Yasir Suleiman's book considers national identity in relation to language, the way in which language can be manipulated to signal political, cultural or even historical difference. As a language with a long-recorded heritage and one spoken by the majority of those living in the Middle East in a variety of dialects, Arabic is a particularly appropriate vehicle for such an investigation. It is a also, as Suleiman's analysis reveals, an alternative and penetrating device for exploring the conflicts of the Middle East, the diversity of its peoples and the diversity of their viewpoints.