Scholars and writers often encounter problems when conducting research on Egypt because of the scarcity or inaccessibility of information about the lives of significant historical figures. Responding to that gap in coverage, this desk reference provides biodata, biographical sketches, and source material for approximately five hundred men and women who have played a major role in Egypt’s national “This is a remarkable—and remarkably useful—scholarly acheivement... Spanning politics, economics, religious affairs, and cultural life, thorough but lively biographical entries comprise a unique and important addition to Western-language scholarship on Egypt; and the bibliographical material is equally impressive in range.” — James Jankowski

Arthur Goldschmidt, Jr. is professor of Middle East history at Pennsylvania State University, and author of many works, including A Concise History of the Middle East (AUC Press 1997).