Egypt has long served as the pulse of the Arab world...[and] a fascinating country for scholars and foreign travelers alike...In this comprehensive study, Raymond...meticulously traces Cairo's history to the present day. The narrative is enhanced by 15 interesting maps, drawings, and photos. Highly recommended. -- Nader Entessar Library Journal 20001115 Eminent French historian Raymond lucidly delineates how the city, intrinsically tied to Egypt's Islamic history...also reflects the multifaceted trends of modern Egyptian history and brings the city up-to-date in its transformation into the overcrowded, bustling, crumbling metropolis it is today...Adeptly translated and equipped with fabulous maps of Cairo during each historic phase, this is a useful and reliable primer on the physical, economic and political history of an important and vibrant city. Publishers Weekly 20001120 This is a fabulously interesting work...Most books by westerners which even approach Cairo lose their marbles fairly quickly. [Raymond's book] maintains such a strong hold on them it should be required reading. -- Louisa Young The Independent [Raymond describes] an evolving Cairo connected to its visible history but not defined by it...If you want to know a place (and, in this case, really know a place), it's vastly more rewarding to read about the whole of that place's culture and people throughout history than to skim over a glorified rundown of what there is to 'see and do.' Travelocity Magazine 20010301 Raymond has written a thorough, detailed, and interpretive biography of one of the world's great cities. -- B. Harris Jr. Choice 20010701 Andre Raymond, who traces the growth of Cairo from the founding of the garrison city of Fustat by the Muslim conqueror Amr ibn Al-As in the 7th century to the present, has a sanguine attitude. He celebrates the city even as he charts its many problems. His book, like all good history, puts the present in context. He reminds us that however dodgy it is to walk along Cairo's streets in 2001, dodging people and animals, coping with intermittently unpleasant smells, the same walk 300 years ago would have been much worse. -- Zachary Karabell Los Angeles Times 20011125
