Return to the Shadows ― The Rise and Fall of the Muslim Brotherhood

"One of the best current analysts of Islamic radicalism"Jason Burke, author ofThe 9/11 Wars

"A brilliant and clear-eyed analyst" The Guardian UK

The Arab Spring heralded the most profound shift in the region for decades. Most notably, it saw the emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood and affiliated movements in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. But navigating their respective countries through difficult and painful transitions ultimately proved too challenging, and, just as suddenly, the Brotherhood was dramatically overthrown in Egypt and left severely weakened in Libya and Tunisia.

In this authoritative account, Alison Pargeter expertly charts the Brotherhood's ascent and subsequent fall from power. Based on extensive research and exclusive interviews with high ranking members of the Brotherhood and An-Nahda, she offers the first comparative analysis of the movement, and the first detailed study of the Brotherhood in Libya.

As the political crisis within the movement worsens, Pargeter considers the consequences of the Brotherhood's decline on both the region and the wider Islamist political project.

Alison Pargeter is an analyst specialising in the Middle East and North Africa. She has held academic positions at the University of Cambridge and Kings College, London, and is now a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI). Her previous publications include The Muslim Brotherhood: From Opposition to Power,The New Frontiers of Jihad: Radical Islam in Europe, and Libya: The Rise and Fall of Gaddafi.