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Dispatches from the Arab Spring-Understanding The New Middle East
About the Book: Dispatches from the Arab Spring: Understanding The New Middle East It is time to rethink how we understand the Arab world. The myriad revolts and revolutions of the so-called Arab Spring unleashed forces of emancipation and spirits of social justice that swept across the region with unprecedented speed, ferocity, and joy. As these epochal movements faced violent devolutions and frustrating detours, horizons of transformation remained in question. But there is no doubt that like so many dictators, the old regimes of perception about the Arab world have been toppled. Dispatches from the Arab Spring offers modes of analysis inspired by the methodology of revolt. It provides a comprehensive reintroduction to the entire region, not just those countries and spectacles that most captivated the media. This book weaves comprehension of new forms of domination and resistance into the whole cloth of social history, political geography, cultural creativity, global political economy, and power politics. The study of the Arab world is no longer limited to grasping the intractability of imperial or colonial or bellicose pasts: it is turning to recognize the exciting imminence of global futures. The book collects writings by some of the worlds most respected intellectuals who have turned their attention to the region. They are deeply aware of the national and local dynamics, schooled in the world of detail-where the devil lurks but so does hope. Dispatches from the Arab Spring lays out a tentative map for the future, hewed of a comparative agenda for introducing the region to students, the public, and researchers, for tracking new actors, structural economic formations, and political possibilities. A truly global history that examines the prospects of a worldwide power shift from North to South. About the Book: Bhima: Lone Warrior
- GenresMiddle EastPolitics
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 20, 2013
Dispatches, while by no means an easy read, seems an important one for Western readers who do not often get alternate perspectives on Middle Eastern/North African developments on the World Stage. There is often a decidedly anti-Western edge to the commentary which does seem justified in an area of the world where territorial limits, governmental forms and economic details have often been set down by old colonial powers and current policies are heavily influenced by petrodollars.
Each chapter, from Tunisia through the Sudan, discusses not only what occurred during the eventful year of 2011 but also what political, martial and cultural events led up to and followed it. I found much new here in most chapters and also much to help explain the continuing developments I see and hear on the news (often on line or the BBC more than US networks).
The chapters on Libya and Syria were probably the most enlightening for me personally, providing insights into the turmoil in each country through deeper detail of historical and current activity. I would then list the chapters on Egypt and Tunisia as the most informative but definitely learned from every section of this book.
I found the writing quality to vary from chapter to chapter, though most were excellent. A very few writers' biases were perhaps too close to the surface while others erudition seemed a bit heavy when perhaps some more accessible terms might have been used. There were occasional segments that seemed overwritten with too much jargon.
But I must repeat, leaving these criticisms aside, the background provided on most of the countries included in this book was highly informative and does make me hopeful for at least some of the "Arab Spring" countries in the future.
Recommended for those who would like to be better informed about what has been happening during that time called the "Arab Spring" as well as the background for it.
An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for the purpose of review.
Each chapter, from Tunisia through the Sudan, discusses not only what occurred during the eventful year of 2011 but also what political, martial and cultural events led up to and followed it. I found much new here in most chapters and also much to help explain the continuing developments I see and hear on the news (often on line or the BBC more than US networks).
The chapters on Libya and Syria were probably the most enlightening for me personally, providing insights into the turmoil in each country through deeper detail of historical and current activity. I would then list the chapters on Egypt and Tunisia as the most informative but definitely learned from every section of this book.
I found the writing quality to vary from chapter to chapter, though most were excellent. A very few writers' biases were perhaps too close to the surface while others erudition seemed a bit heavy when perhaps some more accessible terms might have been used. There were occasional segments that seemed overwritten with too much jargon.
But I must repeat, leaving these criticisms aside, the background provided on most of the countries included in this book was highly informative and does make me hopeful for at least some of the "Arab Spring" countries in the future.
Recommended for those who would like to be better informed about what has been happening during that time called the "Arab Spring" as well as the background for it.
An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for the purpose of review.
August 26, 2020
An excellent source despite it doesn't have any trace of Hillary Clinton's involment on the Libyan affair.
December 13, 2014
The book is a collection of fourteen articles analyzing the Arab Spring movements and the influential factors there in resulting in people’s uprising.It gave an overall idea about Arab Spring in the Middle East-- and North Africa (MENA) region. The book could provide a comprehensive reintroduction of the region to some extent and not completely.
- The first reason, in my opinion, is to be found in the book’s sub-title “Understanding the New Middle East”, while they should call it “Understanding the MENA”. It might not change much in the content but sounds like a bold mistake; Israel’s revolts as part of the Middle East is excluded, putting aside the fact that part of the population in Israel are Arabs.
- The second reason is the accuracy of the historical events and timelines, from the time that revolts began back to the historical overview of the countries like Bahrain. For example, I believe that the Arab Spring and specially using social media was, to some extent, inspired by Iranian Revolt in Jun 2009, as part of the Middle East, or they could allocate a chapter to Turkish revolts, again as part of the Middle East.
- And last but not least is that the detail of each chapter about movements vary. Does the author evaluate the significance of the movement in each country, or there are other indicators to evaluate? What is their definition of democracy in the region? How can the reader know if the movements resulted in democracy? What kind of democracy and in comparison to what circumstances?
The book is easy to read and in nice layout.
- The first reason, in my opinion, is to be found in the book’s sub-title “Understanding the New Middle East”, while they should call it “Understanding the MENA”. It might not change much in the content but sounds like a bold mistake; Israel’s revolts as part of the Middle East is excluded, putting aside the fact that part of the population in Israel are Arabs.
- The second reason is the accuracy of the historical events and timelines, from the time that revolts began back to the historical overview of the countries like Bahrain. For example, I believe that the Arab Spring and specially using social media was, to some extent, inspired by Iranian Revolt in Jun 2009, as part of the Middle East, or they could allocate a chapter to Turkish revolts, again as part of the Middle East.
- And last but not least is that the detail of each chapter about movements vary. Does the author evaluate the significance of the movement in each country, or there are other indicators to evaluate? What is their definition of democracy in the region? How can the reader know if the movements resulted in democracy? What kind of democracy and in comparison to what circumstances?
The book is easy to read and in nice layout.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews