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Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad
When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came to power upon his father's death in 2000, many in- and outside Syria held high hopes that the popular young doctor would bring long-awaited reform, that he would be a new kind of Middle East leader capable of guiding his country toward genuine democracy. David Lesch was one of those who saw this promise in Assad. A widely respected Middle East scholar and consultant, Lesch came to know the president better than anyone in the West, in part through a remarkable series of meetings with Assad between 2004 and 2009. Yet for Lesch, like millions of others, Assad was destined to disappoint. In this timely book, the author explores Assad's failed leadership, his transformation from bearer of hope to reactionary tyrant, and his regime's violent response to the uprising of his people in the wake of the Arab Spring. Lesch charts Assad's turn toward repression and the inexorable steps toward the violence of 2011 and 2012. The book recounts the causes of the Syrian uprising, the regime's tactics to remain in power, the responses of other nations to the bloodshed, and the determined efforts of regime opponents. In a thoughtful conclusion, the author suggests scenarios that could unfold in Syria's uncertain future.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2012
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September 2, 2017
يبدو الكاتب في الفصول الأولى متعاطفا مع بشار الأسد في مواجهة الحرس القديم للنظام كما يسميه في الفترة من 2000-2011.
الكتاب يقدم لمحة ممتازة عن شخصية بشار و كيفية اتخاذ القرار في النظام خاصة خلال الثورة .
الكتاب من منشورات 2014 و الكاتب يحذر بشكل متكرر من خطة النظام لاطالة أمد النظام لأطول فترة ممكنة و مراهنته على اعادة انتاج نفسه لعدة مرات و اعادة ادماجه في المجتمع الدولي مرة اخرى .
قد يبدو النقاش في هذه الأمور عاديا الان في 2017 من ناحية اعادة قبول النظام و لكن الوضع لم يكن كذلك عام 2013.
بشكل عام يستحق الكتاب القراءة
الكتاب يقدم لمحة ممتازة عن شخصية بشار و كيفية اتخاذ القرار في النظام خاصة خلال الثورة .
الكتاب من منشورات 2014 و الكاتب يحذر بشكل متكرر من خطة النظام لاطالة أمد النظام لأطول فترة ممكنة و مراهنته على اعادة انتاج نفسه لعدة مرات و اعادة ادماجه في المجتمع الدولي مرة اخرى .
قد يبدو النقاش في هذه الأمور عاديا الان في 2017 من ناحية اعادة قبول النظام و لكن الوضع لم يكن كذلك عام 2013.
بشكل عام يستحق الكتاب القراءة
November 28, 2014
I felt like I needed to educate myself on Syria due to the awful and ever complicating events that have happened there in the last few years. This book provides that, but admittedly, is already outdated and out-passed by the deluge of recent developments.
It provides a view of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. And the author acknowledges that the sub-title of his book (“The Fall of the House of Assad”) is misleading, premature... There are many reasons why Bashar al-Assad has still retained power – or at this stage some regional power.
When he took over after the death of his father in the year 2000; he was expected to ease up and make Syria less of a dictatorship (make it less of a police state, modernize via education...). It was all a facade; it was all talk. Since the Arab Spring “hit” Syria Bashar al–Assad has become more vicious and ruthless in suppressing any and all opposition.
Now that ISIS has grabbed the attention of the world’s headlines it may only serve to reinforce Bashar al-Assad’s hold on power and confirm the constant flow from his government of dire warnings of conspiracies, myths to uproot Syria as a country. Since its formation, and his father’s assumption to power in the 1960’s there has been a perpetual tide of warnings from the Syrian power base of threats from the U.S., from Israel, from terrorists - to usurp the Syrian nation. This also served to perpetuate an unrelenting police state – there has been an “emergency law” in place for decades.
The author gives us a good overview of the geo-politics in the region – who is for Bashar al-Assad and who is against. Initially Turkey was against but is now toning down its rhetoric. Israel was on the fence; it knew its enemy well, but leery of who/what was going to be the replacement. Both Russia and China support Bashar al-Assad – Russia has been supplying weapons of all types to Syria for years. This also explains why the U.N. could not unanimously condemn the Syrian regime. The author also discusses the role of the Arab League.
