Historians will undoubtedly record that the events of September 11th, 2001 were a turning point for policy makers and politicians in the United States of America. America faced a new kind of security threat, the response to which would spark a series of difficult chain-reactions and challenge core national values. More than six years on, America is still grappling with the question of how to respond, both domestically and internationally, to the terrorist threat.

The nineteen perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks were not American citizens; they were foreign born and held foreign passports. To Western eyes, the threat thus came from a far away place. In every sense of the word, the terrorists were ‘alien.’ Following the initial shock of the attacks, many in the West felt driven to understand “the Muslim world” (with much of that world being in, and of, the West) and the environment believed to have produced this new, very foreign, threat.

“…. A fresh take…the work of an engaged observer…” (Times Literary Supplement) 

“…considers Egypt’s recent uprisings and descent into military rule… Hellyer writes engagingly…” (Foreign Affairs) 

“In short, the book was a brilliant read, and at times, painstakingly detailed…” (Huffington Post) 

“meticulously unpicks the struggle for power that began after Mubarak stepped down, going beyond simplistic depiction of Egypt’s post-revolutionary politics as a battle between a (secular) military and so-called deep state against an Islamist or religious opposition.” (Financial Times)