The second edition of this lucid and accessible work rapidly established itself as a textbook for universities and colleges. This new edition brings it further up to date and places the achievements and failures of President Mubarak in context. The new material includes an examination of Egypt's role in the Gulf Crisis. The book is divided by topic and areas covered include: * The political ideologies of Presidents Nasser and Sadat * The economic problems facing the nation * The role of Islam in politics and in society * Egyptian culture and literature