EGYPT AND THE SUDAN.

By Robert O.Collins '54 and Robert L. Tignor. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,1967. 180 pp. $4.95 ($1.95 paperbound).

Egypt and the Sudan is a short, successful summary and analysis of the modern history of two sister nations. The book emphasizes that the Sudan no less than Egypt is "the gift of the Nile" and that the great river itself is the constant that always has linked the destinies of the two countries.

The authors present their story in a context that relates a variety of environmental and geographic realities as well as premodern events to current happenings. But the work does exhibit a unifying theme: that the events that enliven the recent history of the Nile valley are only symptomatic of a complex, underlying contest between forces representing continuity - the old — against those championing change - the new. This battle between traditionalism and modernism still rages today in post-revolutionary Egypt and post-independent Sudan. Despite the seeming pervasiveness of nationalist and revolutionary fervor millions in both nations - probably the majority of the populace within the two states - still give ultimate loyalty to attitudes, expectations, and practices more attuned to Pharaonic times than to the second half of the twentieth century.

Ail in all, the writers have used admirable judgment and emphasize topics that clarify rather than obscure the major trends is Egyptian and Sudanese history. Moreover, their judicious use of factual materials illustrates these movements well. Two sections of the work are particularly interesting. The pages detailing the gensis and early progress of the 1952 Egyptian revolution indicate that the revolutionaries were far less guided by radical ideological notions than often is supposed. Equally arresting is the substantial chapter treating the time of British dominance in the Nile valley. Because they are both specialists on the period, the authors are especially convincing when dealing with the recent colonial past. Their remarks on the subject stand as the synthesis of a great deal of research and reflection on the original sources.

Egypt and the Sudan is written in an engaging style. It displays an overall unity that often is lacking in collaborations. It is a work that can be read pleasurably and profitably by scholars as well as by the literate general reader. Since it is available in an inexpensive paperback version, hopefully this fine little book will attract a large readership.

Associate Professor of History