This study is a significant step in clarifying identity in the Arab provinces during the 19th century regarding both the Ottoman Empire and within the provinces themselves.
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Examining the rise of patriotism in nineteenth-century Egypt, Arab Patriotism delves into Egypt's identity during this crucial period. Mestyan paints a detailed and animated picture of a rich cultural landscape that was intricately connected to a fraught political scene. This pioneering and compelling book presents original work, previously unknown even by specialists of early modern Egyptian history. -Khaled Fahmy, American University in Cairo Filling a major gap in the historiography of modern Egypt, this engaging book fuses cultural and political history, Egypt's place in the late Ottoman world, and the emergence of Arab identity politics. This is one of the most exciting new works that I have read in recent years. -Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the Ottomans Arab Patriotism is much more than just an outstanding contribution to the modern history of Egypt. Mestyan weaves together a narrative about power and the arts, social history, and the history of the media to form a dense and colorful tapestry of sophisticated argument. The nineteenth-century Mediterranean region emerges in a new and unexpected light. -Jurgen Osterhammel, author of The Transformation of the World A superb scholarly achievement, Arab Patriotism displays a thorough understanding of nineteenth-century Ottoman-Egyptian elite history, framing the emergence of Arab nationalism within Ottoman-Arab patriotism. Based on an impressive array of sources, this is arguably the most important contribution to the discourse on modern Egyptian and Middle East sociopolitical and cultural history in recent years. -Ehud R. Toledano, Tel Aviv University Mestyan is at his best when he excavates and reconstructs lines connecting diverse and often obscure individuals to equally diverse institutions of power.
-Wilson Chacko Jacob, American Historical Review