At a time when attention is newly focused on social problems in the Middle East, Ener's book examines poor relief in Egypt over the course of a century and a half. While many have spoken about the need to write history 'from below, ' she shows how this ought to be done. In the process, she retrieves the stories of Egyptian men and women, giving the poor faces and names within a narrative that is clear, accessible, and polished."--Beth Baron, City College and Graduate Center, City University of New York"Ener's book sits on the crest of a new wave of poverty/charity studies in Middle Eastern history. Among its most innovative features is its use of Egyptian police archives alongside literary sources that round out and give context to this fascinating data. The book also relates poverty and poor relief to larger issues of modern Egyptian history: state-building, national consciousness, modernization, colonialism, democratization, associational life, the role of religion in charity, and the role of women in society."--Mark Cohen, Princeton University"In this thorough and imaginative study, Ener examines the treatment of the destitute in a Middle Eastern country. Placing charity in a broad context, she shows how philanthropic enterprises became political instruments, how state and private charity interacted, and how poor people used the institutions provided for their care and discipline. Her book raises questions of wide interest and will appeal to historians of poor relief in any society."--Brian Pullan, University of Manchester