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A History of Modern Yemen
Yemen's modern history is unique and deserves to be better understood. While the borders of most Middle East states were defined by colonial powers after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, a single Yemeni state was not formed until 1990. In fact, much of Yemen's twentieth-century history was taken up constructing such a state, forged after years of civil war. The book is augmented by illustrations, maps and a detailed chronology.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 7, 2000
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August 17, 2021
تاريخ اليمن الحديث
لماذا، كمواطن يمني، قد أقرأ كتاباً عن تاريخ بلدي كتبه أكاديمي بريطاني؟ أولاً وجدت أن الكتاب يغطي الحقبة التي أهتم بها أكثر من سواها، بالإضافة إلى أنك سترى بلدك بعيون أخرى، ستسمع عنه بصوت محايد، إلى حد ما، بدلاً من الكتب التي يؤلفها أبناؤه لخدمة أهدافهم الحزبية، العرقية أو الدينية، ناهيك عن آثار مقص الرقيب. في تلك الحالة، سيعاني القارئ من المبالغة في مديح بعض الشخصيات وتهويل بعض الأحداث، وبالمقابل سيتم تجاهل بعض الأسماء وتناسى بعض الوقائع.
يستعرض الكتاب تاريخ اليمن شماله وجنوبه منذ صعود الإمام يحيى كقوة محلية مقابل الهيمنة التركية مع وجود السلطنات في الجنوب، ثم يمر بفترة استقرار الحكم الإمامي للشمال والوصاية البريطانية على الجنوب، مروراً بالثورة وتحول النظام من الملكي الجمهوري في الشمال مع جلاء الإنجليز وتحول النظام إلى الاشتراكية في الجنوب. يواصل الكتاب حتى محادثات الوحدة بين الشطرين، ثم الوحدة سلماً وحرباً ويتوقف في نهاية التسعينيات من القرن المنصرم.
يتميز الكتاب بوصفه لحقبة مهمة وحيوية في مساحة ورقية معقولة. ولا يقتصر الكتاب على سرد الوقائع السياسية بل يولي اهتماماً للظواهر الثقافية والأحوال الاقتصادية. كما توقعت، فقد جاءت نبرة الكتاب محايدة في بعض الجوانب التي تم تضخيمها أو تهميشها مثل دور عبدالناصر في دعم الثورة، وجود مخزون نفطي هائل في باطن الأرض، والانتعاش الذي واكب عهد الرئيسي ابراهيم الحمدي. كما جاءت بعض الملاحظات المتعلقة بالخصوصيات الثقافية في محلها بشكل ملفت للنظر.
صحيح أن مهمة الكتاب شاقة، وهي التأريخ لفترة تربو عن الخمسة عقود، إلا أنه كان بالإمكان جعل النص أقل جفافاً وأكثر سلاسة مما هو عليه. أُضيف إلى ذلك أنه عرّج على جميع المحطات بنفس السرعة والوتيرة، فلم يول اهتماماً أكبر لنقاط التحول والأحداث المصيرية، مثل حصار السبعين وحرب الوحدة. الكتاب إذن هو لنقل صورة عامة وليس للإجابة على بعض الأسئلة الجوهرية. والصورة العامة، إذا توخينا الصراحة، مهمة جداً لتحديد نقاط الاستزادة، وللخروج باستنتجات شاملة قد تُلهيك عنها التفاصيل المكثفة.
ثلاث نجوم ونصف
لماذا، كمواطن يمني، قد أقرأ كتاباً عن تاريخ بلدي كتبه أكاديمي بريطاني؟ أولاً وجدت أن الكتاب يغطي الحقبة التي أهتم بها أكثر من سواها، بالإضافة إلى أنك سترى بلدك بعيون أخرى، ستسمع عنه بصوت محايد، إلى حد ما، بدلاً من الكتب التي يؤلفها أبناؤه لخدمة أهدافهم الحزبية، العرقية أو الدينية، ناهيك عن آثار مقص الرقيب. في تلك الحالة، سيعاني القارئ من المبالغة في مديح بعض الشخصيات وتهويل بعض الأحداث، وبالمقابل سيتم تجاهل بعض الأسماء وتناسى بعض الوقائع.
يستعرض الكتاب تاريخ اليمن شماله وجنوبه منذ صعود الإمام يحيى كقوة محلية مقابل الهيمنة التركية مع وجود السلطنات في الجنوب، ثم يمر بفترة استقرار الحكم الإمامي للشمال والوصاية البريطانية على الجنوب، مروراً بالثورة وتحول النظام من الملكي الجمهوري في الشمال مع جلاء الإنجليز وتحول النظام إلى الاشتراكية في الجنوب. يواصل الكتاب حتى محادثات الوحدة بين الشطرين، ثم الوحدة سلماً وحرباً ويتوقف في نهاية التسعينيات من القرن المنصرم.
