(Part 2) Best syria history books according to redditors
We found 72 Reddit comments discussing the best syria history books. We ranked the 33 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
30. The Battle for Syria: International Rivalry in the New Middle East
1 mention
Yale University Press
Here you go, this is a start:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Syrian-Civil-War-Centurys-Deadliest-x/dp/1537358650/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1481882657&sr=8-3&keywords=syrian+history
If you google US interest in Syrian pipeline, as well as read some independent journalistic work from Syria you will see this instantly. If I have to prove that an easy supply of oil in the east from Arab nations would undercut Russian gas prices dramatically, that would be like asking to prove 1 + 1 = 2... Supply and demand.
As of US involvement in the rebel forces, I would start at looking up the US financing of the Arab states. As well as the major weapons trade with them. After that I would start looking into the Qatars connection to Al-Nusra. Simply by skimming the surface you can instantly see the involvement from both the US side and the Russia side.
Honestly, you want me to link sources to probably the most known reason why we have the Syrian conflict, besides there isn't one source, its multiple. Seems like you haven't even tried Googling it.
https://www.rt.com/news/370270-msm-agenda-siria-war/
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-secret-stupid-saudi-us-deal-on-syria/5410130
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2016/10/62769.html
https://ftmdaily.com/what-jerry-thinks/whysyria/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_naval_facility_in_Tartus
PLEASE read/listen to the following:-
the impossible revolution:-
https://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Revolution-Yassin-al-Haj-Saleh/dp/160846850X
No Turning Back:-
https://www.amazon.com/No-Turning-Back-Wartime-Syria/dp/0393609499/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ESQA29YVBQ90MB57MJMD
We crossed a bridge and it trembled:-
https://www.amazon.com/We-Crossed-Bridge-Trembled-Voices/dp/0062654616/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0062654616&pd_rd_r=NM5EKKYJPCXV2QB1PXWB&pd_rd_w=DwWri&pd_rd_wg=nVLpS&psc=1&refRID=NM5EKKYJPCXV2QB1PXWB
Listen to the Irrelevant Arabs Podcast:-
https://soundcloud.com/user-460102066/ghouta-the-land-of-heroes-the-price-of-freedom
https://soundcloud.com/user-460102066/we-crossed-a-bridge-it-trembled-a-peoples-history-of-the-syrian-revolution-wendy-pearlman
https://soundcloud.com/user-460102066/on-syria-the-impossible-revolution-a-conversation-with-yassin-al-haj-saleh
Depends on how much in-depth you want them to be, and if you're more into 'general politics', or into 'military-related affairs'.
For really good understanding of how Syria came into being, and what events and processes shaped it early on, you might want to read:
Given your German flag, you might add
Now, since much of recent Syrian history is dominated by the Syrian military, you might need some read in this regards. Ideally, there would be an English translation for the best - most detailled, most in-depth - book on history of Syrian armed forces, Pesach Malovany's big volume tittled something like 'Out of the North an Evil shall break Forth' (sorry, all the links I used to have to its publisher are down) - published (like, sigh, so many really good Israeli books on Arab-Israeli wars) in Hebrew only. But there is none. Word is that this might get translated to English by the University of Kentucky, sometimes next or the year after.
Some might suggest you Arabs at War. Regardless how comprehensive, when it comes to Syria I find it hopelessly obsolete, onesided and largely based on 'battlefield heritage' (see: hear-say). Indeed, although anything than 'Syria-related', I found Egyptian Strategy for the Yom Kippour War much more useful for studying the Syrian military during the October 1973 War (and even after!).
Namely, that one is largely based on Egyptian documentation captured during the October 1973 War, and cross-examination of related Egyptian and Syrian military literature.
A 'short-cut' of sort (i.e. avoiding collecting all of these books) would be to go for the Arab MiGs books... though this is in turn an own series of six volumes, covering the history of Arab air forces at war with Israel in period 1955-1973.