Another aspect thwarting intervention (military or otherwise) in the first years of the Syrian uprising is the complexity within and without its borders - Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel are neighbors.
I learnt a great deal from this book. The author has travelled to Syria and met several times with Bashar al-Assad as well as others. Sometimes the book can be a refrain – we are told repeatedly of the lack of coherence of the opponents to the Syrian regime. There is a lack of unity of the opposition in Syria – and they disdain the opposition who are outside the country – and the outsiders are also in disarray. Sadly history in Syria is still fluid.
It provides a view of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. And the author acknowledges that the sub-title of his book (“The Fall of the House of Assad”) is misleading, premature... There are many reasons why Bashar al-Assad has still retained power – or at this stage some regional power.
When he took over after the death of his father in the year 2000; he was expected to ease up and make Syria less of a dictatorship (make it less of a police state, modernize via education...). It was all a facade; it was all talk. Since the Arab Spring “hit” Syria Bashar al–Assad has become more vicious and ruthless in suppressing any and all opposition.
Now that ISIS has grabbed the attention of the world’s headlines it may only serve to reinforce Bashar al-Assad’s hold on power and confirm the constant flow from his government of dire warnings of conspiracies, myths to uproot Syria as a country. Since its formation, and his father’s assumption to power in the 1960’s there has been a perpetual tide of warnings from the Syrian power base of threats from the U.S., from Israel, from terrorists - to usurp the Syrian nation. This also served to perpetuate an unrelenting police state – there has been an “emergency law” in place for decades.
The author gives us a good overview of the geo-politics in the region – who is for Bashar al-Assad and who is against. Initially Turkey was against but is now toning down its rhetoric. Israel was on the fence; it knew its enemy well, but leery of who/what was going to be the replacement. Both Russia and China support Bashar al-Assad – Russia has been supplying weapons of all types to Syria for years. This also explains why the U.N. could not unanimously condemn the Syrian regime. The author also discusses the role of the Arab League.
Another aspect thwarting intervention (military or otherwise) in the first years of the Syrian uprising is the complexity within and without its borders - Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel are neighbors.
I learnt a great deal from this book. The author has travelled to Syria and met several times with Bashar al-Assad as well as others. Sometimes the book can be a refrain – we are told repeatedly of the lack of coherence of the opponents to the Syrian regime. There is a lack of unity of the opposition in Syria – and they disdain the opposition who are outside the country – and the outsiders are also in disarray. Sadly history in Syria is still fluid.
June 26, 2014
Syria is facing a global conspiracy.
Bashar Al Asad is a great president.
Fadi Al thahabi
fthahabi@prandmedia.org
Bashar Al Asad is a great president.
Fadi Al thahabi
fthahabi@prandmedia.org
May 10, 2014
على الرغم من صدور النسخة الانجليزية في 2012 والنسخة العربية في 2014 الا ان الكاتب توقع استمرار حكم الاسد لعدة سنين لعدة أسباب أهمها : النظام العسكري.. تأييد بشار خوفا من المجهول.. تأييد الدول الكبرى لسوريا (الصين وروسيا). على الرغم من ذلك يرى الكاتب ان بشار فقد شرعيته كحاكم لسوريا.
مما جاء في الكتاب :
-لا يبدو من النظرة الأولى لبشار أنه شخصية مسيطرة: بل هو معسول اللسان ، أنيس وصاحب ضحكة أشبه بضحكة الطفل.
- بعض السوريين اختاروا دعم النظام السوري لأنه لا يوجد بديل شرعي له وخوفا من وضع أسوء.
-أشعل حسن علي عقلة النار في نفسه أسوة بمحمد بوعزيزي الا ان فعله لم يستجلب الانتباه نفسه الذي استجلبه بوعزيزي. - ناشد احد سكان درعا اوباما ان يأتي ويستولي على سوريا قائلا: لتأتي اسرائيل وتستولي على سوريا.ليأت اليهود فأي شيء أفضل من بشار الأسد.
