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Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East
The brief euphoria that followed the Arab Spring of 2011 quickly gave way to religious politics, sec....
674 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2016
62 people are currently reading
706 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Davidson
16 books49 followersDr Christopher Davidson, BA & MA (Cambridge); M.Litt & Ph.D (St. Andrews); FHEA
Dr Christopher Davidson read Modern History at King's College, University of Cambridge, before taking his M.Litt and Ph.D in Political Science at the University of St. Andrews. He has lived and worked in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Beirut. Before joining Durham he was an assistant professor at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, first on the Abu Dhabi campus, then in Dubai. He is also a fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and in 2009 was a visiting associate professor at Kyoto University, Japan.
He is the author of five single-authored books. The latest, After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies was published in summer 2013 by Oxford University Press in the US. A UK/Europe edition was published earlier in the year by Hurst & Co and Arabic and Farsi translations were published in 2014. Book launch lectures have been held at George Washington University , the London School of Economics , and other, shorter presentations on the book have been given at the Oxford Union and with the Project on Middle East Political Science . It has already been reviewed by The Independent, The Guardian, The Economist, Tribune Magazine, and The Huffington Post. It was listed by the Foreign Policy Association as one of the 'Most Significant Books of 2013'; listed as one of Foreign Policy's 'Top Ten Books on the Middle East from 2012'; and also as one of Al-Monitor's 'Top 15 Essential Mideast Books.' In May 2013 Foreign Policy published an excerpt from the US edition.
His 2008 book Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success was named a book of the year by both the New Statesman and the London Evening Standard, and has been reviewed, inter alia, by the Financial Times, the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the free Arabic press, and dozens of scholarly journals. It has been the subject of multiple television and radio documentaries and was cited by the New York Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Independent as having predicted the 2009 Dubai crash.
He is co-editor of the book series Power and Politics in the Gulf. This was previously published simultaneously by Columbia University Press (in the US) and C. Hurst & Co (in the UK), and is now published by Oxford University Press. His edited book, published in December 2011, serves as the cornerstone for the series.
He is the author of more than a dozen scholarly articles, many of which have appeared in leading journals such as Foreign Affairs, Asian Affairs, Middle East Policy (1, 2, 3), and the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.
He is a United Nations (Alliance of Civilizations) expert on the politics and development of the Gulf monarchies. His work has also been referred to by the UN's High Commissioner on Refugees. He is also an associate fellow of the Royal United Services Instutitute (RUSI).
He has appeared on most major television and radio news bulletins, including the BBC, CNN, Sky, ABC, Al-Jazeera, Japan's NHK, Bloomberg, ITV, and NPR. He has also been a guest on a number of prime time current affairs shows including the BBC's Newsnight, Sky's Jeff Randall Show, CNN's Connect the World, Bloomberg's Last Word, Radio 4's Today and PM shows, NPR's All Things Considered, NHK's Asian Voices, and Al-Jazeera's Inside Story, Riz Khan, Counting the Cost, and Empire shows. In December 2011 he appeared on BBC World's Doha Debates, speaking for the motion 'This House has no Confidence in Bahrain's Promise to Reform'.
He has been interviewed and his work cited by the leading international newspapers and the Arabic press. His opinion editorials have appeared in the New York Times (1, 2), the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Foreign Policy, the New Statesman, and OpenDemocracy. He has also written for Al-Akhbar newspaper, with his article 'انهيار دبي الكبي ' / 'The Great Dubai Crash' being published in Sept
Dr Christopher Davidson read Modern History at King's College, University of Cambridge, before taking his M.Litt and Ph.D in Political Science at the University of St. Andrews. He has lived and worked in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Beirut. Before joining Durham he was an assistant professor at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, first on the Abu Dhabi campus, then in Dubai. He is also a fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and in 2009 was a visiting associate professor at Kyoto University, Japan.
He is the author of five single-authored books. The latest, After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies was published in summer 2013 by Oxford University Press in the US. A UK/Europe edition was published earlier in the year by Hurst & Co and Arabic and Farsi translations were published in 2014. Book launch lectures have been held at George Washington University , the London School of Economics , and other, shorter presentations on the book have been given at the Oxford Union and with the Project on Middle East Political Science . It has already been reviewed by The Independent, The Guardian, The Economist, Tribune Magazine, and The Huffington Post. It was listed by the Foreign Policy Association as one of the 'Most Significant Books of 2013'; listed as one of Foreign Policy's 'Top Ten Books on the Middle East from 2012'; and also as one of Al-Monitor's 'Top 15 Essential Mideast Books.' In May 2013 Foreign Policy published an excerpt from the US edition.
His 2008 book Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success was named a book of the year by both the New Statesman and the London Evening Standard, and has been reviewed, inter alia, by the Financial Times, the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the free Arabic press, and dozens of scholarly journals. It has been the subject of multiple television and radio documentaries and was cited by the New York Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Independent as having predicted the 2009 Dubai crash.
He is co-editor of the book series Power and Politics in the Gulf. This was previously published simultaneously by Columbia University Press (in the US) and C. Hurst & Co (in the UK), and is now published by Oxford University Press. His edited book, published in December 2011, serves as the cornerstone for the series.
He is the author of more than a dozen scholarly articles, many of which have appeared in leading journals such as Foreign Affairs, Asian Affairs, Middle East Policy (1, 2, 3), and the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.
He is a United Nations (Alliance of Civilizations) expert on the politics and development of the Gulf monarchies. His work has also been referred to by the UN's High Commissioner on Refugees. He is also an associate fellow of the Royal United Services Instutitute (RUSI).
He has appeared on most major television and radio news bulletins, including the BBC, CNN, Sky, ABC, Al-Jazeera, Japan's NHK, Bloomberg, ITV, and NPR. He has also been a guest on a number of prime time current affairs shows including the BBC's Newsnight, Sky's Jeff Randall Show, CNN's Connect the World, Bloomberg's Last Word, Radio 4's Today and PM shows, NPR's All Things Considered, NHK's Asian Voices, and Al-Jazeera's Inside Story, Riz Khan, Counting the Cost, and Empire shows. In December 2011 he appeared on BBC World's Doha Debates, speaking for the motion 'This House has no Confidence in Bahrain's Promise to Reform'.
