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Voices of the Arab Spring: Personal Stories from the Arab Revolutions
Narrated by dozens of activists and everyday individuals involved in the Arab Spring, this book documents the unprecedented events that led to the collapse of dictatorial regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. Beginning in 2011, these stories offer unique access to the message that inspired citizens to act, their experiences during revolt, and the lessons they learned from some of the most dramatic changes and appalling events to occur in the history of the Arab world. The riveting, revealing, and at times heartbreaking stories in this volume also include voices from Syria.
Featuring participants from a variety of social and educational backgrounds and political commitments, these personal stories of action represent the true phenomenon of the Arab Spring's united though broad social movements, collective identities, and youthful character. For years, these participants lived under regimes that brutally suppressed free expression and protest. Their testimony speaks to the multifaceted emotional, psychological, and cultural factors motivating citizens to join together and fight, putting a human face on events that might seem abstract or impersonal to many in the West.
Featuring participants from a variety of social and educational backgrounds and political commitments, these personal stories of action represent the true phenomenon of the Arab Spring's united though broad social movements, collective identities, and youthful character. For years, these participants lived under regimes that brutally suppressed free expression and protest. Their testimony speaks to the multifaceted emotional, psychological, and cultural factors motivating citizens to join together and fight, putting a human face on events that might seem abstract or impersonal to many in the West.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2015
6 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 21, 2025
به غایت کتاب خوبی بود. توی ترجمه فارسی نشر کرگدن دوستان لطف کردن کل فصل مربوط به سوریه رو حذف کردن. وقتی از روی نسخه انگلیسی اون بخش رو خوندم میام براش یه مرور مفصل مینویسم.
February 2, 2025
نشر کرگدن به تازگی این کتاب رو منتشر کرده و زحمت کشیده فصل سوریه رو بهطور کامل حذف کرده! (حدودا پنجاه صفحه). هیچجا هم به این مسئله اشاره نکرده و وقتی اعتراض میکنی میگن مترجم تو مقدمه گفته درحالی که
یک؛ مقدمه برای چنین اطلاعرسانیای دیره، و
دو؛ کتاب اصلا مقدمهی مترجم نداره!
جدا از این قضیه، بعد از خوندن این کتاب بود که تازه فهمیدم کشورهای درگیر در بهار عربی نسبت به ما پیشرو محسوب نمیشن و تازه یه سی سالی هم عقب بودن یه جورایی؛ در واقع نود درصد نیروی اپوزیسیونشون همون اسلامگرایان و سوسیالیستهایی بودن که عین بختک افتادن به جون ما. عملا هم همهشون گیر همون اسلامگرایان افتادن. خلاصه اینطور که معلومه این جغرافیا یه حکومت اسلامگرا باید به دامن همه بندازه.
از نظر بنده هم مهمترین کارکرد این کتاب برای جوون ایرانی اینه که ببینه تکتک مواردی که الان به عنوان وضعیت ضدانقلابی نامبرده میشن قبلا توی این کشورها بودن و هیچکدوم مانع از خیزش مردم وتغییر ساختار کشور نشده؛ از وجود یک نیروی نظامی موازی ]و بازدارنده[ ارتش بگیر تا این احساس که "نه از ملت ما آبی گرم نمیشه".
یک؛ مقدمه برای چنین اطلاعرسانیای دیره، و
دو؛ کتاب اصلا مقدمهی مترجم نداره!
جدا از این قضیه، بعد از خوندن این کتاب بود که تازه فهمیدم کشورهای درگیر در بهار عربی نسبت به ما پیشرو محسوب نمیشن و تازه یه سی سالی هم عقب بودن یه جورایی؛ در واقع نود درصد نیروی اپوزیسیونشون همون اسلامگرایان و سوسیالیستهایی بودن که عین بختک افتادن به جون ما. عملا هم همهشون گیر همون اسلامگرایان افتادن. خلاصه اینطور که معلومه این جغرافیا یه حکومت اسلامگرا باید به دامن همه بندازه.
از نظر بنده هم مهمترین کارکرد این کتاب برای جوون ایرانی اینه که ببینه تکتک مواردی که الان به عنوان وضعیت ضدانقلابی نامبرده میشن قبلا توی این کشورها بودن و هیچکدوم مانع از خیزش مردم وتغییر ساختار کشور نشده؛ از وجود یک نیروی نظامی موازی ]و بازدارنده[ ارتش بگیر تا این احساس که "نه از ملت ما آبی گرم نمیشه".
March 12, 2018
Read for my PnP class on Understanding the Middle East through Literature. A series of short essays from participants in various Arab Spring Uprisings. Repetitive.
July 1, 2021
I’m afraid I really did not like this book. I wanted desperately to learn more about the Arab Spring and the everyday people who were on the ground right there, the wheels and cogs of the revolution.
The book features writing by a wonderfully diverse group of people. Tunisians, Egyptians, Syrians, Libyans, Yemenis. Men and women, young and old, teachers, artists, students, journalists.
I thought the author did a fantastic job of his introduction, with a good analysis of his contributors and their kinds of stories.
But their stories, I felt, were edited into oblivion. They ended up all sounding the same, and that is the worst thing you can do to someone’s narrative. I wanted to see the uniqueness of each story, but what I saw was “same-same but different.”
I felt like this was more of an academic exercise, a collection for an archive. Undoubtedly this collection will mean something for the many who dedicated their stories to it. Narratives about the Arab Spring are so important, but this one did not do it for me.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The book features writing by a wonderfully diverse group of people. Tunisians, Egyptians, Syrians, Libyans, Yemenis. Men and women, young and old, teachers, artists, students, journalists.
I thought the author did a fantastic job of his introduction, with a good analysis of his contributors and their kinds of stories.
But their stories, I felt, were edited into oblivion. They ended up all sounding the same, and that is the worst thing you can do to someone’s narrative. I wanted to see the uniqueness of each story, but what I saw was “same-same but different.”
I felt like this was more of an academic exercise, a collection for an archive. Undoubtedly this collection will mean something for the many who dedicated their stories to it. Narratives about the Arab Spring are so important, but this one did not do it for me.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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April 18, 2017Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley & publisher in exchange for an honest review. (They may regret this.) Any and all quotes were taken from an advanced edition subject to change in the final edition.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews