- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Saqi Books (25 Sep 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0863566545
- ISBN-13: 978-0863566547
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 410,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Syria stands at the centre of contemporary Middle Eastern affairs but remains poorly understood. Recent writing has focussed on the intentions and objectives of the political leadership in Damascus, yet there are many severe constraints on what senior policy-makers can actually do. This collection presents new research conducted by the contributors on rarely studied aspects of Syrian politics, economics and diplomacy. Essays on the shifting relations between the Ba'th party and the armed forces, burgeoning private enterprise, and the dramatic Turkish-Syrian detente will prove essential reading for anyone with an interest in this pivotal and assertive Middle Eastern state.
About the Author
Fred H. Lawson is Rice Professor of Government at Mills College, California, USA. Between 1992-3 he was a Fulbright lecturer in International Relations at the University of Aleppo, Syria. He is the author of Constructing International Relations in the Arab World (Stanford University Press) and Why Syria Goes to War (Cornell University Press).
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This essay collection (edited by Dr. Fred Lawson) furnishes a solid cross-section of topics and opinions regarding present-day Syria. We referenced this text for an Oxford course on the Middle East, and it was a valuable primer on the socioeconomic, political and religious issues that continue to shape and re-shape the country. As with most edited volumes, there are times when one notices the variability between authors, but Lawson generally manages to create a fluid survey of the country's major issues from these diverse perspectives and research streams.
Overall, I found the essays very informative, and appreciated the book as a good launching point for an examination of contemporary Syrian society.
Overall, I found the essays very informative, and appreciated the book as a good launching point for an examination of contemporary Syrian society.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
An interesting set of essays on Syria today
1 Feb 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a useful collection of ten essays on various aspects of Syrian government policy and behavior. Topics covered range from the economy, to religious and ethnic tensions, to opposition politics, to foreign policy.
I found the essays particularly useful in understanding the forces for and against economic reform (entrenched interests are part of it, but so is a widespread "collectivist" social viewpoint) and some of the forces driving Syria's often opaque foreign policy (most notably a tendency to act as a balancer, thus tending to lean against whatever tides of influence are strengthening another regional player).
While it is useful to see different perspectives from different authors, the book does tend to come across as a series of narrow windows rather than as a single unified analysis. However, some of these narrow windows do sometimes turn out to be unexpectedly enlightening. For example, I had been tempted to skip an opaquely titled essay on "The Shii Mausoleums of Raqqa", but this turned out to be the basis for a thoughtful discussion of Iranian/Shiite religious influence in Syria and the interplay of different Islamic factions. (Among much else, I was surprised to discover that over two hundred thousand Iranian pilgrims visit Syria each year.)
With thirteen contributing authors, the writing quality and style vary considerably; sometimes rather stilted and academic, sometimes brisk and incisive. However, the overall work is quite readable and while I fear it does not entirely succeed in "demystifying" Syria, it does succeed in shedding a considerable amount of light and in offering rational underlying motivations for what can sometimes seem like eccentricities or miscalculations to outsiders. In general the authors seem to be aiming for a reasonably neutral perspective and seek to describe and to explain, rather than to either defend or criticize.
Overall, a useful and informative work.
I found the essays particularly useful in understanding the forces for and against economic reform (entrenched interests are part of it, but so is a widespread "collectivist" social viewpoint) and some of the forces driving Syria's often opaque foreign policy (most notably a tendency to act as a balancer, thus tending to lean against whatever tides of influence are strengthening another regional player).
While it is useful to see different perspectives from different authors, the book does tend to come across as a series of narrow windows rather than as a single unified analysis. However, some of these narrow windows do sometimes turn out to be unexpectedly enlightening. For example, I had been tempted to skip an opaquely titled essay on "The Shii Mausoleums of Raqqa", but this turned out to be the basis for a thoughtful discussion of Iranian/Shiite religious influence in Syria and the interplay of different Islamic factions. (Among much else, I was surprised to discover that over two hundred thousand Iranian pilgrims visit Syria each year.)
With thirteen contributing authors, the writing quality and style vary considerably; sometimes rather stilted and academic, sometimes brisk and incisive. However, the overall work is quite readable and while I fear it does not entirely succeed in "demystifying" Syria, it does succeed in shedding a considerable amount of light and in offering rational underlying motivations for what can sometimes seem like eccentricities or miscalculations to outsiders. In general the authors seem to be aiming for a reasonably neutral perspective and seek to describe and to explain, rather than to either defend or criticize.
Overall, a useful and informative work.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Hard to plough through.
9 Nov 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Various essays, some poorly written, ordered seemingly randomly. While some of the information buried in this book is valuable, getting through ill-written, highly repetitious material is time-consuming and frankly rather tedious. I would recommend this book only for people who are students of Syrian or Middle-Eastern policies.
Not for the uninitiated
7 Mar 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Despite its poorly chosen title, this book is not for beginners. It's written by Syria experts, for Syria experts. I did not expect it to be a primer on Syria; I knew it was going to be a collection of essays. Still, I thought that it would be at least a serviceable intro to Syrian politics and life (given current events there, demand for a such a book is probably high at the moment). Also, the under-ten price for the kindle version was too tempting to pass up. Unfortunately, it does not and can not serve the purpose of being an introduction to Syria. Unless you are intimately familiar with the religion, economics, and culture of the region and country, you will find your eyes perpetually glazing over. You will get something out of the book, but not even 10% of what a Syria expert would get out of it. Furthermore, most of what you get will be in the form of interesting tidbits. You certainly won't have a broad understanding of Syrian life and culture in the modern era. Finally, be aware that most of the essays are about religion, the economy, and the culture of Syria, with just a smattering of politics thrown in. Since politics have been thrust to the fore of Syrian life in the last year, if you're looking for an intro to Syria, you're probably looking mostly for information on its politics. For a primer on Syria, look elsewhere. Personally, after being disappointed by this book I plan to try The Struggle for Power in Syria: Politics and Society under Asad and the Ba'th Party by Nikolaos van Dam, 2011 edition.
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