He has been interviewed and his work cited by the leading international newspapers and the Arabic press. His opinion editorials have appeared in the New York Times (1, 2), the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Foreign Policy, the New Statesman, and OpenDemocracy. He has also written for Al-Akhbar newspaper, with his article 'انهيار دبي الكبي ' / 'The Great Dubai Crash' being published in Sept
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 14, 2016
Wow. This is quite a read. I can't co-sign all of its conclusions but I think everybody who seeks to understand today's Middle East should read this book. The Economist's blurb on the front of my copy, hailing Davidson as "One of the most knowledgeable academics writing about the region", is certainly accurate, though I can't see them liking the book and its anti-corporate conclusions.
Davidson seems to have read everything written about the region in the past 15 years, and he's distilled it down into a fascinating narrative. Not content with that, he also rockets through a good deal of the cold war history of the region, and starts with a blessedly brief summary of European revolution and counter-revolution. The tired Marxist approach of that summary almost made me put the book down, but I'm very glad I persevered. The majority of the book, covering the post 9-11 era and the Arab Spring, is brilliant.
He covers every country touched by the past five years' tumult. I've been following these issues avidly for quite some time, and I learned something on every page. He pulls off the neat trick of both presenting easily digestible summaries, and rigorously backing up everything he says. If somebody in a reputable news source confirmed a telling detail in 2004, he'll have saved the article and put it in his footnotes. This is important for two reasons. First, a lot of the information he provides, documenting US and Gulf State connivance in the spread of Jihadism, tends to disappear. I tried to track down an in-depth article on Saudi funding of terror that he mentioned from a 2003 issue of US News & World Report. It's no longer available online, and isn't even available on ProQuest.
The second reason his thoroughness is important is because he's making some pretty staggering accusations. He convincingly argues that the whole arc of 20th and 21st century Middle East history has been shaped by Western forces using anything in their power to thwart the self-determination of Islamic countries. This includes the creation of the vile Gulf states, and the creation, protection and promotion of radical Islamic terrorism. I have spent a good deal of time making a slightly different version of this case in video form, and I wish I'd read this book before I did. This book is both the best summary of the Arab Spring I've read thus far, and a fantastic resource for further research.
I highly recommend this book.
That said, I can't say that I agree with the author fully. He ascribes all these developments to a coherent policy of counter-revolution, involving knowledgeable actors in Western business and government, working in careful concert with Gulf plutocrats. It's the old "War for Oil" thesis. I just don't buy that anybody is that clever. Rather than a sinister, coherent force, I see foolishness, greed and short-sightedness. That quibble aside though, I loved this book.
Davidson seems to have read everything written about the region in the past 15 years, and he's distilled it down into a fascinating narrative. Not content with that, he also rockets through a good deal of the cold war history of the region, and starts with a blessedly brief summary of European revolution and counter-revolution. The tired Marxist approach of that summary almost made me put the book down, but I'm very glad I persevered. The majority of the book, covering the post 9-11 era and the Arab Spring, is brilliant.
He covers every country touched by the past five years' tumult. I've been following these issues avidly for quite some time, and I learned something on every page. He pulls off the neat trick of both presenting easily digestible summaries, and rigorously backing up everything he says. If somebody in a reputable news source confirmed a telling detail in 2004, he'll have saved the article and put it in his footnotes. This is important for two reasons. First, a lot of the information he provides, documenting US and Gulf State connivance in the spread of Jihadism, tends to disappear. I tried to track down an in-depth article on Saudi funding of terror that he mentioned from a 2003 issue of US News & World Report. It's no longer available online, and isn't even available on ProQuest.
The second reason his thoroughness is important is because he's making some pretty staggering accusations. He convincingly argues that the whole arc of 20th and 21st century Middle East history has been shaped by Western forces using anything in their power to thwart the self-determination of Islamic countries. This includes the creation of the vile Gulf states, and the creation, protection and promotion of radical Islamic terrorism. I have spent a good deal of time making a slightly different version of this case in video form, and I wish I'd read this book before I did. This book is both the best summary of the Arab Spring I've read thus far, and a fantastic resource for further research.
I highly recommend this book.
That said, I can't say that I agree with the author fully. He ascribes all these developments to a coherent policy of counter-revolution, involving knowledgeable actors in Western business and government, working in careful concert with Gulf plutocrats. It's the old "War for Oil" thesis. I just don't buy that anybody is that clever. Rather than a sinister, coherent force, I see foolishness, greed and short-sightedness. That quibble aside though, I loved this book.
November 2, 2016
Terrific read and packed with detail. The chapters flow smoothly into each other and the reader is shown how patterns of counter revolution and counter insurgency even in 18th and 19th Europe, and then in the 20th century have persisted and evolved. The chapters on British and US sponsored counter revolutions in Asia, Africa and south America in the 20th century are fascinating and help to set the scene for how the same powers have used many of same techniques to engineer control over almost all of the Arab and other Middle East states, and how by the 21st century and especially after the Arab Spring of 2011 this has increasingly involved such powers sitting further behind regional allies such as Qatar or Saudi Arabia. In parallel the book also shows how an old strategy of enlisting and tolerating Islamic fundamentalist forces, which were good US allies against Arab nationalists and the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, have again blossomed as ISIS and other groups are being pushed into fighting regimes that the US wants to collapse or be replaced
November 23, 2016
Top book of the year, but you will need to set aside at least a couple of weeks or so to read it as it is nearly 700 pages long and weighs about a kilo! If you are American or British you won't easily be able to trust your government again, at least in terms of statements about the Middle East, the Arab Spring, the Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi Arabia, Al-Qaeda or ISIL. If you are like me by the end of the book you will be turning the pages while slowly shaking your head and silently cursing. It's not that much of it surprises me, it's rather that I have never seen so much careful evidence all together in the same place and arranged in a way that finally makes sense to me. Spoiler alert - Britain and then America have been playing a deadly double game in the world's most resource rich region, and not even their chief Arab allies should feel secure any more.
