Nasser

To cite an old Egyptian cliché, Nasser (1918-1970) was the 'first Egyptian to rule Egypt since Cleopatra.' Deposing the corrupt king Farouk, abolishing the monarchy and negotiating the withdrawal of the British, Nasser was truly beloved by millions. Even after catastrophic military disaster in the 'Six-Day War' of 1967, having resigned in humiliation, such was his standing that people filled the streets to clamour for his reinstatement. In this captivating profile, Joel Gordon examines the legacy of the famous autocrat, being careful to include his limitations as well as his many strengths. Makers of the Muslim World: This series is devoted to the men and women who made the Muslim world what it is today, be it in political, social, cultural or religious terms. Concise and thoroughly readable, yet drawing on impeccable scholarship, it includes thinkers and doers, figures early and late, in addition to many who were not Muslims by some or even any standards - heretics, apostates, secularists, dhimmis, and pre-Islamic figures. The intention is to introduce those individuals of an Islamic background who lay the foundations not only for the modern Muslim world, but also for the world at large.