يتميز الكتاب بوصفه لحقبة مهمة وحيوية في مساحة ورقية معقولة. ولا يقتصر الكتاب على سرد الوقائع السياسية بل يولي اهتماماً للظواهر الثقافية والأحوال الاقتصادية. كما توقعت، فقد جاءت نبرة الكتاب محايدة في بعض الجوانب التي تم تضخيمها أو تهميشها مثل دور عبدالناصر في دعم الثورة، وجود مخزون نفطي هائل في باطن الأرض، والانتعاش الذي واكب عهد الرئيسي ابراهيم الحمدي. كما جاءت بعض الملاحظات المتعلقة بالخصوصيات الثقافية في محلها بشكل ملفت للنظر.
صحيح أن مهمة الكتاب شاقة، وهي التأريخ لفترة تربو عن الخمسة عقود، إلا أنه كان بالإمكان جعل النص أقل جفافاً وأكثر سلاسة مما هو عليه. أُضيف إلى ذلك أنه عرّج على جميع المحطات بنفس السرعة والوتيرة، فلم يول اهتماماً أكبر لنقاط التحول والأحداث المصيرية، مثل حصار السبعين وحرب الوحدة. الكتاب إذن هو لنقل صورة عامة وليس للإجابة على بعض الأسئلة الجوهرية. والصورة العامة، إذا توخينا الصراحة، مهمة جداً لتحديد نقاط الاستزادة، وللخروج باستنتجات شاملة قد تُلهيك عنها التفاصيل المكثفة.
ثلاث نجوم ونصف
December 2, 2017
detailed portrait of a little known land
Written in 2000, Dresch's work is even more relevant today, as the "war on terrorism" which conflates with "the war for US interests everywhere" continues and finds a particular focus of tension in Yemen. While the author definitely describes the rise of Islamist schools and political groups in the imperfectly-welded parts of this ancient land, even a cursory reading of A MODERN HISTORY.... will lead to the realization that much of the Western media have little or no idea what is going on there. I fear the same is true of the politicians and decision makers.
Yemen is a most complex country, divided in many ways, but making up a society nevertheless. Tribes, religious factions (all Islamic), economic, military, and political groups create complex webs with a bedrock underlay of personal and family ties, making predictions about who will do what extremely difficult. Dresch tackles Yemen only from the beginning of the Imam Yahya's reign in 1906. Right there you come to a problem....do you say "reign" when speaking about an Imam, not a king ? Yemen moved from an Imamate with little feeling of nationhood in the modern sense, to being more of a kingdom. The British had occupied the port of Aden in the 19th century and gradually extended their sway over the entire southern and eastern stretches of what had been known as "Yemen", a region. When the second modern Imam died in 1962, modernists tried to take control, only to face a vastly confusing civil war in which both Egypt (military) and Saudi Arabia (money) took part. The south freed itself from British rule by 1968 and turned into a (would-be) Marxist state which still displayed firm Yemeni characteristics. Both countries lived on foreign aid and remittances from workers overseas, neither developed much in the sense of say, Korea after 1960 or Japan after 1868. Military and bureacracy absorbed much of the available money along with corruption. Local concerns were more compelling than the aims of foreign governments.(p.73) A sudden unification of north and south in 1990 was followed by the first Gulf War when Yemen took Saddam Hussein's side and all Yemeni workers were expelled from the oil-producing countries. Further civil wars and upheavals continued and by the late 1990s, Yemen was a mess. Change is needed and many people feel that the Islamists can bring it. I may have doubts, but I do wonder if it is America's prerogative to say `no'. Further intrusion into Yemeni politics will probably bring further desire to retaliate. (My opinion, not Dresch's.) The desire for change is evident in the newspaper every day. It is unclear if Yemen will get honest, efficient government. On the basis of Dresch's book, I would be pessimistic. But one aspect of one bottom line (!) is that the US has never figured Yemen out at all. Today they are operating much like the British, who made a practice of bombing recalcitrant Yemeni tribes, villages, or rulers from the 1920s into the `50s. It didn't work. Hello ?
