Extending deconstructive theory to historical and political analysis, Timothy Mitchell examines the peculiarity of Western conceptions of order and truth through a re-reading of Europe's colonial encounter with nineteenth-century Egypt.

Timothy Mitchell is Professor, Department of Middle East and Asian Studies, Columbia University.

"An important and seminal addition to Middle East Studies."—Mervat Hatem, Middle East Journal

"This book is not so much about Egypt as it is about the 'mischief' of the West, a mischief dependent on a political metaphysics of its own. . . . The book is written with great tact and decency, and suggests just how much is at stake in understanding the radical nature of colonialism as a form of power."—Helen Pringle, Politics

"Colonising Egypt focuses on the intellectual and political impact of Europe on 19th century Egypt and argues for a critical repositioning of the study of colonial history. Drawing on the methodologies of contemporary European intellectuals such as Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida, Mitchell relocates the significance of these theories within a global context."—Barbara Harlow, Middle East Report