Petrie (1853-1942) was an English Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaelogy and preservation of artefacts. He was also affiliated with a variety of far right-wing groups and anti-democratic thought in England and was a dedicated follower of eugenics. In this work published in 1907 his aim, according to his preface, is to "essay an understanding of some of the various principles which underlie the course of political movements in the present age."