October 31, 2016
The best book I have ever read on the subject matter. It is accessible and you can certainly read it in a week or so, despite its size, but it is not written by a journalist. Instead, every single point and piece of information is fully referenced, academically, often with multiple references for every bit of info. In fact, at the back of the book there are over 100 pages just of references, which really helps those like me who wanted to read even more on certain points. The main argument of the book is truly gripping and original, and as far as I can see incontestable given the sheer weight of info behind it. It will lead to a lot of very red faces in very high places to put it mildly.
December 10, 2016
Understand the unfolding tragedy of the Arab world by identifying the covert strategies at play in the Middle East. Clearly laid out, readable, and downright frightening. Pleased to see Doctor David Kelly getting a mention.
December 22, 2016
Expert at work and encyclopaedic in depth, weaving together several hundreds of primary sources and casting a critical eye over literally thousands of other sources and references. Most importantly nothing is taken at face value and the writer mains a distinctly calm and dispassionate attitude, even on topics as sensational and divisive as the Syrian war, the Sarkozy and Cameron secret deal over Libya, the Islamic State caliphate and the massive propaganda operations clearly mounted by all involved, whether Iran, Syria, Saudi, Israel, Qatar and even the British government. What stands out the most is the sheer scale of the deception with literally a century of lies having been peddled by various british and US politicians to their public when it comes to Middle Eastern affairs, Al Qaida, and the Islamic State or whatever we are supposed to call it.
January 5, 2017
Definitive text on the US's role in the Middle East over the past century and more recently the role of its repressive allies in the Middle East.
Islamic State smoking gun? The Chinese-made M16 knock-off found by Kurdish fighters in the hands of a dead ISIL fighter in northern Syria - had been part of a batch, along with ammunition, given to South Sudan rebels by Qatar in 2013, and then airlifted by Qatar later that year for redeployment to the Syria/Iraq theatre....
Islamic State smoking gun? The Chinese-made M16 knock-off found by Kurdish fighters in the hands of a dead ISIL fighter in northern Syria - had been part of a batch, along with ammunition, given to South Sudan rebels by Qatar in 2013, and then airlifted by Qatar later that year for redeployment to the Syria/Iraq theatre....
January 8, 2017
Many reviews focusing on the 'juicy bits', but in my opinion chapters 5-6 also happen to be one of the most understandable and common sense overviews available of what happened in 2011 during the "Arab Spring"
January 16, 2017
Truly engrossing. One of the best books I have ever read. Confirmed much of what I had already suspected, but could never be quite sure about.
July 19, 2017
Read most of the book with a persistent gnawing feeling. Why didn't I believe the two bit rickshaw wallah back home when he repeatedly criticises America for the all the ills in the Middle East? Why did I belittle his simple explanations?
The book has been a real humbling experience in my knowledge of the West's constant interference in the Middle East. The West has significant economic interests in the Middle East which it won't so easily give up just because the Arab people want more rights. The Arabs will have to continue their fight against their tyrant rulers and their supporters for a good few more decades before they can taste some freedom.
Until then, they will continue to suffer the greed of western arm exporters and the wests demand for their oil.
The book has been a real humbling experience in my knowledge of the West's constant interference in the Middle East. The West has significant economic interests in the Middle East which it won't so easily give up just because the Arab people want more rights. The Arabs will have to continue their fight against their tyrant rulers and their supporters for a good few more decades before they can taste some freedom.
Until then, they will continue to suffer the greed of western arm exporters and the wests demand for their oil.
February 1, 2017
If you read one book this month, make it this one as you will be a much more knowledgeable person for it.
June 30, 2021
Sudah selalu biasa konflik di Timur Tengah (dan Afrika Utara atau MENA) ‘disederhanakan’ sebagai naratif hitam lawan putih sama ada antara kerajaan sekular dengan ‘gerakan’ Islam atau antara golongan Sunni (yang definisinya sangat longgar dalam kefahaman moden berbanding Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah) dengan Syiah.
Biasanya naratif hitam putih ini dilontarkan dalam usrah dan tazkirah yang membentuk pemikiran generasi muda atau di meja kuliah masjid dan surau yang melorongkan persepsi masyarakat umum khasnya ‘jemaah masjid/surau’ kepada penerimaan kita perlu sokong kumpulan ini atau kumpulan itu kerana ia mempertahankan dan memperjuangkan akidah baik dengan musuh agama mahupun musuh daripada aliran lain.
Tanpa menafikan konflik dan krisis yang berlaku di Timur Tengah turut dibumbui dengan perisi sectarian, apa yang berlaku adalah jauh lebih kompleks daripada cubaan untuk ‘menegakkan negara Islam’ mahupun mempertahankan umat daripada serangan pemikiran sekular mahupun Syiah.
Berbekalkan pelbagai maklumat termasuk kabel diplomatik, buku dan analisis akademik khususnya politik serta perisikan, buku Shadow Wars ini menzahirkan kompleksiti apa yang berlaku daripada kerangka ‘counter-revolution’ dengan kuasa besar seperti Amerika Syarikat (AS), Britain dan Russia terbabit dalam pencaturan geo-politik serantau yang pemain aktifnya adalah seperti Arab Saudi, Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE), Qatar, Iran dan Turki.
Peranan kuasa besar pasca-Uthmaniyah terus mempertahankan dan memperluaskan hegemoni demi kepentingan politik dan ekonomi, dalam buku ini digambarkan perlahan-lahan mula beralih kepada pemain serantau tetapi negara Barat terbabit masih tetap memegang tali-tali yang boleh menggerakkan permainan kuasa ini.
Memang tidak semuanya akan dapat didedahkan dengan pasti mengenai geopolitik MENA itu kerana secara relatifnya, apa yang berlaku ketika era Perang Dingin dan pencerobohan Russia ke atas Afghanistan kerana maklumat-maklumatnya lebih mudah diperoleh apabila dilucutkan status sulit berdasarkan undang-undang arkib di Barat.
Namun, peristiwa yang menyusul selepas 9/11, War on Terror di Afghanistan dan Iraq yang menyaksikan Saddam Hussin tumbang, Arab Spring sama ada disebabkan protes rakyat seperti di Tunisia dan Mesir atau yang dicipta seperti di Libya atau ‘dirampas’ daripada rakyat seperti di Syria dan keganasan luar biasa oleh ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh masih belum jelas secara keseluruhan tetapi perca-percanya sudah dicantum untuk kita melihat gambaran sebenar.
Bagaimanapun, buku ini boleh menjadi permulaan untuk kita mengubah persepsi sempit terhadap realiti di Timur Tengah ini dan keluar daripada kerangka pertembungan hitam putih itu. Baik Ikhwan Muslimun di Mesir, Arab Saudi yang sinonim dengan agenda menyebarkan faham Wahabisme secara global mahupun Qatar yang gah dengan media Aljazera atau al-Qardhawi, ia tidak boleh diposisikan pada kedudukan putih semata-mata, sebaliknya banyak peristiwa berada dalam ruang kelabu yang memerlukan kebijaksanaan kita untuk mencermatinya.
Biasanya naratif hitam putih ini dilontarkan dalam usrah dan tazkirah yang membentuk pemikiran generasi muda atau di meja kuliah masjid dan surau yang melorongkan persepsi masyarakat umum khasnya ‘jemaah masjid/surau’ kepada penerimaan kita perlu sokong kumpulan ini atau kumpulan itu kerana ia mempertahankan dan memperjuangkan akidah baik dengan musuh agama mahupun musuh daripada aliran lain.
Tanpa menafikan konflik dan krisis yang berlaku di Timur Tengah turut dibumbui dengan perisi sectarian, apa yang berlaku adalah jauh lebih kompleks daripada cubaan untuk ‘menegakkan negara Islam’ mahupun mempertahankan umat daripada serangan pemikiran sekular mahupun Syiah.
Berbekalkan pelbagai maklumat termasuk kabel diplomatik, buku dan analisis akademik khususnya politik serta perisikan, buku Shadow Wars ini menzahirkan kompleksiti apa yang berlaku daripada kerangka ‘counter-revolution’ dengan kuasa besar seperti Amerika Syarikat (AS), Britain dan Russia terbabit dalam pencaturan geo-politik serantau yang pemain aktifnya adalah seperti Arab Saudi, Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE), Qatar, Iran dan Turki.
Peranan kuasa besar pasca-Uthmaniyah terus mempertahankan dan memperluaskan hegemoni demi kepentingan politik dan ekonomi, dalam buku ini digambarkan perlahan-lahan mula beralih kepada pemain serantau tetapi negara Barat terbabit masih tetap memegang tali-tali yang boleh menggerakkan permainan kuasa ini.
Memang tidak semuanya akan dapat didedahkan dengan pasti mengenai geopolitik MENA itu kerana secara relatifnya, apa yang berlaku ketika era Perang Dingin dan pencerobohan Russia ke atas Afghanistan kerana maklumat-maklumatnya lebih mudah diperoleh apabila dilucutkan status sulit berdasarkan undang-undang arkib di Barat.
Namun, peristiwa yang menyusul selepas 9/11, War on Terror di Afghanistan dan Iraq yang menyaksikan Saddam Hussin tumbang, Arab Spring sama ada disebabkan protes rakyat seperti di Tunisia dan Mesir atau yang dicipta seperti di Libya atau ‘dirampas’ daripada rakyat seperti di Syria dan keganasan luar biasa oleh ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh masih belum jelas secara keseluruhan tetapi perca-percanya sudah dicantum untuk kita melihat gambaran sebenar.
Bagaimanapun, buku ini boleh menjadi permulaan untuk kita mengubah persepsi sempit terhadap realiti di Timur Tengah ini dan keluar daripada kerangka pertembungan hitam putih itu. Baik Ikhwan Muslimun di Mesir, Arab Saudi yang sinonim dengan agenda menyebarkan faham Wahabisme secara global mahupun Qatar yang gah dengan media Aljazera atau al-Qardhawi, ia tidak boleh diposisikan pada kedudukan putih semata-mata, sebaliknya banyak peristiwa berada dalam ruang kelabu yang memerlukan kebijaksanaan kita untuk mencermatinya.
February 9, 2017
Once you have started this you won't be able to stop reading. Solid evidence throughout with carefully linked chapters. Very scary stuff indeed.
October 25, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Davidson doesn't try to sugarcoat Western involvement and meddling in the Middle Eastern world. It was refreshing to see the blame placed firmly in the lap of Western (English and American) cultures.
This book is meticulously cited. Which makes finding more information on topics of interest extremely easy. And the introductory history lessons, which detail more than just European involvement in the Middle East, are concise enough to give the reader a firm standing on events leading up to the crises in the Middle East, without being overly explanatory.
As a student, this book reminds me of the volumes used in seminars. Personally, I would have loved to have taken a class on this subject, and would have found this book to be interesting as well as informational.
Needless to say, should this topic ever come up in a future class I will be consulting this volume immediately.
This volume is a good read for anyone interested in the current state of the Middle East and how we got there.
This book is meticulously cited. Which makes finding more information on topics of interest extremely easy. And the introductory history lessons, which detail more than just European involvement in the Middle East, are concise enough to give the reader a firm standing on events leading up to the crises in the Middle East, without being overly explanatory.
As a student, this book reminds me of the volumes used in seminars. Personally, I would have loved to have taken a class on this subject, and would have found this book to be interesting as well as informational.
Needless to say, should this topic ever come up in a future class I will be consulting this volume immediately.
