Status Updates From مصر فى عهد محمد علي

مش ممكن الجمال

“The list of Frenchmen employed in Egypt is a well-known one for the west has long credited them with the modernization of Egypt. As far as the Egyptian ruler was concerned, these men were tools in his hand: they were in Egypt to perform a function, to teach his bureaucrats their knowledge, and once that was done he wished to dispense with them”

I'm loving the narrative tone of this book so far! It's so much more accessible than typical academic books. I especially love that Marsot gives special attention to describing the *personalities* and temperaments of Muhammad Ali, his sons, and advisors. It makes them so much more human.