Holger Albrecht

Holger Albrecht's study of the various Egyptian opposition movements under Mubarak is classic horizontal (rather than vertical) analysis. That is to say, it offers a well-organized typology/description of the various sites and kinds of political resistance, but not much indication of whence they came to be. And indeed that seems to be his purpose so I prefer to acknowledge the strengths of this book.

As Hugh Roberts says (in the LRB: rel="nofollow" target="_top">http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n17/hugh-roberts/the-revolution-that-wasnt), Albrecht offers a "good account" of the Kifaya movement of 2005, as well as other moments and movements of resistance (of varying degrees) that have transpired in the past decades.

Albrecht writes in formal, rather dry, not entirely idiomatic English, but I think this book is destined to be seen as a very reliable guide to a much-discussed piece of history—bolstered by a lot of interviews with significant figures. I recommend it as background/context reading, though, rather than as a first stop for the general reader.… (más)