Nationalist Voices in Jordan The Street and the State by Betty S. Anderson (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2005. 288 pages.)

Abstract

Jordan has existed now for nearly 60 years, since the termination of the
British mandate in 1946, and has generally been studied in terms of its
Hashemite rulers and the “King’s men,” those who helped the Hashemites
construct it. These historical narratives, argues Anderson, have privileged
the Jordanian monarchy and the “high” elements of society and, consequently,
have ignored the “urban” elements that played an equal, if not a
greater, role in constructing the Jordanian national identity. In this sense,
Anderson gives voice to narratives that were previously unknown and
unheard and, by so doing, makes a significant contribution to the body of
literature on Jordan.
She contends that the “Arab Street” “holds a key to understanding
Jordan in the twentieth century” and, in this regard, focuses upon the “true”
Jordanian natives and their narrative. Taking a subaltern approach to
Jordanian history, she examines the foundation of the Jordanian National
Movement (JNM), a coalition of leftist parties based loosely upon Arab
nationalism, and its influence upon the nation’s formation. Given her unique
approach to Jordanian history, she admits that her work is incomplete, for
many first-hand accounts and memoirs, which cannot be found, should be
examined in light of the larger body of literature on Jordan.
The history of Jordan is that of post-colonial independence and nationhood,
of a nation that had never existed in the hearts and minds of those who
would live within its borders until it was actually drawn on a map. In an
agreement brokered in late March 1921 between Winston Chuchill, then the
British colonial secretary, and Abdullah I, the latter would accept British ...