An unprecedented analysis of the crucial but underexplored roles the United States and other nations have played in shaping Syria’s ongoing civil war Most accounts of Syria’s brutal; long-lasting civil war focus on a domestic contest that began in 2011 and only later drew foreign nations into the escalating violence. Christopher Phillips argues instead that the international dimension was never secondary but that Syria’s war was; from the very start; profoundly influenced by regional factors; particularly the vacuum created by a perceived decline of U.S. power in the Middle East. This precipitated a new regional order in which six external protagonists—the United States; Russia; Iran; Saudi Arabia; Turkey; and Qatar—have violently competed for influence; with Syria a key battleground. Drawing on a plethora of original interviews; Phillips constructs a new narrative of Syria’s war. Without absolving the brutal Bashar al-Assad regime; the author untangles the key external factors which explain the acceleration and endurance of the conflict; including the West’s strategy against ISIS. He concludes with some insights on Syria and the region's future.
#1803603 in Books imusti 2016-03-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.70 x 6.50l; .0 #File Name: 030020065X440 pagesYALE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Comprehensive Look at the Royal Navy’s War Against NapoleonBy A. A. NofiA summary of the review on StrategyPage.Com'Davey; author of "The Transformation of British Sea Power"; gives us an account of the Royal Navy from 1803 until the final fall of Napoleon. As Davey points out; most books on the subject tend to skim over events after the Battle of Trafalgar; implying that the war at sea had ended with Nelson’s great victory. In this work he demonstrates how untrue that belief is. Two-thirds of the book are devoted to events after Trafalgar. In the aftermath of his fleet’s disaster at Trafalgar; Napoleon immediately began a major fleet expansion program; and over the following decade the Royal Navy was quite busy not only in European waters; but in the Indian Ocean; the Americas; and even Southern Africa. While there were no famous victories; there was the work of keeping the sea lanes free of French; and for a time American; commerce raiders; bottling up the new French fleet in its ports; blockading French commerce; protecting the supply lines to the armies in the Peninsula and elsewhere; and more. In addition to maritime operations; Davey gives us a look at the organizational and industrial side of the naval war; an oft neglected subject; as well as naval prisoners of war; army-navy cooperation; and more. A valuable read for anyone interested in naval warfare under sail; and; of course; the Napoleonic Wars.For the full review; see StrategyPage.Com0 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Nothing new in this book. If you have never ...By Linda TNothing new in this book. If you have never read a book on the Napoleonic war at sea you might find it interesting.
