Nasser: The Last Arab

by Saïd K. Aburish

Book Overview

Since the death of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1970 there has been no ideology to capture the imagination of the Arab world except Islamic fundamentalism. Any sense of completely secular... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031228683X
• ISBN13: 9780312286835
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 355 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

""The Last Arab"" deserves attention....

Nasser died at 52. During the last year of his regime he looked a haggard person who walked as though he would faint at any moment. In his thirties 'Fear' was never a predominant factor influencing his decisions. The people, though, had not been responsive enough to keep pace with Nasser's ambitions for progress and improvement. The man was a 'workoholic'- 18 hours per day. Nasser was firm (but not a dictator). He did not use his 'office' for personal benefits - conflict of interest -neither for him nor for members of his family. He's a soldier to the fingertip and, therefore, had a thorough vigilance of the 'politicians', but the dead hand of bureaucracy lingered on. After the 1967 six days war with Israel, Nasser was emotionally devastated. It was the feeling of impotence and frustration, that he could do nothing, which made the condition of his health so awful. I believe the author should have elaborated the above points more forcefully.........

Nasser and the dynamics of Arab nationalism

Arab nationalism was a movement that has many believers, it was seen as the key which will unit the Arab nations under one banner. For over a decade it had a charismatic leader who was able to move people in a way no Arab leader has been able to do since. The book examines its leader, his dreams and nightmares. He faced enormous odds from outside powers and within the Arab world itself. No ordinary person could have withstood so much sacrifice with little to show for it, yet Nasser still keep faith that what he believed in was right. Although he never won a war nor did any of his ambitious dreams come true, the people loved him with all their hearts. Its is amazing to me that even though he failed in almost everything he tried, he was so genuine in his concern for the people that they were willing to forgive him and continue to support him till his death. There is much to be said for such a man.

A must-read book!!

For everybody, and Arabs in particular, interested in knowing more about the inside of politics in the Arab world, honestly you should not miss reading this wonderful piece of Aburish's. Aburish has fascinatingly given the very looked-for picture of Nasser. A picture of a person who was a dreamer and became a leader. A picture of a person who has been and will continue to be well-respected all over the Arab world. A picture of a person who never sought elitism, richness or anything of the sort. A picture of a person who always gave preference for his own people, and the list goes on.... It is thought-provoking as it allows one to know more of the infiltrators, the double-dealers and the traitors who are scattered all over the Arab world at the time of Nasser and in the now passing time. This is not an overstatement, read and you will see for yourself.

one of the best biographies of Nasser

This is one of the best biographies of Gamal Abdel Nasser and I think and it will be a classic under the Nasser biographies. I read many books about Nasser and to say it in the words of the author Nasser is one of the most fasinating figures of the last century. To understand the cold war and the middle east in the middle of the last century this book is a must for every one who wants to understand the key figures of that time. These book sheds new light on the man and the policy of Gamal Abdel Nasser.

A revolutionary biography

In a new revolutionary biography this book delves into many new meanings of the life of Nasser. Nasser served as the leader of Egypt from roughly 1952 tom 1970. These 18 years were dominated by radical social change in Egypt, two wars with Israel, the loss of the Sinai and the conflict in Yemen. Nasser embodied the `free officers' movement and pan Arab nationalism. Nasser made inroads with Ba'athists of Syria and Damascus. But most of all as this book sheds light on, Nasser was an Nasser's confrontation with Radical Political Islam, a phenomenon that the text argues has now come to dominate the Arab world. Nasser opposed what we call `Wahhibism' or `Fundamental Islamism' and he fought against it openly in the Yemen while making sure to support secularists like Asad and rounding up the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt which was funded by the Saudis and had tried to assassinate him. This impassioned book written by eminent Arab scholar Aburish, who previously wrote studies or Arafat, Saddam and the House of Saud, calls on people to have renewed interest in Arab Nationalism, which Nasser embodied. This book sheds light ont he inner workings of arab politics. A wonderful read, anyone interested in the Modern Arab world, Arab civilization, Egyptian politics, or the inner struggle against radical Islam will enjoy this wonderful biography.Seth J. Frantzman