This volume is a good read for anyone interested in the current state of the Middle East and how we got there.
December 19, 2016
Goodreads Giveaway - Perhaps a slightly more appropriate title for this book could be: "Stupid S*** the West Has Done in the Middle East". The extensive cataloging of activities western nations have engaged in the Muslim world is truly appalling. The number of tacit or explicit support for authoritarian, salafist, or wahabbist regimes simply because they supported various western states need for oil and other resources is shocking in what this support has wrought for global safety and security. The book is written in a much more academic tone, so if you're looking for tales of daring-do or a great narrative, look elsewhere; however, if you are deeply interested in foreign policies of the Middle East and their ongoing effects, this book will be a fantastic resource.
February 22, 2017
My book of the month. A long and twisted journey but with absolutely masses of evidence to back up the points. We all knew that the CIA and Saudi Arabia gave birth to AlQaida in Afghanistan in the 1980s, but did we all really know the depths of the depravity and the extent to which this relationship has been kept going, on and off, right up until today? First book on the Middle East to make full and widespread use of WikiLeaks and freddoom of info act requests.
May 27, 2017
One of my 10 books for 2017 challenge and likely to be my best. With a background in Arab and Islamic world diplomacy this caught my attention and I don't regret it. Paris attack Manchester attack and more and more blood being spilled necessitates a much closer look that ever at the secret history of American and British policies... and this is your book for that. Nauwkeurig!
March 7, 2017
Simply the best book there is on the Middle East. Plenty of hard truths. If you have not read this, you cannot understand what is really happening.
September 18, 2024
Whenever we think of revolution, we get emotionally attached to the stories of sacrifice, bravery and resistance. Nations derive their nationality from the revolution movements. Revolutions are a battle against tyranny, injustice and inequality. People fight for justice, freedom and liberty. Revolution empowers ordinary citizens to fight for a better future. People romanticize revolutions. It promises transformation. Historical figures like Che Guevara and Simon Bolivar are treated as heroes. They symbolize revolutions and their charm is not restricted to one nation only. The very word “Revolution” creates an image of barricades, placards and fiery speeches. This coupled with the martyr and their hardship and sacrifice, creates an irresistible intensity. On the flip side, revolutions can have an unintended fallout. Revolution can fracture society causing division along ethnic or ideological lines. Post revolution can disrupt economic activities, leading to unemployment and inflation. Rebel groups engage in repression and torture to maintain controls. Then there are stakeholders, who don't belong to either of the groups but influence the result of the outcome. Next few paragraphs give a very short account of one such revolution, the nations affected, its consequences and motive of the powerful nations before writing about what I felt about the book.
The movement that drew me towards this book is “Arab Spring”. The focus of the book is not entirely on the subject, but it occupied most of the pages. Arab Spring is a wave of protest and uprisings that took place in North Africa and the Middle East during the later part of December. It was a juggernaut that threatened to dislodge regimes, lasting for years and changing their status quo. It all started from a nation in North Africa, which seldom figures in World news. Muhammad Bouazizi was a street vendor, whose stall was seized by a municipality inspector. He was slapped and publicly humiliated, which was part of a daily routine. In protest, Bouazizi set himself on fire. This was the genesis. His action unleashed a wave of public protest against the government. The passive population suddenly became doughty. The protest soon spread like a wildfire across other parts of the country. Students, Teachers, Lawyers and people from every walk of life joined the protest, which seemed unstoppable. The President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had to resort to repressive measures to control the protesters. The armed forces deployed refused to obey the President's shoot-to-kill order on protesters. So the President had to flee the country. An election was conducted and democratically elected candidates were chosen. Tunisia became the first country of the Arab Spring protest to undergo a peaceful transfer of power.
Another nation – Egypt witnessed similar patterns. Involvement of a government official resulting in death of a citizen, massive protests, participants from all walks of life, military refusing to fire on protesters and ultimately ouster of the existing regime. A young businessman named Khalid Said was beaten to death by police officers. This became a tipping point of protest. The chanted “bread, freedom, social justice and human dignity”. They further demanded a minimum wage, fresh limit on presidential term, repealing of controversial emergency law and a resignation of the minister of emergency. The demonstrations and clashes between protesters and security forces continued several days until the Army refused to use forces against the protesters. Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in power was left with no option but to cede power.
Closely mirroring the Egyptians, the disillusioned Yemenis launched their own protests. The President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to step down and merely promised to amend the constitution. When military and powerful tribal leaders aligned with the protesters, he was left with no other options but to resign. The Arab Spring had its third scalp.
Similar protests, led by human activists and the marginalized Shia majority were held in Bahrain. They were demanding economic and political reforms. However, the protests were violently suppressed by the security forces.
As we shift to the next nation, we find the protest is getting more violent. The protest against the regime of Muammar al-Qaddafi turned into an armed revolt. Just when it appeared that government forces were getting better of the rebel forces, an international coalition led by NATO tilted the balance in favour of the latter. Qaddafi fled after rebel forces captured the capital city of Tripoli. After evading arrest for many weeks, he was ultimately captured and killed.
In Syria, there was a protest calling for the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. There was a brutal crackdown against the protesters. The violence was escalated. International community started taking sides. The funding and arms from several rival countries led to a full-fledged civil war, with devastating consequences. Like Gaddafi Assad believed that initial protest can be controlled and cannot have a serious consequence, but it proved a fallacy. On the contrary, it turned into an inferno.
Other countries like Morocco, Oman, Algeria and Jordan experience similar protests. However, the rulers tactfully prevented further spread by offering various concessions, dismissing unpopular officials and making constitutional changes.
The core issues of the disgruntled protesters were economic and social issues such as poverty and lack of employment and the grievances were towards the regime, which the protesters felt were autocratic, corrupt and unaccountable. However, it didn’t yield a solution that was perpetual. The impact of the Arab Spring was that the regime was overthrown in countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. In some cases, the protesters were suppressed, and the status quo remained the same in countries like Bahrain. In some cases, it led to full fledge civil war as in Syria. In rest, reforms were made, and concessions were given to appease the citizens.
