In this authoritative analysis, Alison Pargeter follows the twists and turns of the Muslim Brotherhood as it battled through the years of oppression under authoritarian regimes to finally become a key and legitimate political actor. From Egypt and Syria to Tunisia and Libya, the Brotherhood and its affiliates are now faced with the complex task of transforming themselves from semi-clandestine opposition movements into legitimate political actors and, in some cases, into ruling powers.

1. Conflicting Currents: The Egyptian Ikhwan in Opposition. -- 2. From Diplomacy to Arms and Back to Diplomacy: The Evolution of the Syrian Ikhwan. -- 3. The International Tanzeem: Myth or Reality? -- 4. A School of Thought: The Ikhwan in Europe. -- 5. The Ikhwan and Violence. -- 6. The Arab Spring: From Opposition to Power. -- Conclusion: The Challenges Ahead.