By looking at Gramsci through a sophisticated and less usual political economy lens, Roccu has written a brilliant and convincing reconstruction of the short-lived honeymoon between Egyptian elites and neoliberalism in the 2000s. This book offers a fresh perspective from which to understand some of the reasons behind Mubarak's fall in 2011 as well as some suggestions for reading the ... Read moremost recent events in Egypt. - Gennaro Gervasio, British University in Egypt This is a fluently written and convincing account of the ways in which neoliberalism plays itself out through the structures of the Egyptian state. Dr Roccu's confident and authoritative use of a Gramscian perspective to examine and explain the unraveling of Mubarak's political hegemony casts new light on the causes of the uprising of 2011. At the same time, it serves as a reminder of the lasting importance of Gramsci's thought. This is all the more necessary as the turmoil and violence of Egyptian politics continue to illuminate the troubled conditions of decayed hegemony. - Charles Tripp, SOAS, University of London, UK Show Less