About the book. In one way, it is a wonderful compendium of history, politics and anthropology, with nice flashes of dry humor inserted throughout. The author's comprehensive knowledge of the country and obvious like for it gave me a lot of pleasure. This was no dry tome. However, in another way, one has to ask for whom it was written. A large number of names of places and people, certainly inevitable, are suddenly dropped into the text as if we should know who or what they were. I found the many maps extremely useful, but numerous places were still left out. Also, I happened to have read Caton's "Peaks of Yemen I Summon", about the place of poetry in Yemeni society and politics. Though Dresch too uses poetry often to illustrate points and illuminate Yemeni thinking about matters, he never includes an explanation of why; thus, I felt that he assumed the readers would know about Yemen. Unfortunately, this is not a safe assumption.
Written in 2000, Dresch's work is even more relevant today, as the "war on terrorism" which conflates with "the war for US interests everywhere" continues and finds a particular focus of tension in Yemen. While the author definitely describes the rise of Islamist schools and political groups in the imperfectly-welded parts of this ancient land, even a cursory reading of A MODERN HISTORY.... will lead to the realization that much of the Western media have little or no idea what is going on there. I fear the same is true of the politicians and decision makers.
Yemen is a most complex country, divided in many ways, but making up a society nevertheless. Tribes, religious factions (all Islamic), economic, military, and political groups create complex webs with a bedrock underlay of personal and family ties, making predictions about who will do what extremely difficult. Dresch tackles Yemen only from the beginning of the Imam Yahya's reign in 1906. Right there you come to a problem....do you say "reign" when speaking about an Imam, not a king ? Yemen moved from an Imamate with little feeling of nationhood in the modern sense, to being more of a kingdom. The British had occupied the port of Aden in the 19th century and gradually extended their sway over the entire southern and eastern stretches of what had been known as "Yemen", a region. When the second modern Imam died in 1962, modernists tried to take control, only to face a vastly confusing civil war in which both Egypt (military) and Saudi Arabia (money) took part. The south freed itself from British rule by 1968 and turned into a (would-be) Marxist state which still displayed firm Yemeni characteristics. Both countries lived on foreign aid and remittances from workers overseas, neither developed much in the sense of say, Korea after 1960 or Japan after 1868. Military and bureacracy absorbed much of the available money along with corruption. Local concerns were more compelling than the aims of foreign governments.(p.73) A sudden unification of north and south in 1990 was followed by the first Gulf War when Yemen took Saddam Hussein's side and all Yemeni workers were expelled from the oil-producing countries. Further civil wars and upheavals continued and by the late 1990s, Yemen was a mess. Change is needed and many people feel that the Islamists can bring it. I may have doubts, but I do wonder if it is America's prerogative to say `no'. Further intrusion into Yemeni politics will probably bring further desire to retaliate. (My opinion, not Dresch's.) The desire for change is evident in the newspaper every day. It is unclear if Yemen will get honest, efficient government. On the basis of Dresch's book, I would be pessimistic. But one aspect of one bottom line (!) is that the US has never figured Yemen out at all. Today they are operating much like the British, who made a practice of bombing recalcitrant Yemeni tribes, villages, or rulers from the 1920s into the `50s. It didn't work. Hello ?
About the book. In one way, it is a wonderful compendium of history, politics and anthropology, with nice flashes of dry humor inserted throughout. The author's comprehensive knowledge of the country and obvious like for it gave me a lot of pleasure. This was no dry tome. However, in another way, one has to ask for whom it was written. A large number of names of places and people, certainly inevitable, are suddenly dropped into the text as if we should know who or what they were. I found the many maps extremely useful, but numerous places were still left out. Also, I happened to have read Caton's "Peaks of Yemen I Summon", about the place of poetry in Yemeni society and politics. Though Dresch too uses poetry often to illustrate points and illuminate Yemeni thinking about matters, he never includes an explanation of why; thus, I felt that he assumed the readers would know about Yemen. Unfortunately, this is not a safe assumption.
July 3, 2016
There are parts of this text where the author name drops so many tribal leaders in succession that he seems more interested in dazzling you with his wide breadth of knowledge regarding local (often irrelevant) Yemeni figures than anything else. At other (important) junctures you desire more detail and he fails to deliver (i.e. Hamdi's assassination) and leaves you with questionable phrases that conceal actors and intent. That said, the book is still a valuable resource for students interested in Yemen. There are some anecdotes you'll probably get nowhere else, and his grasp on the various factions and their interests is impressive (even if the reader has to do a little too much work to keep them all together).
October 12, 2016
Important book for those who are interested on Yemen. However, the author tried to be a concise by briefing the twentieth century in a complex country in a relative small book- not more than 220 pages-, which makes it a difficult book for a reader who doesn't have a background about Yemen.
March 16, 2007
"They're all in agreement from Sanaa to London
All in it together, Sayyids and Christians.
