Modern Egypt

Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer (1841-1917), was a British statesman and colonial administrator. After a successful career in the War Office he was appointed the Controller General of Egypt in 1879. After the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War, Baring became Consul General of Egypt, a position he held until his resignation in 1907. Modern Egypt, published in 1908 and revised in 1910, can be regarded as his justification for his actions in Egypt, and has been described as ‘one of the classic works of Victorian imperialist writing’. It explains why Britain became involved in Egypt, when the collapse of the economy threatened the political stability of the region. Subsequently Britain and France took dual control, to keep Ottoman Turkey out, and to protect access to the Suez Canal. Cromer was an influential player in the events he describes, and, allowing for bias, the book remains a valuable record.