Good thing about these books is that they're based on hundreds of interviews, authentic publications (including several by top Syrian military commanders), and whatever documentation the authors managed to get. They're providing really unique insights: far from merely counting aircraft, describing their markings, or discussing claims, they're descibing political backgrounds, arms deals, training (including outright fist-fights between top Syrian pilots and Soviets supposed to instruct them), organization, tactics, weaponry, foreign influences (in the case of Syrians, this was foremost Czechoslovak and not 'Soviet' by nature, and in this regards these books are well-supported by - between others - loads of original documentation from Czech National Archives) etc.
Finally, re. causes of the SCW: there is meanwhile a small myrad of related titles - with best example probably being a quite massive volume titled The Syrian Jihad: al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency. Where that title 'excells' is in showing 'local influence and flair' of the entire affair: in turn, that is often making it hard to follow. Right now, I wouldn't know a 'simplier', 'easier to follow' volume describing this affair, though (any recommendations are most welcome).
If you want an actual answer to this question, it is not enough to examine Assad's (and the regime's) conduct since the beginning of the uprising in 2011. You can only get the full picture if you understand the composition and the statecraft of the regime since Assad pere wrested power from his intra-regime opponents in 1970. Some books worth reading are Hinnebusch's excellent primer on the rise of the Ba'ath Party (and later, the Assad clan) to power (Syria: Revolution From Above), Hanna Batatu's classic examination of [Syria's Peasantry, the Descendants of Its Lesser Rural Notables, and Their Politics]
(https://www.amazon.com/Syrias-Peasantry-Descendants-Notables-Politics/dp/0691002541), Lisa Wedeen on the cultural and ideological methods the regime uses to maintain power (Ambiguities of Domination: Politics, Rhetoric, and Symbols in Contemporary Syria), and Patrick Seale's highly readable book on Hafez al-Assad and his Struggle for the Middle East. A more recent work dealing with the economic underpinnings of the regime (Business Networks in Syria: The Political Economy of Authoritarian Resilience) is also worth your time.
In short, take a good look at the nature of the regime and its policies over the last four decades and decide for yourself whether it is incapable of committing the war crimes it is accused of. You could also go through the many detailed reports human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have put together alleging regime crimes, most recently their report on the Khan Sheikhoun nerve gas attack and the regime's ongoing use of chemical weapons.
>Across the Arab world there is heavy opposition to this ideology
This just isn't true. There is opposition, but nowhere near on the scale you imply. One of the reasons Erdogan rose to such prominence is because he was able to negotiate an Islamic identity within the loosening Turkish political framework.
One of the reasons Islamism is so prominent is because nearly a century of secularising policies caused alienation and disruption for those denied the opportunity to assert themselves in the political sphere according to their own identities.
Of course, it's certainly not without its problems. No-one can seriously postulate Turkey, Iran, or the Gulf monarchies (although I wouldn't call them Islamist, so much), are success stories. But their problems certainly don't boil down to 'Islamism'.
>most Syrians certainly do not want an Islamist revolution
This is more difficult to prove. But I think you'd be surprised. The Islamist networks that sprung up in 2011 weren't a foreign imported ideology (jihadism is a different debate). They've actually been some of the most organised opposition groups in the country, despite having to organise mostly underground. See this (although, granted, things changed after the 80s) for more on the history of Syrian-Islamic politics. There's also this.
Thanks for the reply.
>The same way YPG fucked off from Afrin and let the people there get murdered, raped, extorted and what not, haha.
Afrin was a failure, of course...too bad the SAA only gave completely unrealistic terms and refused to help defend its land when they were refused (as they were designed to be to avoid conflict between Russia and Turks). It was a failure of all those who believed in a united Syria, YPG included, though also SAA to a lesser extent.
>Yes the SAA totally left for shits and giggles, totally not because they were overstretched on multiple fronts
The reasoning why wasn't important, the SAA was unable to protect those in the north and an alternative defence force was needed.