كانت سوريا هي الدولة العربية الوحيدة التي ساندت ايران في حربها ضد العراق.
مما جاء في الكتاب :
-لا يبدو من النظرة الأولى لبشار أنه شخصية مسيطرة: بل هو معسول اللسان ، أنيس وصاحب ضحكة أشبه بضحكة الطفل.
- بعض السوريين اختاروا دعم النظام السوري لأنه لا يوجد بديل شرعي له وخوفا من وضع أسوء.
-أشعل حسن علي عقلة النار في نفسه أسوة بمحمد بوعزيزي الا ان فعله لم يستجلب الانتباه نفسه الذي استجلبه بوعزيزي. - ناشد احد سكان درعا اوباما ان يأتي ويستولي على سوريا قائلا: لتأتي اسرائيل وتستولي على سوريا.ليأت اليهود فأي شيء أفضل من بشار الأسد.
كانت سوريا هي الدولة العربية الوحيدة التي ساندت ايران في حربها ضد العراق.
June 14, 2019
The author's personal relationship with Assad gives this book an interesting angle on the first year of the Syrian civil war. There are a good number of biographical details up front that help explain why the regime responded to protests the way it did and how things spiraled from there. This is still useful several years later if you want a solid basis to understand how the war escalated to later include chemical weapons, ISIS, a Russian airbase, Turkish ground operations, Israeli airstrikes, and so on.
The title might seem especially dated (written in 2012), but the author does address that he's referring to Assad's loss of legitimacy, not imminent loss of power. But if you have to explain the metaphor...
The title might seem especially dated (written in 2012), but the author does address that he's referring to Assad's loss of legitimacy, not imminent loss of power. But if you have to explain the metaphor...
October 24, 2012
Very interesting take on the current situation in Syria from a long time scholar and expert on the region - one with considerable access, given the number of opportunities he has had to personally interview Bashar Assad. Between the slow internal collapse of Iran, the chaos and still unclear situation within Iraq and the swirling winds of political change and still possible civil conflict in Arab North Africa is the slow burning fuse of Syria. How Syria goes could very well either help stabilize the region or be the final push off the cliff. Do not read this book if you are looking for a black and white view or a simplistic answer about how to resolve this crisis. The author quickly dispels any notion of a quick and easy solution. The strains on the society after 40 years of dictatorship, overlaid with religious, social and tribal fault zones, will not necessarily lead to civil war or bloodshed. The ever escalating use of force and violence by the regime to stay in power, could easily radicalize the opposition and barring some magic resolution (it would even have to more than just Bashar leaving), could lead to a very bloody, tribal, religious/sectarian conflict. While the opposition currently is under-armed, the Syrian state is not - and a breakdown in regime cohesion could certainly lead to a massive spillage of weapons among the population. Truly Syria (as evidenced by the recent assassination in Beirut) is going to dominate the foreign policy sphere for the world over the coming years.
July 6, 2017
The book was most worthwhile for its ability to separate the sensationalist headlines of the media/armchair commentators and instead outlay the innate socio-political problems that are causing this dreadful war/genocide [to continue]...
April 4, 2019
Dated but still interesting observation of the beginning of Syria's civil war in the wake of the Arab Spring. Lesch does his job contemplating the evolution of Bashir, his search for "reform," and the frustrations of Syria's masses meeting the old regime and the promise of 2011. He notes that Bashir al-Assad's "reform process" (ie, introduction of pro-Western capital investment) led to increasing inequality and corruption, yet conveniently blames this on "crony capitalism" rather than the market mechanism itself. I can't see where cronyism plays any greater role in Syria than in "really existing capitalism" in the US, Europe, or elsewhere. The reforms themselves led to destabilization; while those who egged the demonstrations on, flush with the victory of global color-coded revolutions and the then-apparent successes of Tunisia and Libya, were drooling for Bashir's fall like some overripe fruit. The Syrian opposition was unrealistically hopeful that the West would come to its rescue in assisted regime-change intervention. Given Obama's early opposition to the fiasco that is now Iraq, this would not happen.
