The Battle for the Arab Spring: Revolution, Counter-Revolution and the Making of a New Era

by Lin Noueihed, Alex Warren

Sparked by the protest of a single vegetable seller in Tunisia, the flame of revolutionary passion swept across the Arab world in what has come to be called the Arab Spring of 2011. Millions took to the streets in the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya fell, other regimes remain embattled, and no corner of the region has escaped unchanged. In this informed and accessible book, Lin Noueihed and Alex Warren explain the economic and political roots of the Arab Spring, assess what has been accomplished so far, and consider the many stumbling blocks that confront the Arab nations as they try to shape their futures. Through research, interviews, and a wealth of firsthand experience, the authors explain the unique set of obstacles that endanger stability in each country. They analyze the challenges many Arab nations face in building democratic institutions, finding consensus on political Islam, overcoming tribal divides, and satisfying an insatiable demand for jobs. In an era of change and uncertainty, this insightful guide provides the first clear glimpse of the post-revolutionary future the Arab Spring set in motion.

Genres: Middle East, History, Politics, Nonfiction, Africa

368 pages, Hardcover

First published March 16, 2012

Reviews

[smokeandmirrors · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive look at the Arab Spring (primarily) as it manifested across six countries and (secondarily) across the rest of the Middle East. The authors did a lot of work to ground the events of 2011 into a broader context and refute the prevailing (I think?) impression that the Spring was sudden & unexpected, and I thought they achieved this well; I thought this was the best part of the book actually. Its other main strength is that it communicates a sense of time very strongly, giving space to "early 2012" as a moment; you get the sense that any history written now would subsume this period as just another part of a linear timeline, so it was interesting to read a book so grounded in this moment. Unfortunately I think this is also the biggest weakness of the book, that is, it was published in early 2012 and frankly would have been dated basically immediately. Things were moving too fast! I cannot communicate how strange it was to get through the whole Egypt chapter without seeing Mohamed Morsi mentioned once, even if that was for the very good reason that he wouldn't be elected until June. It is unfair of me to judge it for this, I know, but it affected my reading experience profoundly.

Actually I feel like all the quibbles I have with the book are generally unfair, but I still have them. I did feel the lack of Morocco and Jordan chapters when they began cropping up in the concluding sections lacking the same attention given to the six countries which got their own chapters, but like -- you can't focus on everything, can you?? I get it. I thought that while the background was admirably covered, there was a detachment to the way that the protests themselves were portrayed, that the pictures at the start of the book were about as visceral as it got. The counter-argument would probably be that this is an academic book and not trying to be emotional, but I still felt that something was lost / missing in the presentation of the actual protest events. I wish there had been more media analysis, analogue media and news and social media, but there are whole books on those topics alone so, you know. Understandable that they didn't get into it all that much here. My stupidest, pettiest complaint is that the authors occasionally made predictions or gestured gently and hopefully to potential positive outcomes and it made me extremely sad each time. That they were optimistic is not a fault! Surely they had every right to be. And they were clearly aware of the potential negative outcomes of the Spring too, even if their musings never got as dire as reality did.

It might not sound like it but I liked this book actually!!! I liked it a lot and I think it would be a worthwhile read even if only for its meticulous contextualisation of the 2011 uprisings. I was feeling an itch and this satisfied me and for that I'm glad I read it.

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book!! How well I remember the Arab Spring. Three very dear friends of mine Ahmed, Omar and May seem to have vanished after the end. I can only hope and pray that they are safe and well and that all the people in the countries involved get a chance to live a life of joy and dignity.

[Oliver Kuivasto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed, descriptive and conclusive report on the Arab Spring; revolutions and new dawns for Middle Eastern and North African countries. Lin Noueihed's book does a remarkable job in describing how the Arab Spring supposed job of bringing order and a more democratic structure to the Middle East, in reality brought far more chaos anyone could have ever imagined. For a active news follower, documentary geek, and "googler" this might be slightly outdated.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and detailed, if already somewhat dates, look at the Arab Spring. While some of its predictions for the future (the revised edition that I read was published in 2013) have been proven inaccurate in the years since, this book is very much worth the read for its detailed analysis of the circumstances and political situation of the region that led to the events of 2011.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying if already dated study of the Arab Spring's beginnings and first year in the major states affected by it. I say 'already dated' because the scope of the study ends at the beginning of 2012 and so much has changed in states like Egypt and Syria that the authors' projections now seem unfounded or quite silly. This isn't their fault: history is not a game of prophecy. It is a game of sifting, ascertaining and analysis, and this they do fine. There's lots of juicy goodness about the major movements, especially interesting is the chapter on Bahrain and the Arab Spring's larger repercussions for the region, especially vis a vis Saudi Arabia and other conservative monarchies who couldn't help but be affected by it all. A concluding chapter on the role of Islamismp, before the rise of ISIS and al-Qa'ida offshoots coming out of the woodworks seems obsolete, too.
Nevertheless, an informative work!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks at the countries that experienced popular uprisings in early 2011, in what is broadly known as the Arab Spring. The authors discuss the history of discontent in the various countries, which I thought was valuable, since it provided insight into what provoked the unrest. The second section of the book contains in-depth coverage of each country individually, and the last section talks about what the uprisings mean for the region, and the way forward. The authors attempt to analyze developments across the region, but they do a better job of reporting on the past and present than on predicting the future or analyzing why things happened the way that they did.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, but I would really like to have an update on the topic!

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW

[Edie Kestenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best thing about this book was the questions it gave me. Definitely a good overview.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly informative work for anyone who's interested in learning more about the Arab Spring. Definitely not a pleasure read though--brace yourself for some dense academic writing!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the events which started the Arab Spring. A little lacking in analysis though.