Fall 2009 » In Review » Nasser: Hero of the Arab Nation

Nasser: Hero of the Arab Nation

Joel Gordon
March, 2009

A new biography of Egypt's first elected president, Gamal Abd al-Nasser, presents his complex legacy, shaped as his country moved from colonial domination to a place of leadership in the Arab world.

In Nasser: Hero of the Arab Nation, historian Joel Gordon tells the story of Nasser and his era through both first-hand accounts and through the lens of Egyptian popular culture.

Nasser was a leading figure among the "Free Officers," a group within the Egyptian military who removed the last, corrupt Egyptian monarch by a coup in 1952. He went on to lead Egypt for 18 years, first as part of a military junta and then as president from 1956 until his death in 1970.

Gordon opens the book with the lyrics of a song written in 1958 to commemorate the 1952 revolution and Nasser's leadership. The song reflects the popularity of the leader from a modest background. The revolution offered hope of reforms that could lead to a more stable and just society.

In the conclusion, Gordon mentions several biographies of Nasser that were written shortly after his death. He notes that no authoritative biography has appeared in more than 30 years.

The book is part of the series "The Makers of the Muslim World."