The new pharaohs

摘要

Itmay not be as big as India or China, but Egypt is, like them, an ancient country that has contributed mightily to civilisation, remains central to its region and is also in the grip of momentous change. Strange, then, that despite continued fascination with ancient Egypt, so little aside from turgid academic tomes or breathless journalistic accounts has been published about the current condition of the most populous country in the turbulent Middle East, and among the most influential. "Egypt on the Brink" is a slim book, simply written and easy to understand, and it goes a long way to filling this void.