyptian Arabic allows him to see Egypt and its myriad social problems through the eyes of ordinary people who are the real victims of the pervasive corruption, torture, and other degradation of life in that country. In addition, as Bradley clarifies, its pro-Western dictatorship makes Egypt Washington's favored destination for the practice of "rendition," which sends individuals overseas to be tortured. This book is aimed at the general reader, but scholars would also benefit from the author's keen insight. Recommended for academic and public libraries.

Kirkus Reviews

Journalist Bradley (Saudi Arabia Exposed, 2005) trains a sharp reportorial eye on the nearly failed nation-state in the cross hairs of world conflict. The author doesn't dwell too long on Egypt's storied past. Instead, he gives a blistering overview of what it's like to live today in this autocratic, hopelessly corrupt society. The Egypt he depicts is a place where anyone can be jailed or tortured at any time for no reason, where Islamic fundamentalism is slowly gaining a foothold among people formerly proud of their diverse heritage, where in some places the only viable form of employment for young men is prostitution, both gay and straight. Bradley also examines why the United States spends $2 billion per year propping up President Hosni Mubarak ("the third-longest-ruling Egyptian leader in the past four thousand years"), despite his crackdowns on anything approaching democracy and his blatant favoring of anything that will bring in more tourist dollars over the best interests of the Egyptian populace. Mubarak is able to gin up American interest, the author notes, by playing up the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood, a nominally political organization that provides social services far more efficiently than the government does and wants to reinstate the Caliphate. Needless to say, Bradley isn't hopeful about the future, fearing that an Iranian-style theocracy is in the cards for a once-proud nation whose pedigree dates back more than 5,000 years. Unlikely to win the author any friends among the Egyptian political elite, but terrifically well told and extremely sobering.