There was a hope that a progressive and democratic state was a possibility. The initial euphoria however turned into shock and dismay. If post events of Arab Springs are analysed, then we find that its failure had caused more damage. Religious politics, sectarian war and counter revolutions began to take hold. The failure also gave rise to much more repressive dictators. The world was also exposed to the brutal incarnation of Islamic extremism. Different players brought the country into a muddle.
Both Libya and Syria have proved a big headache to the Western nation and its allies, notably Gulf monarchs and Israel. It was a golden opportunity for them to remove the leaders under the banner of Arab Spring. It was too good to miss out on ousting these governments under the pretext of humanitarian and democratic issues. The protest in Bahrain was suppressed by the security forces and they were aided by the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising security and police forces of Saudi Arabia and UAE. The US and Britain needed Arab support for a no-fly zone over Libya. In exchange, they will indulge in mute criticism of whatever is going on in Bahrain. This was a deal which benefited both the parties. What was Saudi or UAE’s interest in Bahrain? The island nation is close to the largest oil fields in the world. It’s hardly 25 km from the Saudi’s most restive Eastern Province. The fall of a long-reigning monarchy would create ripples across the Gulf States. The aura of invincibility enjoyed by the western backed Aran monarchies would go too. What was done was to bootstrap out of a situation, likely to be turned murkier.
The US was waking up to the demands of its cold war with the Soviet Union and its resource hungry industry. To sustain its economic system, it created an era of international intervention, meddling and covert operations. Any leaders who challenged US hegemony were pinned as a suspect. Securing the Middle East, especially the Gulf Region was of paramount importance. Extraction of natural resources was a priority. Any attempt to nationalize economic assets, irrespective of the agenda, was shot down by the US.
It was a disappointing end to a promising start. The hope failed to turn into a reality. It’s not easy to take on people in power, even if they are en masse. It was a beautiful account of the bad and ugly world of powerful nations and monarchies. It’s also an intriguing and engrossing history of failure of democracy, commercial power and how greed can create war and disrupt stability. It’s meticulously researched. The author does have a profound knowledge on the subject and his rhetorical sense makes the book an interesting reading. The book is written with precision and purpose. The length of the book can cause reading fatigue, but the time spent is worth it.
The movement that drew me towards this book is “Arab Spring”. The focus of the book is not entirely on the subject, but it occupied most of the pages. Arab Spring is a wave of protest and uprisings that took place in North Africa and the Middle East during the later part of December. It was a juggernaut that threatened to dislodge regimes, lasting for years and changing their status quo. It all started from a nation in North Africa, which seldom figures in World news. Muhammad Bouazizi was a street vendor, whose stall was seized by a municipality inspector. He was slapped and publicly humiliated, which was part of a daily routine. In protest, Bouazizi set himself on fire. This was the genesis. His action unleashed a wave of public protest against the government. The passive population suddenly became doughty. The protest soon spread like a wildfire across other parts of the country. Students, Teachers, Lawyers and people from every walk of life joined the protest, which seemed unstoppable. The President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had to resort to repressive measures to control the protesters. The armed forces deployed refused to obey the President's shoot-to-kill order on protesters. So the President had to flee the country. An election was conducted and democratically elected candidates were chosen. Tunisia became the first country of the Arab Spring protest to undergo a peaceful transfer of power.
Another nation – Egypt witnessed similar patterns. Involvement of a government official resulting in death of a citizen, massive protests, participants from all walks of life, military refusing to fire on protesters and ultimately ouster of the existing regime. A young businessman named Khalid Said was beaten to death by police officers. This became a tipping point of protest. The chanted “bread, freedom, social justice and human dignity”. They further demanded a minimum wage, fresh limit on presidential term, repealing of controversial emergency law and a resignation of the minister of emergency. The demonstrations and clashes between protesters and security forces continued several days until the Army refused to use forces against the protesters. Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in power was left with no option but to cede power.
Closely mirroring the Egyptians, the disillusioned Yemenis launched their own protests. The President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to step down and merely promised to amend the constitution. When military and powerful tribal leaders aligned with the protesters, he was left with no other options but to resign. The Arab Spring had its third scalp.
Similar protests, led by human activists and the marginalized Shia majority were held in Bahrain. They were demanding economic and political reforms. However, the protests were violently suppressed by the security forces.
As we shift to the next nation, we find the protest is getting more violent. The protest against the regime of Muammar al-Qaddafi turned into an armed revolt. Just when it appeared that government forces were getting better of the rebel forces, an international coalition led by NATO tilted the balance in favour of the latter. Qaddafi fled after rebel forces captured the capital city of Tripoli. After evading arrest for many weeks, he was ultimately captured and killed.
In Syria, there was a protest calling for the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. There was a brutal crackdown against the protesters. The violence was escalated. International community started taking sides. The funding and arms from several rival countries led to a full-fledged civil war, with devastating consequences. Like Gaddafi Assad believed that initial protest can be controlled and cannot have a serious consequence, but it proved a fallacy. On the contrary, it turned into an inferno.
Other countries like Morocco, Oman, Algeria and Jordan experience similar protests. However, the rulers tactfully prevented further spread by offering various concessions, dismissing unpopular officials and making constitutional changes.
The core issues of the disgruntled protesters were economic and social issues such as poverty and lack of employment and the grievances were towards the regime, which the protesters felt were autocratic, corrupt and unaccountable. However, it didn’t yield a solution that was perpetual. The impact of the Arab Spring was that the regime was overthrown in countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. In some cases, the protesters were suppressed, and the status quo remained the same in countries like Bahrain. In some cases, it led to full fledge civil war as in Syria. In rest, reforms were made, and concessions were given to appease the citizens.
There was a hope that a progressive and democratic state was a possibility. The initial euphoria however turned into shock and dismay. If post events of Arab Springs are analysed, then we find that its failure had caused more damage. Religious politics, sectarian war and counter revolutions began to take hold. The failure also gave rise to much more repressive dictators. The world was also exposed to the brutal incarnation of Islamic extremism. Different players brought the country into a muddle.
Both Libya and Syria have proved a big headache to the Western nation and its allies, notably Gulf monarchs and Israel. It was a golden opportunity for them to remove the leaders under the banner of Arab Spring. It was too good to miss out on ousting these governments under the pretext of humanitarian and democratic issues. The protest in Bahrain was suppressed by the security forces and they were aided by the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising security and police forces of Saudi Arabia and UAE. The US and Britain needed Arab support for a no-fly zone over Libya. In exchange, they will indulge in mute criticism of whatever is going on in Bahrain. This was a deal which benefited both the parties. What was Saudi or UAE’s interest in Bahrain? The island nation is close to the largest oil fields in the world. It’s hardly 25 km from the Saudi’s most restive Eastern Province. The fall of a long-reigning monarchy would create ripples across the Gulf States. The aura of invincibility enjoyed by the western backed Aran monarchies would go too. What was done was to bootstrap out of a situation, likely to be turned murkier.
The US was waking up to the demands of its cold war with the Soviet Union and its resource hungry industry. To sustain its economic system, it created an era of international intervention, meddling and covert operations. Any leaders who challenged US hegemony were pinned as a suspect. Securing the Middle East, especially the Gulf Region was of paramount importance. Extraction of natural resources was a priority. Any attempt to nationalize economic assets, irrespective of the agenda, was shot down by the US.
It was a disappointing end to a promising start. The hope failed to turn into a reality. It’s not easy to take on people in power, even if they are en masse. It was a beautiful account of the bad and ugly world of powerful nations and monarchies. It’s also an intriguing and engrossing history of failure of democracy, commercial power and how greed can create war and disrupt stability. It’s meticulously researched. The author does have a profound knowledge on the subject and his rhetorical sense makes the book an interesting reading. The book is written with precision and purpose. The length of the book can cause reading fatigue, but the time spent is worth it.
August 10, 2017
So important to read.
December 30, 2016
Great read ! Shadow Wars gives a comprehensive and a detailed overview of west's role in shaping different aspect of the Middle-East. It also gives insider information on some important foreign policy strategies by the west, that eventually had major impacts on the MENA region and beyond.
May 6, 2025
After initialy finding this book quite confusing, and the intial chapter largely unrelated to the middle east, I did end up reallly enjoying this book, finding it very informative and enjoyable to read. However there are also major issues with this book, so no matter how much I liked reading it, I cannot give it any more then 4*.
1) One country in the middle east, which at the time of writing, is the biggest source of conflict in the middle east, and the biggest recipeint of western aid and meddling. Israel. I am quite shocked that a book purporting to explore the 'true extent of western meddling in the middle east' makes almost no mention of creating an artificial Jewish state in what was almost an entirely Arab area, and then continuing to support and arm that state, give diplomatic cover to it - in a series of constant wars. Culminating now in western attacks even on the UN and international courts in defence of Israel.
2) Even more shockingly. The authors chapters on Islamic state, whilst very interesting, I was pretty shocked to read some of it. The authrors constant comments on pg 387 about how ISIS had improved services and quality of life for people in ISIS held areas seemed pretty distasteful when talking about a group which by the authors own admission massacred anybody who did not fit their requirements.
At one point the author comments how the US ' extra judicially' killed an ISIS member. As if he was referring to Iran execuriting a female protestor and NK killing a democracy protestor. This kind of sympathetic langauge is pretty strange given who he is talking about.
Perhaps worst of all, is his constant attempts to in some way undermine or suggest ISIS atrocities either were not that bad, or were in some way overblown. Examples being - Page 406 'International media spend much of the second half of 2014 something that tells of Islamic state mediaeval barbarity' - whilst many stories may have had a grain of truth'. Pages later after suggesting that the risk of Isis was overblown he says "going perhaps the furthest, Britain's prime minister declared ISIS was an existential threat and was actively plotting terrorist attacks in Britain'.
Well as the author knows, ISIS did infact commit many attacks in Britain, and killed over 100 people in France. Not to mention killing thousands in the middle east. So to read the author attempt to suggest the risk of ISIS was some way being dishonestly potrayed, is unbelievable.
And most distateful of all, was the authors attempts to sugest the videos the videos of the Jordanian pilot being burnt to death, and the killings of western aid workers were in some way fabricated or staged. Given that 10 years have now passed, without these people miracilously reappearing from the death , we can only assume this was completely ridicilous theory?
On page 465, he is also deliberatley misleading regarding the death of a British journalist in Turkey, en route Kurdistan. After being suspiciously found dead in an airport, the author tells us how her friends family and employer demanded an international investigation , claimed foul play, and that CCTV was released by British press of her going about her buisness in duty free. This was no doubt, said with the intention of making the reader believe the crafty turkish state had executed her in the airport. Shocked and horrified by what I saw, I decided to do some research into this - only to find out that in fact, following an investigation, her family and employer were in fact convinced she acted alone and did infact commmit suicide.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34597393
The fact the author failed to mention this in the book, makes me wonder what other half truths and important information he ommited.
These things alone make me feel this book is not a reliable source, however there is plenty of information in here which is extremely interesting, and from what I know from other reading, is completely accurate.
Finally, the mentioning of the new Syrian leader jowlani in this book is very interesting, and fits well into the authors narrative of certain countries being more then happy to deal with terrorists.
1) One country in the middle east, which at the time of writing, is the biggest source of conflict in the middle east, and the biggest recipeint of western aid and meddling. Israel. I am quite shocked that a book purporting to explore the 'true extent of western meddling in the middle east' makes almost no mention of creating an artificial Jewish state in what was almost an entirely Arab area, and then continuing to support and arm that state, give diplomatic cover to it - in a series of constant wars. Culminating now in western attacks even on the UN and international courts in defence of Israel.
