The Middle East from Empire to Sealed Identities

This important book is a multidisciplinary analysis of the cultural, social and religious history of the Middle East... Thanks to its meticulous philological rigor, the book provides a reconstruction of a complex history characterised by a local milieu that has been often simplified, imagined and imposed by actors and observers external to the region. -- Dino Messina * Corriere della Sera *
The author's complete expertise and cogent methodological approach is reflected in his ability to use documentary media ranging from manuscripts to photography, which provides the book with extra depth and resonance. [...] The text is written in an admirably clear and fluid prose that provides even non-specialists with a pleasant reading experience. -- Marco Ammar, University of Genoa * New Middle Eastern Studies Volume 10, Issue 1 *
Based on exhaustive work in numerous archives and in several languages, Lorenzo Kamel has produced what I think is one of the most definitive works on the transition from empire to nation-state. It is impressively ambitious and does what many major historians have been promising to do: to show how hard, Western conceptions of identity shaped and formed the thinking and decisions of statesmen and other political elites in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It also deals with the penetration of hard national categories among the various peoples of the empire. It is an authoritative book and will be very widely consulted. * Nicholas Doumanis, Author of Before the Nation *
This book will make an important mark on the field. From Empire to Sealed Identities shows the ways in which ethnic and other divisions were historically constructed in the Middle East under the influence of imperial powers. The work combines meticulous archival research in multiple languages with careful analysis of broader trends to map the transition from empire to homogenized nation-states. This ability to document with rich detail and at the same time be able to present the larger picture with great clarity is rare. The author pulls off the feat with great erudition. * Professor Beth Baron, CUNY *
In this engaging revisionary study, Lorenzo Kamel shows how modern Western-ist intellectual prejudices have distorted our understanding of identity and conflict in the modern Middle East. Based on original archival research and an exhaustive survey of secondary literature, the author reveals a world that can only be characterized as "medieval" if one misunderstands the Middle Ages. Focussing on the long nineteenth century, the book provides a chronological continuation of much of the most interesting work being done in pre-modern Mediterranean Studies. * Professor Brian A. Catlos, University of Colorado Boulder *
Lorenzo Kamel is a dedicated and meticulous scholar, extremely experienced and internationally recognized for his research methodology. His extensive archival work, which forms the basis of many of his most important publications, is impressive by any academic standard. His archival research, informed by exemplary linguistic skills, has, without question, created new understandings of the complex dynamics shaping our inquiry into modern European empires, and the history of the Middle East in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Middle East from Empire to Sealed Identities will continue this outstanding trend. * Professor Sara Roy, Harvard University *