Cemil Aydin is professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His books include The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History (2017).
This volume is a rich intellectual history revealing the fascinating ways in which Pan-Islamism and Pan-Asianism were intertwined. -- Matthew Connelly, associate professor of history, Columbia University Cemil Aydin has written a fascinating book of exceptional scholarly quality. It explores elegantly, with impressive learning, the responses of Japanese and Ottoman civilizations to the West in the period 1880 to 1945. This study in the history of ideas is surprisingly relevant to such current concerns as 'the clash of civilizations' and 'the future of world order.' -- Richard A. Falk, Albert G. Milbank Professor of International Law and Practice, emeritus, and emeritus professor of politics and international affairs, Princeton University Cemil Aydin presents a profound analysis of anti-Westernism that transcends simplistic polemics about 'why they hate us' and offers a significant contribution to understanding intercultural relations in the modern era. Combining expertise in Middle Eastern and Asian studies, Aydin joins a clear global perspective with an in-depth historical study. The result is a comprehensive understanding of one of the major themes of modern global affairs. -- John Voll, professor of Islamic history and associate director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University Aydin . . . identifies both deep currents in Asian intellectual history and popular views of power and politics. He has a sure grasp of what is fundamental and what is merely of the moment. -- Lucian W. Pye * Foreign Affairs * Required reading for anyone researching the history of anti-Western ideology in Asia. -- Sven Saaler * Pacific Affairs * [A]n impressive work. -- Michael Farquhar * Journal of Global History * An extremely well-researched book, bursting with arguments and insights . . . [that] will be a boon for scholars who are interested in East-West relations. * Ethics & International Affairs * The Politics of Anti-Westernism in Asia should become required reading. * H-Diplo * Aydin's book offers a thorough and nuanced portrayal of Pan-Asian and Pan-Islamic thought. -- Michael Facius * H-Soz-u-Kult * Aydin convincingly demonstrates that the evolution of anti-Westernisms cannot be divorced from non-Western intellectual and political engagement with concepts, ideals and values originating in Western modernity. * Journal of Ottoman Studies *