Liberation Square: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation

This compelling, nuanced, and engaging account of the end of Hosni Mubarak’s 29-year reign describes “an intellectually bankrupt and cynical blank space of a regime” that collapsed, leading to a tectonic shift of power. Egyptian-American journalist Khalil, writing for Foreign Policy and the Times of London, blends astute observations with reportage of the demonstrations as they unfolded, sketching out parallel rationales for the downfall of “a Middle Eastern dictatorial Forrest Gump” whose internal security apparatus broke down after its vilest abuses were widely publicized. In addition, he explores the role of social media in sustaining revolutionary energy and provides riveting accounts of the January demonstrations that clinched the end of the regime. The withering scorn heaped on the toppled government is deliciously expressed: “The final days of the Mubarak regime featured a multitude of generally shameless, desperate, and tone-deaf reactions and tactics.” While it is left to Middle East scholars and political scientists to parse the next chapters in revolutionary Egypt’s staggeringly complex story, Khalil’s account is essential reading, evoking the urgency and vitality of the Arab spring’s Egyptian chapter. The author’s decades of experience and seasoned skepticism point up the central truth of the uprising and the government’s failed response: “Mubarak still didn’t get it: The problem was him.” Agent: David Patterson, Foundry Literary + Media. (Jan.)