They're dividing the land, each setting up idols,
Apportioning Yemen to headmen and Sultans.
If I tried to complain, I'd not know to whom.
My trust has collapsed in my friends and my fellows..."
- Al Qardai, a Shaykh of Murad
A competent account, with a balanced ear for voices from all sides.
All in it together, Sayyids and Christians.
They're dividing the land, each setting up idols,
Apportioning Yemen to headmen and Sultans.
If I tried to complain, I'd not know to whom.
My trust has collapsed in my friends and my fellows..."
- Al Qardai, a Shaykh of Murad
A competent account, with a balanced ear for voices from all sides.
September 3, 2022
This book has many virtues, but chief among them is the fact that it was published 22 years ago. I've easily read a half dozen books on Yemen's politics at this point, and dozens of reports and news stories. But Dresch's History of Modern Yemen is the most serious account I've read that doesn't take its framing from 9/11 or the Saudi invasion launched in 2015. Prior to that invasion, Yemen was destabilized by more or less constant bombing from the United States in furtherance of our farcical war on Terror aims. We destroyed Yemen in order to save it from "radicalization".
Dresch's account was published before all of that chaos. This allows him to evaluate Yemen and its history on its own terms, not in terms of various recent imperial invasions. To be clear, imperial invasion is a big theme of this book, covering the period from the 1840s to the 1990s. Dresch ably recounts Yemen's defeat of the Ottomans, British, and a couple generations of Egyptian invaders. But the period during which Dresch was writing was one of the more hopeful for Yemen. The country unified in 1990, and there was some scope to hope that improvements would continue. I doubt Dresch was fooled by this happy perspective, though he's careful to just lay out the facts rather than forward a partisan interpretation. Regardless, Yemen's freedom from international crisis at the time of his writing allows the author to dive into Yemen's modern history in ways that more recent accounts just can't.
I found this book to be tremendously useful. It's a fiendishly complicated 150 years or so of history that he has to cover. To make it even worse, it's not just one government and society he has to attempt to depict, it's two: North and South Yemen were different countries between 1967 and 1990, and had different imperial overlords for over a century before that. Dresch acknowledges that there's no way he could cover everything in a book of just a little over 200 pages, but he does an amazing job. He included a fair amount of detail that was new to me, even though I've been studying the country and its conflict for years now. I especially appreciated the way he broke down the conflicts between the Yemens year by year, and challenged a lot of my stereotypes about how political factions were aligned. Over the course of a decade, or even a single war, Dresch's careful analysis makes it clear that often surprising alliances were possible. I hadn't realized that the Saudis supported the Socialists in the 1994 war, against decades of their own propaganda. Very useful book. Added a lot to my knowledge of Yemen.
Dresch's account was published before all of that chaos. This allows him to evaluate Yemen and its history on its own terms, not in terms of various recent imperial invasions. To be clear, imperial invasion is a big theme of this book, covering the period from the 1840s to the 1990s. Dresch ably recounts Yemen's defeat of the Ottomans, British, and a couple generations of Egyptian invaders. But the period during which Dresch was writing was one of the more hopeful for Yemen. The country unified in 1990, and there was some scope to hope that improvements would continue. I doubt Dresch was fooled by this happy perspective, though he's careful to just lay out the facts rather than forward a partisan interpretation. Regardless, Yemen's freedom from international crisis at the time of his writing allows the author to dive into Yemen's modern history in ways that more recent accounts just can't.
I found this book to be tremendously useful. It's a fiendishly complicated 150 years or so of history that he has to cover. To make it even worse, it's not just one government and society he has to attempt to depict, it's two: North and South Yemen were different countries between 1967 and 1990, and had different imperial overlords for over a century before that. Dresch acknowledges that there's no way he could cover everything in a book of just a little over 200 pages, but he does an amazing job. He included a fair amount of detail that was new to me, even though I've been studying the country and its conflict for years now. I especially appreciated the way he broke down the conflicts between the Yemens year by year, and challenged a lot of my stereotypes about how political factions were aligned. Over the course of a decade, or even a single war, Dresch's careful analysis makes it clear that often surprising alliances were possible. I hadn't realized that the Saudis supported the Socialists in the 1994 war, against decades of their own propaganda. Very useful book. Added a lot to my knowledge of Yemen.
October 30, 2017
The book touched on aspects of Yemen which many authors avoid and avoided many subjects that usually are covered. This gave the book an edge that does not exist others.
July 3, 2007
Very interesting but a bit difficult to get through...
January 31, 2013
This is a dense scholarly text. If you are not a serious student of Yemen, look elsewhere.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews