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The Mahdi of the Sudan and the Death of General Gordon. By Fergus Nicoll. Stroud, U.K.: Sutton Publishing, 2004 [2003]. ISBN 0-7509-3299-6. Maps. Illustrations. Glossary. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Pp. xxv, 386. £8.99.
Given his title, plus a cover reproducing George Joy's famous painting, General Gordon's Last Stand, one might dismiss Fergus Nicoll's excellent book as just another piece of Gordon Literature. This would be a mistake, for this is not so much about Charles George "Chinese" Gordon, as it is a sound biography of his lesser known adversary, Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah.
Sufi mystic, Islamic revivalist, politician, and general all describe this revolutionary leader who convinced many Sudanese he was al-Mahdi-the Islamic Messiah. Modern readers might join contemporary English, American, or Egyptian writers, who lambasted Muhammad Ahmad...