The Arab Spring ─ The Hope and Reality of the Uprisings

The Arab Spring unexpectedly developed in late 2010 with peaceful protests in a number of Arab countries against long-standing, entrenched regimes, and rapid political upheaval across the region ensued. With contributions from noted scholars,The Arab Spring: Change and Resistance in the Middle East provides a comprehensive overview of the causes, the key events, and the aftermath of these revolutions. Divided into two parts, the book first examines on the Arab countries directly involved and most dramatically impacted by the uprisings, as well as why some of their Arab neighbors avoided large-scale revolutions. The second part explores other countriesboth in and outside of the regionthat have a stake and interest in the uprisings.

The second edition has been thoroughly updated to include coverage of events since 2012 and how those changes have altered initial assessments of Arab Spring’s effects, and a brand-new chapter on Iraq. New part introductions and a revised concluding chapter provide better contextualization and comparative analysis of the key themes and broader questions. This is an essential volume for students and scholars of the Middle East seeking the fullest understanding of how the uprisings continue to impact the region and the world.

Mark L. Haas is professor in the Political Science Department and the Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He is the author ofThe Clash of Ideologies and The Ideological Origins of Great Power Politics, 17891989, and coeditor ofThe Middle East and the United States (Westview Press). His scholarly articles have appeared in such journals asInternational Security, International Studies Quarterly, Security Studies, andThe Review of Politics.

David Lesch is Professor of Middle East History in the Department of History at Trinity University. Dr. Lesch is the author of several books, includingSyria: The Fall of the House of Assad and The New Lion of Damascus, and coeditor ofThe Middle East and the United States (Westview Press). He has also published numerous articles in leading journals, chapters in books, and essays in such noted publications asThe New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and CNN.com