Concentrating on the societal aspects of the reform process, Yilmaz (history, Southern Illinois U., Carbondale) examines the nationalization and modernization reforms (known as the Kemalist reforms) in post-Ottoman Turkey during the period it was ruled by the Republican People's Party, from 1923, with the formation of the Republic, to 1945, the beginning of multi-party policies with the foundation of the Democrat Party. Rather than focusing on the state perspective or opposition or resistance to these reforms, she considers state-society relations and how everyday people experienced the reforms, how they received and reacted to them, and how their meaning was negotiated between individuals, communities, and the state. Drawing on archival data, oral histories, newspapers and magazines, memoirs, and travelers' accounts, she examines reforms regarding men's and women's clothing, language, and national holidays, and how they were implemented and impacted social and cultural change in major cities and the provinces. The book is based on her dissertation. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)