Professor Lesch is an experienced policy analyst funded by several European institutes and was prophetic in noting the likelihood of civil war if things got out of hand with powerful Islamist forces waiting in the wings to exploit it. Yet he seems unable to connect his own dots at certain points, such as the contradictory nature of market reform noted above. He compares Bashir's failure to Gorbachev's "success," yet Gorbachev did *not* succeed in reforming the USSR but leading to its transition to something quite different. This was and remains the stated Western policy goal in Syria, as enunciated by the ever-blunt Hillary Clinton in 2011. However, Bashir and his security-military apparat were not going to quietly crumble and cede power because Westerners think it necessary they do so. The middle class reformers, with their Western educations and orientation, which Westerners pin such hopes upon, have no mass base in the streets or villages. Hence their easy muscling aside by populist Islamists - with aid from Saudi Arabia, which the West seemed loath to block. Dr. Lesch's hope that Syria could "morph into something resembling a democratic, open society" (p. 124) is to repeat the naivite that thought Tiananmin Square could "democratize" China.
Lesch takes dictators like Qaddafi, Saddam, and the Assads to task for "just not getting it;" for living in their own sycophantic little worlds, blinding them to how out of touch they are with the people they misrule. There is truth in that, but I rather think that Dr. Lesch and the "democratizers" don't get it. These men truly believe they have the right to rule, given them by God, history, the people (at some point) or their own struggles to attain power. They refuse to surrender their life's meaning, work, and very identity, like an old farmer standing with his shotgun in the path of an oncoming highway bulldozer. Call them stubborn and misguided; but we yet remember the 300 Spartans and the Maccabbees.
So what should the "international community" - that is, the US and NATO - "do?" Professor. Lesch should be enough of a historian to know that revolutions cannot be made from outside without foreign intervention, in which case they become dependent satellite regimes. Oppositionists so certain that Syria was Tunisia, egged on by a West anxious to remake the Middle East, did as much as Assad to create the stalemate that spawned ISIS. Perhaps it was best they do nothing. The outcome could not have been worse for the Syrian people.
Professor Lesch is an experienced policy analyst funded by several European institutes and was prophetic in noting the likelihood of civil war if things got out of hand with powerful Islamist forces waiting in the wings to exploit it. Yet he seems unable to connect his own dots at certain points, such as the contradictory nature of market reform noted above. He compares Bashir's failure to Gorbachev's "success," yet Gorbachev did *not* succeed in reforming the USSR but leading to its transition to something quite different. This was and remains the stated Western policy goal in Syria, as enunciated by the ever-blunt Hillary Clinton in 2011. However, Bashir and his security-military apparat were not going to quietly crumble and cede power because Westerners think it necessary they do so. The middle class reformers, with their Western educations and orientation, which Westerners pin such hopes upon, have no mass base in the streets or villages. Hence their easy muscling aside by populist Islamists - with aid from Saudi Arabia, which the West seemed loath to block. Dr. Lesch's hope that Syria could "morph into something resembling a democratic, open society" (p. 124) is to repeat the naivite that thought Tiananmin Square could "democratize" China.
Lesch takes dictators like Qaddafi, Saddam, and the Assads to task for "just not getting it;" for living in their own sycophantic little worlds, blinding them to how out of touch they are with the people they misrule. There is truth in that, but I rather think that Dr. Lesch and the "democratizers" don't get it. These men truly believe they have the right to rule, given them by God, history, the people (at some point) or their own struggles to attain power. They refuse to surrender their life's meaning, work, and very identity, like an old farmer standing with his shotgun in the path of an oncoming highway bulldozer. Call them stubborn and misguided; but we yet remember the 300 Spartans and the Maccabbees.
