Cook's argument is solid, coherent and well supported by the empirical data he provides. -- Omar Ashour International Affairs 2007 Cook has produced a sensitive, insightful analysis of the political role of the military in three Middle Eastern countries... Recommended. Choice 2008 Cook's book makes an important contribution to the literature on persistent authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa. -- Stephen J. King Political Science Quarterly 2008 An impressive comparative study of the disputed political regimes of Algeria, Egypt, and Turkey... will likely initiate a new literature on the international and domestic efforts necessary to democratize the Middle East. -- Huseyin Alptekin Insight Turkey 2009