From late 2003 through mid-2005; a series of peaceful street protests toppled corrupt and undemocratic regimes in Georgia; Ukraine; and Kyrgyzstan and ushered in the election of new presidents in all three nations. These movements—collectively known as the Color Revolutions—were greeted in the West as democratic breakthroughs that might thoroughly reshape the political terrain of the former Soviet Union.But as Lincoln A. Mitchell explains in The Color Revolutions; it has since become clear that these protests were as much reflections of continuity as they were moments of radical change. Not only did these movements do little to spur democratic change in other post-Soviet states; but their impact on Georgia; Ukraine; and Kyrgyzstan themselves was quite different from what was initially expected. In fact; Mitchell suggests; the Color Revolutions are best understood as phases in each nation's long post-Communist transition: significant events; to be sure; but far short of true revolutions.The Color Revolutions explores the causes and consequences of all three Color Revolutions—the Rose Revolution in Georgia; the Orange Revolution in Ukraine; and the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan—identifying both common themes and national variations. Mitchell's analysis also addresses the role of American democracy promotion programs; the responses of nondemocratic regimes to the Color Revolutions; the impact of these events on U.S.-Russian relations; and the failed "revolutions" in Azerbaijan and Belarus in 2005 and 2006.At a time when the Arab Spring has raised hopes for democratic development in the Middle East; Mitchell's account of the Color Revolutions serves as a valuable reminder of the dangers of confusing dramatic moments with lasting democratic breakthroughs.
#1137524 in Books University of Pennsylvania Press 2007-06-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .62 x 5.98l; .93 #File Name: 0812219619272 pages
Review
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Original and Brilliant ScholarshipBy CustomerAbraham in Arms takes a totally original approach to early New England history. By bringing a gendered analysis to fields of war; cultural contact; and New England community formation; Little shows how concepts of masculinity were inseparable from early Americans attempts to colonize a New World. Whether talking about war; about cultural cross-dressing; or the many gendered facets of captivity; Little smartly shows how combining extensive archival research with a feminist analysis encourages us to rethink how we understand early America.My graduate students regularly rate this book as one of their favorite pieces of new scholarship in the field. Undergrads find it accessible and engaging; and take away a whole new picture of the silver-buckle wearing Puritans they grew up with.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. How Were American Indians and European Colonists Not So Different?By Frank BellizziIn this book; Ann Little describes and interprets the ways in which people in New England; New France; and Indian country thought and spoke about their cross-cultural experiences in the colonial Northeast. Her timeframe runs from approximately the 1630s to the 1760s. The author focuses on the experience and rhetoric of warfare. The decades she takes up include seven distinct military episodes; beginning with The Pequot War (1636-37) and concluding with the French and Indian War; also known as the Seven Years' War (1756-63). Little observes that all of the various warring parties of this era routinely used the language of family and gender to describe things like their enemies; their victories; and the experience of captivity. She explains that her book is part of a current scholarly trend that notices and comments on similarities between Indians and Europeans; as opposed to their often discussed differences. Little relies on primary sources like Anglo-American captivity narratives and the tracts and sermons of Increase and Cotton Mather and lesser-known Puritan divines. She also cites and refers to contemporary scholarship. Overall; this is a fine piece of work on the topic.7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Great research; great argumentBy History ProfessorAnn Little has written a fascinating account of the ways in which Native Americans and English and French settlers of the 17th and 18th centuries understood the wars they entered with and against each other (particularly the Pequot and Seven Years Wars; but also more generally the ongoing disputes between Europeans and Indians throughout the colonial period in New England). Drawing on English and French sources; Little also incorporates the experience of Indians as well; though of course that remains difficult when they did not leave written records from these periods.Her argument writ large is that Indians and Europeans actually shared a number of the same understandings about warfare and masculinity; even as they also differed vastly in a number of their cultural practices. And in documenting those practices Little does a great job of showing why and how confusion arose between cultures; but also how Europeans exploited those differences whenever possible in their quest for the land then occupied by Indians. She also includes a really interesting chapter on the experiences of English children taken captive by Indians and sold to the French; many of whom (girls especially) opted not to return home; noting all the reasons that these girls may well have achieved a much more elevated status in French Canadian society than in their native New England.I've taught the book in a number of classes and it is well argued; accessible; and chock full of evidence. It has worked successfully in those classes and I recommend it both to students of history and to lay readers interested in a more nuanced history of warfare in colonial New England that takes Indian AND European men's AND women's perspectives into account.