So what should the "international community" - that is, the US and NATO - "do?" Professor. Lesch should be enough of a historian to know that revolutions cannot be made from outside without foreign intervention, in which case they become dependent satellite regimes. Oppositionists so certain that Syria was Tunisia, egged on by a West anxious to remake the Middle East, did as much as Assad to create the stalemate that spawned ISIS. Perhaps it was best they do nothing. The outcome could not have been worse for the Syrian people.
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May 12, 2018يقدم الكاتب نفسه على انه صديق للأسد و ويعرف الأسد أكثر من أي شخص آخر في الغرب وهو السبب لشرائي الكتاب . لكن الكاتب لم يذكر أي شي جديد ولم يذكر شيئا جديا عن علاقته الشخصية مع الطاغية .
ممكن القول أن الكتاب هو محاولة ليست بالجيدة لقراءة الوضع السوري ومن وجهة نظر الكاتب منذ خلافة بشار لوالده .
المزعج والمقرف أنه ينقل احيانا عن ريبال الأسد ابن المجرم اللص رفعت الأسد ما قاله و بصفته معارض من بريطانيا .
و عن جوشوا لانديس المعروف في وسائط الإعلام الغربية كشبيح غربي مأجور لصالح نظام العصابة الأسدية .
حتى في طرح رأيه و تحليله للوضع السوري في الفصل الأخير من الكتاب و التبريرات التي يسوقها مثلا لتبرير تجاهل الغرب للمذبحة السورية يظن المرء أنه يقرأ تقريرا من جهة رسمية امريكية أو اوروبية وليس لمحلل و باحث . مع اننا قرأنا وسمعنا الكثير من تلك المبررات الكاذبة في تلك الفترة .لكن من المقرف أن توضع في كتاب لشخص يقدم نفسه كباحث .
الكتاب تجاري و مضيعة للوقت و المال .
لا انصح به
ممكن القول أن الكتاب هو محاولة ليست بالجيدة لقراءة الوضع السوري ومن وجهة نظر الكاتب منذ خلافة بشار لوالده .
المزعج والمقرف أنه ينقل احيانا عن ريبال الأسد ابن المجرم اللص رفعت الأسد ما قاله و بصفته معارض من بريطانيا .
و عن جوشوا لانديس المعروف في وسائط الإعلام الغربية كشبيح غربي مأجور لصالح نظام العصابة الأسدية .
حتى في طرح رأيه و تحليله للوضع السوري في الفصل الأخير من الكتاب و التبريرات التي يسوقها مثلا لتبرير تجاهل الغرب للمذبحة السورية يظن المرء أنه يقرأ تقريرا من جهة رسمية امريكية أو اوروبية وليس لمحلل و باحث . مع اننا قرأنا وسمعنا الكثير من تلك المبررات الكاذبة في تلك الفترة .لكن من المقرف أن توضع في كتاب لشخص يقدم نفسه كباحث .
الكتاب تجاري و مضيعة للوقت و المال .
لا انصح به
February 15, 2022
عندما تقرأ الكتاب في 2022 وتجد أن الكاتب قدم لنا في خاتمته ومنذ عام 2012 توصيف التطورات التي ستقع وكأنه يستشرف مستقبل عقد كامل من الأحداث على الأرض السورية، تعرف أن هناك خبرة واسعة وعميقة عن واقع وطبيعة النظام والجيش والأجهزة الأمنية وحتى الدائرة القريبة من بشار الأسد وكذلك نظرة عميقة إلى مآل المعارضة السياسية وحتى العسكرية.
كتاب فخم
كتاب فخم
April 21, 2020
There’s some helpful information in this book but mostly the writing is distractingly bad; the chapters seem to meander with no apparent point to them besides shoveling data and quotes at the reader.
January 22, 2021
A good book to read, if you're looking into getting to know the Syrian view on things. Well written and a good read
December 9, 2024
Would have been good at release, it is now outdated.
Still a decent read.
Still a decent read.
January 20, 2025
A bit verbose and repetitive but a good read for trying to get into Assad’s head and understand him.
