Fouad Ajami presents a collection of insightful essays that delve into the complexities of the Middle East, examining the contemporary issues in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Egypt. His analysis is enriched by a blend of detailed historical context and personal reflections, offering readers a unique lens through which to understand the region's ongoing struggles and dynamics.
Fouad Ajami analyses the struggle for influence along the Fertile Crescent-the stretch of land that runs from Iran's border with Iraq to the Mediterranean- among three of the regional powers that have stepped into the vacuum left by the West: Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
Fouad Ajami offers an insightful exploration of Saudi Arabia's political culture and its international impact from the early 1990s to today. The narrative delves into the role of Islam in public life and examines the Saudi leadership's perspectives on U.S. administrations, particularly under Bush and Obama. This work enhances the understanding of Saudi Arabia's internal dynamics and its foreign relations, addressing a crucial gap in contemporary political discourse.
Ajami resurrects the Shia's neglected history, both distant and recent, and interweaves the life and work of Musa al Sadr with the larger strands of the Shia past.
Ajami's acclaimed study, updated in 1992 in light of recent turbulent events, remains an indispensable guide to the politics of the Arab world.
Combining current events with Iraq's rich heritage, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of the nation's tumultuous history and ongoing struggles. Fouad Ajami, a leading expert on Arab politics, presents a definitive exploration that weaves together recent historical developments and the complexities of Iraqi identity. This work stands out as a crucial resource for understanding the intricate dynamics shaping Iraq today.
The book explores the Syrian uprising during the Arab Spring, highlighting the resilience of the Syrian people against four decades of brutal dictatorship under the Assad regime. It delves into the complex dynamics of fear and resistance, illustrating how the regime's violent repression ultimately galvanized the population's determination to seek freedom and reform. The narrative captures the grim reality of their struggle, showcasing the sacrifices made in the pursuit of liberation from tyranny.
From Fouad Ajami, an acclaimed author and chronicler of Arab politics, comes a compelling account of how a generation of Arab intellectuals tried to introduce cultural renewals in their homelands through the forces of modernity and secularism. Ultimately, they came to face disappointment, exile, and, on occasion, death. Brilliantly weaving together the strands of a tumultuous century in Arab political thought, history, and poetry, Ajami takes us from the ruins of Beirut's once glittering metropolis to the land of Egypt, where struggle rages between a modernist impulse and an Islamist insurgency, from Nasser's pan-Arab nationalist ambitions to the emergence of an uneasy Pax Americana in Arab lands, from the triumphalism of the Gulf War to the continuing anguished debate over the Israeli-Palestinian peace accords. For anyone who seeks to understand the Middle East, here is an insider's unflinching analysis of the collision between intellectual life and political realities in the Arab world today.
From the author of The Arab Predicament and Dream Palace of the Arabs comes a beautiful and haunting memoir of growing up in Lebanon in the '50s and '60s-the story of a sensitive young man and budding intellectual caught between tradition and modernity, east and west.
An analysis of the turmoil in the Middle East journeys behind the familiar facade of Iraq to argue that troubles in the Arab world can be linked to America's limited understanding of the region, thirst for oil, and need to deal with terrorism.