2) Even more shockingly. The authors chapters on Islamic state, whilst very interesting, I was pretty shocked to read some of it. The authrors constant comments on pg 387 about how ISIS had improved services and quality of life for people in ISIS held areas seemed pretty distasteful when talking about a group which by the authors own admission massacred anybody who did not fit their requirements.
At one point the author comments how the US ' extra judicially' killed an ISIS member. As if he was referring to Iran execuriting a female protestor and NK killing a democracy protestor. This kind of sympathetic langauge is pretty strange given who he is talking about.
Perhaps worst of all, is his constant attempts to in some way undermine or suggest ISIS atrocities either were not that bad, or were in some way overblown. Examples being - Page 406 'International media spend much of the second half of 2014 something that tells of Islamic state mediaeval barbarity' - whilst many stories may have had a grain of truth'. Pages later after suggesting that the risk of Isis was overblown he says "going perhaps the furthest, Britain's prime minister declared ISIS was an existential threat and was actively plotting terrorist attacks in Britain'.
Well as the author knows, ISIS did infact commit many attacks in Britain, and killed over 100 people in France. Not to mention killing thousands in the middle east. So to read the author attempt to suggest the risk of ISIS was some way being dishonestly potrayed, is unbelievable.
And most distateful of all, was the authors attempts to sugest the videos the videos of the Jordanian pilot being burnt to death, and the killings of western aid workers were in some way fabricated or staged. Given that 10 years have now passed, without these people miracilously reappearing from the death , we can only assume this was completely ridicilous theory?
On page 465, he is also deliberatley misleading regarding the death of a British journalist in Turkey, en route Kurdistan. After being suspiciously found dead in an airport, the author tells us how her friends family and employer demanded an international investigation , claimed foul play, and that CCTV was released by British press of her going about her buisness in duty free. This was no doubt, said with the intention of making the reader believe the crafty turkish state had executed her in the airport. Shocked and horrified by what I saw, I decided to do some research into this - only to find out that in fact, following an investigation, her family and employer were in fact convinced she acted alone and did infact commmit suicide.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34597393
The fact the author failed to mention this in the book, makes me wonder what other half truths and important information he ommited.
These things alone make me feel this book is not a reliable source, however there is plenty of information in here which is extremely interesting, and from what I know from other reading, is completely accurate.
Finally, the mentioning of the new Syrian leader jowlani in this book is very interesting, and fits well into the authors narrative of certain countries being more then happy to deal with terrorists.
March 16, 2025
This is a mammoth book and I think this is part of its issue. The first 90 odd pages are essentially background, which is useful but probably twice as long as it needed to be.
I found the facts and information interesting, however at times it felt like an information dump. There seemed to be very little original reportage, most of the sources used were secondary, which is not necessarily a problem, but I would have expected at academic specialising in Middle Eastern politics to be able to provide more than quotes from North American and British newspapers.
I was really hoping for some quality insight into ISIS - but it was not really present and the stodgy writing style (every fourth sentence seemed to start with 'moreover') made it a tough read.
While I do not think that it can be argued that western influence in the region has been short sighted, self-interested and disruptive, I feel that Davidson strays into the realms of conspiracy theories at times. His analysis that the west actively wanted ISIS to 'prosper' and did not want to eradicate it is not backed up much in the way of evidence or developed analysis. I found his critique of the air campaign showed a lack of knowledge of military operations, which skewed some of his deductions - I found it odd that he did not seek any expert opinion or assessment for context on these aspects.
I found the facts and information interesting, however at times it felt like an information dump. There seemed to be very little original reportage, most of the sources used were secondary, which is not necessarily a problem, but I would have expected at academic specialising in Middle Eastern politics to be able to provide more than quotes from North American and British newspapers.
I was really hoping for some quality insight into ISIS - but it was not really present and the stodgy writing style (every fourth sentence seemed to start with 'moreover') made it a tough read.
While I do not think that it can be argued that western influence in the region has been short sighted, self-interested and disruptive, I feel that Davidson strays into the realms of conspiracy theories at times. His analysis that the west actively wanted ISIS to 'prosper' and did not want to eradicate it is not backed up much in the way of evidence or developed analysis. I found his critique of the air campaign showed a lack of knowledge of military operations, which skewed some of his deductions - I found it odd that he did not seek any expert opinion or assessment for context on these aspects.
July 30, 2020
I went into this with pretty much no idea what is happening or has happened in the Middle East and I think I now have a much better general idea of what's going on in the different countries, especially more recent events since the Arab Spring. My main complaint is that certain chapters are pretty bewildering with all the names of people and groups that get thrown at you. That's probably partially due to my complete lack of background knowledge (which seems like it's becoming a theme for me).
April 9, 2023
The best book on middleastern history I have read in my life, this book deserves more than 5 stars. My review of this excellent book doesn't do it justice. The next book you read or buy let it be this book.
A book that will turn your world upside down. It will be a bitter pill for many to swallow, especially if you believe that the US has largely been a benign force on the world stage.
A book that will turn your world upside down. It will be a bitter pill for many to swallow, especially if you believe that the US has largely been a benign force on the world stage.
July 30, 2018
Occasionally too moralistic, and often too quick to show nefarious intent in place of incompetence, this is for the most part a vital compendium of terrible and under-reported crimes by horrific regimes and their Western friends.
August 31, 2019
Reads like a long and boring newspaper. Erring on the side of conspiracy theory a bit too much. Very poor in own analysis. The great thing about the book is that it is a great collection of facts and rare resources about specifics contemporary conflicts.
June 8, 2021
Hopelessness is a brandishing epiphany for world powers-UK, US and France. Their muddying dirty tricks kill the middle east region more than what Covid did in 2020. You would never trust your government again if you are born American, British or French after completing this book.
September 5, 2017
Very very interesting good read
September 24, 2017
Engrossing and soul-searching - this is the essential text on the Middle East and the devious historic roles played by the CIA and MI6.
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