December 11, 2012
This is an excerpt of my review which was first published as Book Review: Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad by David W. Lesch on Blogcritics.
Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad is by turns quite fascinating. It begins with a discussion of al-Assad's first years in office, the Damascus Spring and the increasing international pressure following 9/11 and the assassination of former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafic Hariri.
With its secularism and the overwhelmingly positive perceptions of Syrians of Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma, many thought that Syria would be immune to the effects of the Arab Spring. The next portion of the book discusses why many in the Syrian government, military and Assad's inner circle thought that Syria was different, including Assad himself. This is followed by a breakdown of precisely why Syria was no different to the rest of the countries in the region and the reasons behind the escalating protests.
The following two chapters are dedicated to the Syrian response to the uprisings compared to the mounting opposition and popular action that took place amid reports of increasing atrocities.
Of particular interest was the next section of the book dealing with the the often confounding international response. Lesch goes into some detail regarding the divisions within and between the member states in both the United Nations and the Arab League and their evolving affiliations to Syria during this time.
As the book draws to a close at the end of the summer of this year, what is particularly startling is that the government and president of Syria continue to give the same empty promises of reform and cooperation as they did two years ago.
Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad is an important book with valuable information covering both the background and current situation in Syria. The book does not go into much detail on the individual atrocities and massacres, other than to mention them and the consequences thereof, and the focus is on the background to the decisions made by key local, regional and international players.
It can be a little difficult to follow at times and the author does tend to jump back and forward in time, but I appreciate the layout of the book into clearly defined sections over the benefits that a strict chronological analysis would have brought.
I certainly recommend Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad to anyone interested in understanding the situation in Syria and would recommend it to academics and interested parties alike. Lesch makes a good attempt to present the book so that it will be accessible to non-academic readers.
Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad is by turns quite fascinating. It begins with a discussion of al-Assad's first years in office, the Damascus Spring and the increasing international pressure following 9/11 and the assassination of former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafic Hariri.
With its secularism and the overwhelmingly positive perceptions of Syrians of Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma, many thought that Syria would be immune to the effects of the Arab Spring. The next portion of the book discusses why many in the Syrian government, military and Assad's inner circle thought that Syria was different, including Assad himself. This is followed by a breakdown of precisely why Syria was no different to the rest of the countries in the region and the reasons behind the escalating protests.
The following two chapters are dedicated to the Syrian response to the uprisings compared to the mounting opposition and popular action that took place amid reports of increasing atrocities.
Of particular interest was the next section of the book dealing with the the often confounding international response. Lesch goes into some detail regarding the divisions within and between the member states in both the United Nations and the Arab League and their evolving affiliations to Syria during this time.
As the book draws to a close at the end of the summer of this year, what is particularly startling is that the government and president of Syria continue to give the same empty promises of reform and cooperation as they did two years ago.
Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad is an important book with valuable information covering both the background and current situation in Syria. The book does not go into much detail on the individual atrocities and massacres, other than to mention them and the consequences thereof, and the focus is on the background to the decisions made by key local, regional and international players.
It can be a little difficult to follow at times and the author does tend to jump back and forward in time, but I appreciate the layout of the book into clearly defined sections over the benefits that a strict chronological analysis would have brought.
I certainly recommend Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad to anyone interested in understanding the situation in Syria and would recommend it to academics and interested parties alike. Lesch makes a good attempt to present the book so that it will be accessible to non-academic readers.
March 23, 2014
What happens if Assad does not actually fall from power by the time the book is published?
In fact, at the time of writing ( mid 2012) it seems more likely than not that Assad will, in fact survive the domestic uprising against his rule well past the publication date.
Back in 2011 the world clamored for Assad to resign.
Then other stuff happened to grab the public's fickle attention.
In the USA hurricane Sandy nightly news ran for months.
Early February 2014, nightly news showed the daily bombing in Syria..but wait...
The Olympics, in Sochi, required, media stars to drop everything, leave NYC and head for Russia.
