Syria

by Samer Abboud

Syria was once one of the Middle East�s most stable states. Today it is a country on its knees. Almost 200,000 people are estimated to have died in its bloody internal conflict and, as the violence intensifies, Syria�s future looks bleak. In this timely book, Samer Abboud provides an in-depth analysis of Syria�s descent into civil war. He unravels the complex and multi-layered causes of the current political and military stalemate - from rebel fragmentation to the differing roles of international actors, and the rise of competing centers of power throughout the country. Rebel in-fighting and the lack of a centralizing authority, he contends, have exacerbated Syria�s fragmentation and fragility. This, in turn, has aided the survival of the Assad regime, contributed to the upsurge of sectarianism, and led to a major humanitarian crisis as nine million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes. A resolution to the Syrian conflict seems unlikely in the short-term as the major actors remains committed to a military solution. As this situation persists, the continued fighting is reshaping Syria�s borders and will have repercussions on the wider Middle East for decades to come.

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2015

Reviews

[Yasmine Kherfi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is extremely impressive in its ability to synthesize so much information about Syria from
the Ottoman period, to the post-Mandate era, and until the 2010s in around 500 pages. The book is structured and written in a way that is easy to follow and accessible. I consider it a valuable crash course resource on Syrian modern history, including the country's political economy, genealogies of dissent, factionalism, the ways in which the leadership and authoritarianism evolved over time, as well as the development of opposition politics. Its strength lies in its ability to provide an adequate overview of all of this, leading up to the uprisings, contextualizing its political dynamics, outlining the various stakeholders, and identifying significant changes to the nature of violence and its implications on health care, education, and on displaced populations. The chapters are divided in a way that makes it easy to revisit to read through select themes or time periods covered.

[Marielle Wik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably would not have read it if it wasn't for the book review, but I learned a lot about socioeconomic discontent, instability, and networks of violence in Syria. Detailed but also quite easy to read!

[Chantal Vallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent snapshot into Syria's complex history. I liked how Abboud shaped the content and time and again helped us see why he was focusing on certain aspects of the history over others, ultimately underscoring that this is one way of precieving what has come to pass. I appreciated that transparency and the in-depth analysis he did gave on the topics he chose to explore.

[Sjonni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compact, far-reaching account of the Syrian conflict on the eve of the Russian intervention. Abboud's research focuses in turn on all the actors and all the issues at stake to paint a global picture of the catastrophe that has now entered a stalemate phase that might linger for many years.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative