Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect [Hardcover]

Erlich&clearly and succinctly explains Syrias current political and military stalemate in this important, informative, and well researched book.... Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the current turmoil in the Middle East.Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEWReese Erlich takes you Inside Syria with the kind of clarity that only a superb journalist can provide. This book is a tour de force,?demolishing clich?s and replacing them with realities of what the hell is going on in Syriaand why. The result is a gripping narrative that combines unvarnished history with immediate truth about Syrias present-day.Norman Solomon, author of War Made Easy?A deeply readable and informative book that is particularly wise about the economic undercurrents beneath what more-superficial writers see merely as political or religious tensions. A fine introduction to one of todays most terrible tragedies.Adam Hochschild, author of?To End All Wars?and?King Leopolds GhostThe most useful and up-to-date analysis of the complex internal dynamics of Syria today. . . . [It] destroys many of the simplistic stereotypes prevalent in the American conventional wisdom. . . . United States policy makers should view Erlichs masterful narrative as required reading. Had his book been available before the current violence in Syria erupted, the world might have been much wiser.William O. Beeman, Department of Anthropology, University of MinnesotaVeteran journalist Reese Erlich, who knows Syria well, has written what may be the definitive account thus far of both foreign and domestic factors shaping its descent into fratricidal war. With the inclusion of important historical background, interviews from inside the country, and insights into the motivations of policy makers in Washington and elsewhere, the result is thorough and balanced reporting in which few come out looking good.Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and coordinator of Middle Eastern studies, University of Salâ