It is difficult to be neutral about Egypt. For centuries it has been a citadel of Islamic learning and thought, and since the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979, it has been of immense strategic importance to American interests in the Middle East. But - as the 1997 massacre of foreign tourists at Luxor made clear - Egypt is also a country in crisis, torn between the old and the new, between unsettled religious revival and secular politics.

In a Portrait of Egypt, acclaimed New Yorker writer Mary Anne Weaver argues that an Islamist victory in Egypt is almost inevitable, and unlike that of Shi'ite Iran, its impact on the Islamic world will be truly profound. Even among scholars who normally shun domino theories of history, there is a growing concern that if Egypt "goes Islamic," so could much of the Arab world.

Based on exclusive interviews with militants and front men, generals and presidents, A Portrait of Egypt is a brilliant, eye-opening account of the world of militant Islam, essential reading for anyone trying to understand the far-reaching consequences of the growing impact of Islamist politics and policies on the West.