NO more news of Syria; then Ukraine protests;
still no news of Syria.
After 3 weeks of nothing about Syria, NBC Nightly News ran a special on the plight of Syrian children; that ran for a few days.
Now (March 2014) the media spends half its broadcast time, very concerned, about the missing Maylasian plane.
Three weeks now, and still a mystery.
The media, as with Syria, delights in showing, night after night, the pain of relatives of the lost passangers.
They focus on the protesting and demand for answers.
What answers??
Consider how many nations are conducting naval and air searches, with so far, only theories of where to look.
The families demand answers from Malaysia; what can they say?
No one knows.
The media relishes broadcasting the families anxiety...and not in a good way;
the media feigns grave concern until the next, epic, world event demands they rush off to cover a new event;
in an effort to bolster their ratings.
But, I digress... the book offers the history of events leading up to 2000, and continues thru mid 2012.
The backgrounds of all involved; covering the inumberable politcal factions. Keeping them separte is mind boggling.
The strategies of the world nations is examined in depth.
The concerns of Syria's bordering nations...the what ifs.
So many causes and effects are presented, as well as possible.
You are aware of the background circumstances.
The whys and wherefores are here for you to draw your own conclusions; you have the facts, now solve the mystery.
Hint: it may have been a work in progress since the time of Goliath vs David.
The 2nd term of office for Assad (7 years) is approaching the July 2014, election.
Many had hope Assad would change the inert Syrian system.
It seems the system has changed Asad.
It wasn't supposed to be that way; yet it was inevitable....
Find out why; read the book.
In fact, at the time of writing ( mid 2012) it seems more likely than not that Assad will, in fact survive the domestic uprising against his rule well past the publication date.
Back in 2011 the world clamored for Assad to resign.
Then other stuff happened to grab the public's fickle attention.
In the USA hurricane Sandy nightly news ran for months.
Early February 2014, nightly news showed the daily bombing in Syria..but wait...
The Olympics, in Sochi, required, media stars to drop everything, leave NYC and head for Russia.
NO more news of Syria; then Ukraine protests;
still no news of Syria.
After 3 weeks of nothing about Syria, NBC Nightly News ran a special on the plight of Syrian children; that ran for a few days.
Now (March 2014) the media spends half its broadcast time, very concerned, about the missing Maylasian plane.
Three weeks now, and still a mystery.
The media, as with Syria, delights in showing, night after night, the pain of relatives of the lost passangers.
They focus on the protesting and demand for answers.
What answers??
Consider how many nations are conducting naval and air searches, with so far, only theories of where to look.
The families demand answers from Malaysia; what can they say?
No one knows.
The media relishes broadcasting the families anxiety...and not in a good way;
the media feigns grave concern until the next, epic, world event demands they rush off to cover a new event;
in an effort to bolster their ratings.
But, I digress... the book offers the history of events leading up to 2000, and continues thru mid 2012.
The backgrounds of all involved; covering the inumberable politcal factions. Keeping them separte is mind boggling.
The strategies of the world nations is examined in depth.
The concerns of Syria's bordering nations...the what ifs.
So many causes and effects are presented, as well as possible.
You are aware of the background circumstances.
The whys and wherefores are here for you to draw your own conclusions; you have the facts, now solve the mystery.
Hint: it may have been a work in progress since the time of Goliath vs David.
The 2nd term of office for Assad (7 years) is approaching the July 2014, election.
Many had hope Assad would change the inert Syrian system.
It seems the system has changed Asad.
It wasn't supposed to be that way; yet it was inevitable....
Find out why; read the book.
