"Cairo: The City Victorious," by Max Rodenbeck
Rodenbeck, both a Cairo resident and a Middle East reporter for the Economist, offers an intimate portrait of his city in a book that The Los Angeles Times called "a rich pudding ... filled with morsels of ancient history and modern vignettes, medieval lore and contemporary gossip." This is a book that manages to be travelogue, history, tour guide, and compelling read, all rolled into one.