The Journey to Tahrir

The toppling of Hosni Mubarak marked the beginning of a revolutionary restructuring of Egypt’s political and social order. Jeannie Sowers and Chris Toensing bring together updated essays from Middle East Report—the premier journal covering the region—that offer unrivaled analysis of the major social and political trends that underpinned these tumultuous events.

Starting with the momentous eighteen days of street protest that compelled Mubarak’s resignation, the volume moves back in time to plumb the state’s strategies of repression and examine the mounting dissent of workers, democracy advocates, anti-war activists, and social and environmental campaigners. Leading analysts of Egypt detail the demographic and economic trends that produced wealth for the few and impoverishment for the many. The collection brings clear-headed, first-hand understanding to bear on a moment of intense hope and uncertainty in the Arab world’s most populous nation.“Middle East Report is the best periodical (in English) on the Middle East—bar none.”—Rashid Khalidi

“No person, specializing or not in Middle Eastern affairs, can afford to ignore Middle East Report.”—Eric Rouleau

“A great way to review late Mubarak Egypt and the January 2011 uprising.”—The Arabist

“Whatever the future holds for Egypt, The Journey to Tahrir offers a useful compendium for understanding the roads traveled to this point.”—Publisher's Weekly

“A great special issue of an academic journal.”—Foreign PolicyJeannie Sowers is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire. Her research focuses on the intersection of politics and the environment in the Middle East and Egypt in particular.

Chris Toensing is the executive director of the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) and editor of Middle East Report.