Robert L. Tignor - Egypt. A Short History [2011][A]

Book Description
Publication Date: October 2, 2011
This is a sweeping, colorful, and concise narrative history of Egypt from the beginning of human settlement in the Nile River valley 5000 years ago to the present day. Accessible, authoritative, and richly illustrated, this is an ideal introduction and guide to Egypt's long, brilliant, and complex history for general readers, tourists, and anyone else who wants a better understanding of this vibrant and fascinating country, one that has played a central role in world history for millennia--and that continues to do so today.
Respected historian Robert Tignor, who has lived in Egypt at different times over the course of five decades, covers all the major eras of the country's ancient, modern, and recent history. A cradle of civilization, ancient Egypt developed a unique and influential culture that featured a centralized monarchy, sophisticated art and technology, and monumental architecture in the form of pyramids and temples. But the great age of the pharaohs is just the beginning of the story and Egypt: A Short History also gives a rich account of the tumultuous history that followed--from Greek and Roman conquests, the rise of Christianity, Arab-Muslim triumph, and Egypt's incorporation into powerful Islamic empires to Napoleon's 1798 invasion, the country's absorption into the British Empire, and modern, postcolonial Egypt under Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak.
This book provides an indispensable key to Egypt in all its layers--ancient and modern, Greek and Roman, and Christian and Islamic. In a new afterword the author analyzes the recent unrest in Egypt and weighs in on what the country might look like after Mubarak.

Reviews
"Robert L. Tignor's ambitious Egypt: A Short History stretches from the Predynastic age to the present, tying the various periods together in a continuous 5,000-year narrative to create a lengthy history told in a short book. . . . Tignor writes with an easy, assured style, and his history becomes more focused and more authoritative as it progresses. He tells us it was conceived as an alternative guidebook for discerning tourists wishing to learn about more than just pyramids and pharaohs: as such--as an enjoyable book written by someone who clearly knows and loves Egypt and the Egyptians--it serves its purpose very well."--Financial Times

"Thorough, engaging, and accessible. . . . Concise and yet engagingly vivid, this outstanding little book should be enjoyed by any reader interested in Egypt or Middle Eastern history."--Joan W. Gartland, Library Journal

"Ambitious in scope, Egypt: A Short History provides an informative and readable account for the interested general reader."--Anthony Gorman, Times Higher Education

"One could not write a better account of Egypt's history--a gift from a master historian at the conclusion of his career."--Henry E. Chambers, Middle East Journal

"If you love Egypt, then this book is an excellent introduction to its multi-faceted history and culture."--Ancient Egypt

"Senior history Tignor presents an elegant yet accessible survey that carries readers from predynastic times to the present. Illustrated with 25 color plates, two maps, and six figures, this work aims to please the sophisticated reader whose objective is to learn the broad contours of Egyptian political, economic, and religious history. . . . Students, tourists, travelers, and businesspersons alike will find this a useful text."--Choice

"[An] excellent summation of the flow of Egyptian history."--Morris L. Bierbrier, Egyptian Archaeology

"Tignor's book has arrived on bookshelves at a most fortuitous time, when the number of . . . general readers seeking information about Egypt is greatly enlarged, given the extensive media coverage of the 'Arab spring' of 2011. In Egypt: A Short History, this audience will find an invaluable guide to the impulses that have stirred Egyptians in both the recent and the distant past."--Paul Sedra, Journal of World History

"Clear prose, personal vignettes from his own travels to Egypt, perspectives and scenes familiar to any tourist in Cairo and Alexandria, and fine scholarship are all brought together in a book that could easily become a reference title for future generations, a title to be consulted by all those wishing to travel to that magical land."--Lavinia Stan, European Legacy

From the Back Cover
"From Hyksos chariots to Egypt's latest venture in the desert, Egypt: A Short History is vintage Robert Tignor: concise, straightforward, and comprehensive. He manages to introduce primers on the sects of Islam, the trajectory of the Ottoman Empire, and other subjects ranging well beyond Egypt. And he gives fair warning: if you want to be mummified, your brain will be drawn out through your nose."--John Waterbury, American University of Beirut

"This is a masterpiece. In simple and accessible prose, Robert Tignor builds on his long and deep familiarity with Egyptian history, politics, and economy. The reader comes away with an understanding of what propels Egyptian history over the ages, and an appreciation of the key questions that beleaguer modern Egypt. This book will be of enormous value for general readers, students, and tourists."--Khaled Fahmy, New York University

It's rare to get the entire history of Egypt between the covers of one book, but that is what this book does, providing a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable sweep through Egyptian history. Robert Tignor is a great historian and this marvelous book displays his tremendous skill, experience, and knowledge."--J. G. Manning, Yale University

About the Author
Robert L. Tignor is the Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Emeritus, at Princeton University, where he taught for forty-six years and served as chair of the History Department for fourteen years. He is the author of several previous books on Egyptian history.