>The SAA came to north Syria because YPG is unable to guarantee security and lacks the internal legitimacy
Completely untrue, no evidence whatsoever that YPG/AANES lacks internal legitimacy, it's the most democratic polity in Syria and has enjoyed widespread internal support from the start, hence why there's been literally no major dissent vs the administration over all the years compared to rebel groups/ISIS/regime territory.
Not being able to win with light infantry and shitty technicals vs the 2nd biggest NATO army with overwhelming heavy vehicles and air superiority does not denote "lacking internal legitimacy" whatsoever.
>too fucking bad that they're completely incapable, both diplomatically and militarily
Yeah, that's how they took over 1/3 of Syria from being "the forgotten people" not a decade prior. Don't be daft, the YPG (and the non-shit parts of the SDF) are among the better fighting forces in Syria, albeit they are underequipped. Again, not being able to face the literal Turkish army doesn't mean it's a worthless force, the SAA isn't doing much better on the front either right now.
>internationally recognized government
And? Who cares? Why do some New York bureaucrats have more say over who is legitimate than the people of North Syria themselves? International law is a joke, it is a means through which power is projected and dominance of the great powers is asserted. It doesn't mean shit morally.
>pretty much ceases to be a Sykes-Picot state which any dissatisfied minority can destabilize with the help an expansionist superpower
Until the non-Arab and non-Alawite sects of Syria are brought into the fold, there won't be peace. Do you think just because you win one war you can just continue things as they were before and everyone will forget? Of course not. If the Kurdish issue is not solved, then they will rise up again in the decades to come now the Rojava Revolution is ingrained in the collective psyche of the region. If the Sunni are not enfranchised within the political and economic system of the country, then they will not accept Alawite rule. The list goes on.
I'm not saying it was the wrong decision tactically for the SAA to leave the north, but what I'm saying is that you can't then blame the people of N. Syria for rejecting a force that was, for whatever reason, unable to protect them, and instead forming their own self-defence forces which did a much, much better job (Olive Branch nonwithstanding, sadly). The YPG not being able to defend Afrin delegitimises its presence in the area, just as it does for the SAA in the north. Furthermore, if SAR has less popular support than AANES in the north, it does not magically become internally legitimate because some NY nerd half way across the world in UN headquarters says so.
Whether the SAA was right to withdraw, that is not relevant to the discussion (it probably was the right choice), what I'm saying is that it is thus justified that people in AANES try to protect themselves and assert their own administration if the former one brutally represses them and does not have the logistical capability to defend them.
What would you do in that situation? Why should N. Syria take the SAA back when it represents a regime that has tried to extinguish Kurdish identity for decades, and that has brutally repressed any resistance to this cultural extermination? No way would you tolerate that if you were in the same situation, or at least I hope you wouldn't.
Sure!
Baumstark, Anton. Geschichte der syrischen Literatur [Only if you can read German.]
Brock, Sebastian. An Introduction to Syriac Studies
Brock, Sebastian and George Kiraz (eds.) Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage [This is worth just poking around in and reading some articles. Each article has its own little bibliography.]
_____. The Luminous Eye: The Spiritual World Vision of Saint Ephrem the Syrian
Murray, Robert. Symbols of Church and Kingdom: A Study in Early Syriac Tradition
Wright, William. A Short History of Syriac Literature
Also tagging /u/DrDankMemesSJ here since he's likewise interested.
The US supplied militants who AQ affiliates would then rob or try to recruit, so yes US material ended up with Al Nusrah (the main AQ affiliate), but that's pretty different from implying the US purposely armed AQ because that's how much they hate Assad.
I think your characterization of how the Syrian Civil War has gone is also inaccurate. The Obama administration was extremely reluctant to get involved and really didn't contribute much to the opposition forces. It frankly looks more like they simply tried to bleed Iran/Russia through a proxy war then actually cause regime change. I just finished reading a book about the conflict written by a Syrian who had been living in the US (Amazon link). The book was published in 2012 (the author actually died in 2014) so it only covers the beginning of the conflict, but it reinforces the impression I've gotten from other sources that the Obama administration was not really interested in regime change and pretty much just did the bare minimum to make sure the US would have some influence in the outcome of the conflict but not much more.