September 10, 2013
I'm reading broadly around the Arab Spring in preparation for an MA in International Relations & Security starting this month, and Lesch's book laid a solid foundation for understanding the Syrian conflict. It struck me as a no-nonsense account, not lingering for too long on any one particular incident but instead giving a good overview of the situation dating from Bashar's accession of power to around May this year. This was both a strength and a weakness for the book: on the one hand giving it a slightly rushed tone, meaning you don't get much insight into important developments such as the assassination of Rafiq Hariri other than a sort of 'then this happened'; on the other hand, the concentration of focus on a few key areas (Bashar's rise and corruption, the spread of the Arab awakening to Syria, roots of conflict, international response etc.) makes for a clear and uncluttered narrative. Indeed, you can't really expect much in the way of damning retrospective analysis when the subject of Lesch's work is raging on even as I write, with new developments each day
My main contention is Lesch's conflation of Hezbollah policy with Lebanese policy as a whole - this does not give the whole picture, leading to the impression that political orientation in Lebanon is broadly pro-Assad, far from the truth. Still, this is a book about Syria, not Lebanon, so I suppose this can be forgiven. I'm also pleased that, given Lesch's personal acquaintance with Bashar, the book didn't turn into a kiss-and-tell diplomatic memoir. The personal anecdotes that are present do actually add to the narrative without hijacking it completely.
In all, a good, impartial introduction to the Syrian crisis for the initiated and uninitiated alike.
My main contention is Lesch's conflation of Hezbollah policy with Lebanese policy as a whole - this does not give the whole picture, leading to the impression that political orientation in Lebanon is broadly pro-Assad, far from the truth. Still, this is a book about Syria, not Lebanon, so I suppose this can be forgiven. I'm also pleased that, given Lesch's personal acquaintance with Bashar, the book didn't turn into a kiss-and-tell diplomatic memoir. The personal anecdotes that are present do actually add to the narrative without hijacking it completely.
In all, a good, impartial introduction to the Syrian crisis for the initiated and uninitiated alike.
February 25, 2016
I read this book because I felt like I could not catch up on the context of the Syria conflict by simply reading current news articles. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author had spent an extensive amount of time with Assad in Syria, and therefore does his best to explain why Assad's regime took such a decidedly dark turn. Although there was some background conflict (assassinations, etc.) that I was unfamiliar with, I felt that this was an excellent introduction to the conflict - it is interesting, and also breaks down the conflict country by country to explain the international response.
January 2, 2014
A good summary of the current conflict and the geopolitical landscape. Nothing particularly new or earth-shattering here, but he does give good, concise insight into the history of the regime and perspectives of the international players, along with a thorough analysis of the possibilities ahead. There are probably 5-10 pages worth of commentary based on his personal discussions and interviews with Assad and other Syrian leadership figures spread through the book that are especially interesting.
July 12, 2013
Author David Lesch has a unique perspective on the Assad family as he has been personally acquainted with its members for many years. He writes a detailed account of his interactions with members of the family including Bashar Assad and gives a history of the current conflict. This book will be of particular interest to those who are studying the civil war in Syria as it details many aspects that might not be covered elsewhere.
February 6, 2016
This is a very excellent book about Assad who who is the leader of Syria. When he came into office it was hoped he would lead the state to a democratic place. Now he has become a despot, and tyrant and he even kills his own tribe. I saw an aerial tour of Homs (second biggest city) and the whole town has been wiped out and war torn. His citizens have to run for their life to escape him. I think he is the worst person on this planet for wrecking this country.
August 29, 2012
If you are interested in understanding why Syria is tumbling down and they are killing each other in Aleppo, this is the right book to start, because it describes the rise, more than the fall of the house of Assad and how they succeed in disappointing more or less everybody apart from themselves.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW
August 24, 2013
The diplomat that wrote the book was a close friend of Basher Al-Assad until the uprising so there is some interesting inside info on the dictator, how he perceives the world and what makes him tick. I found some of the author's American terminology extremely annoying at times though, i.e "Assad has responded to the uprising with a whack-a-mole approach" CRINGE!!
February 14, 2013
a bit dry.
January 14, 2013
Very focused on the top level, but a solid place to start.
October 13, 2013
Didn't really add much to what is already known.
January 4, 2017
An excellent, objective analysis of the situation in Syria. I recommend this book to anyone interested in gaining insight into what has occurred and why the violence is continuing.
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