Jeffrey M. Bale, The Darkest Side of Politics I: Postwar Fascism, Covert Operations and Terrorism
Jeffrey M. Bale, The Darkest Side of Politics II: State Terrorism, "Weapons of Mass Destruction." Religious Extremism, and Organized Crime
Richard J. Chasdi, Corporate Security Crossroads: Responding to Terrorism, Cyberthreats, and Other Hazards in the Global Business Environment
Cynthia C. Combs, Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century
Fergal F. Davis and Fiona de Londras, Critical Debates on Counter-Terrorism Judicial Review
Dave Dilegge and Robert J. Bunker, Jihadi Terrorism, Insurgency, and the Islamic State: A Small Wars Journal Anthology
Edward Dunbar, Amalio Blanco, and Desiree A. Crevecoeur-MacPhail, The Psychology of Hate Crimes as Domestic Terrorism - U.S. and Global Issues. Three Volumes - Volume 1: Theoretical, Legal, and Cultural Factors; Volume 2: Assessment Issues with Victims and Offenders, Volume 3: Interventions, Treatment, and Management
Christopher C Harmon and Randall G Bowdish, The Terrorist Argument: Modern Advocacy and Propaganda
Beatrice Heuser and Eitan Shamir, Insurgencies and Counterinsurgencies: National Styles and Strategic Cultures
Sara Yael Hirschhorn, City on a Hilltop: American Jews and Israeli Settler Movement
Michael B. Kraft and Edward Marks, Counterterrorism: From Nixon to Trump - Key Challenges, Issues, and Responses
Ronit Marzan, Yasser Arafat: Rhetoric of Alone Leader
Hilary Matfess and Michael Miklaucic, Beyond Convergence: World Without Order
Gerry Nagtzaam, From Environmental Action to Ecoterrorism? Towards a Process Theory of Environmental and Animal Rights Oriented Political Violence
Richard A. Nielsen, Deadly Clerics: Blocked Ambition and the Paths to Jihad
Donald Rooum, What is Anarchism: An Introduction
Deepak Tripathi, Breeding Ground: Afghanistan and the Origins of Islamist Terrorism
Charles Webel and Mark Tomass, Assessing the War on Terror: Western and Middle Eastern Perspectives
About the Reviewer: Dr. Joshua Sinai is the Book Reviews Editor of Perspectives on Terrorism. You can email him at: [email protected]
>but not with multiple different books.
You're out of luck then, your only hope at getting a solid basic understanding is reading at the bare minimum a few. I'd suggest reading one focusing on the Islamic State/AQI, one focusing on the Kurdish situation including Turkey and the PKK, one on the civil war (rebels vs regime), and one about the conflict in general.
Couple of recommendations
The Battle for Syria: International Rivalry in the New Middle East
Revolution in Rojava: Democratic Autonomy and Women's Liberation in the Syrian Kurdistan
The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency
And it wasn't the first time. If you're interested, The Fall of the House Assad and The Struggle for Power in Syria: Politics and Society under Asad and the Ba'th Party were both informative. The second one gives the back story of the rise of the Ba'ath party and the inter-sectarian struggles for power. The first is about the early years of the up rising.
You need to quit listening to Infowars and Savage and learn to seek other sources then compare and use logic.
Try starting here: https://www.amazon.com/Syria-Dilemma-Boston-Review-Books/dp/026202683X/ref=pd_sim_14_5/142-1221647-6135009?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=026202683X&pd_rd_r=G81N2GXKTPTBTV5FN8DM&pd_rd_w=Ze5Tr&pd_rd_wg=dDTlO&psc=1&refRID=G81N2GXKTPTBTV5FN8DM