A History of Modern Libya [Paperback]

Dirk Vandewalle (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521615542 | ISBN-13: 978-0521615549 | Publication Date: February 13, 2006

Libya is coming in from the cold, but for most of the three decades following Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi's self-styled revolution in 1969, the country was politically isolated and labelled a pariah state. Dirk Vandewalle, one of only a handful of Western scholars to visit the country during this time, is intimately acquainted with Libya. He offers a lucid and comprehensive account of Libya's past, and corrects some of the misunderstandings about its present. The story begins in the 1900s with a portrait of Libya's desert terrain and the personalities that shaped its development. Professor Vandewalle then covers Libya's history during the Italian colonial period (1911-1943) and the monarchy that ruled between 1951 and 1969. He goes on to discuss the subsequent regime of Colonel Qadhafi and the economic, political, and ideological developments that he engendered. Finally, he describes the most recent events that brought Libya back into the international fold. As the first comprehensive history of Libya over the last two decades, this book will be welcomed by scholars and students of North Africa, the Middle East, and by those who are visiting and doing business in the region. Diederik (Dirk) Vandewalle is Associate Professor of Government at Dartmouth College, and former chair of its Asian and Middle Eastern Studies program. His academic specialty focuses on the political economy of North Africa, and on strategies of political and economic liberalization in the region. Vandewalle is the author of Libya Since Independence: Oil and State-building ( 1998), editor of two volumes on Libya and North Africa, and author of numerous journal articles. He has received, among a number of awards, a Fulbright and Social Science Research Council grant for his research, and has been a Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Institute of International Development and at Harvard's Center of Middle Eastern Studies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Much more than a political, chronological or narrative review in 200 pages, this work effectively delivers a sympathetic, nevertheless critical, thorough and authoritative analysis.[...] Highly recommended." - Choice

"Vandewalle, an associate professor of government at Dartmouth, is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable students of Libya, and his A History of Modern Libya does not disappoint." - Middle East Quarterly

"There has clearly been no lack of studies on Libya and its leader over the years. The book under review, however, has the advantage of placing developments after 1969 in perspective relative to the country's early history: it shows how Qadhafi's apparent dramatic and idiosyncratic political ideas can be seen as a logical conclusion of Libya's earlier weakness or failure as a state. Emphasizing economic structures and policies, the book places these into a political, ideological, and structural context that makes it an excellent and up-to-date analytical introduction to the history of this country, which has had an impact so much larger than its size." - International Journal of Middle East Studies

Book Description

Dirk Vandewalle offers a lucid and comprehensive account of Libya's past, and corrects some of the misunderstandings about its present. This book will be welcomed by scholars and students of North Africa, the Middle East, and by those who are visiting and doing business in the region.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521615542
• ISBN-13: 978-0521615549
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > History > Africa > Libya
  • #56 in Books > History > Africa > North Africa

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Weak History of Libya Since the Ottoman Period, January 7, 2009

By 

Suchos - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Modern Libya (Paperback)

This is a concise history of modern Libya, with token background from the Ottoman period, slightly more detail from the Italian colonial period, and the vast majority of its focus on the monarchy (1951-1969) and the Qadhafi period (1969 to present). The author deals almost exclusively with political and economic history, with very little attention to cultural or religious themes.

Even on such limited terms, the book fails in a number of ways. First, Vandewalle has an odd habit of not defining terms that a reader of such a general history might find useful. For example, he refers often to the Sublime Porte -- a term that a general student of the Middle East and especially of the Ottoman Empire ought to know, certainly, but probably not familiar to the general reader. Another example is the Bab al-Aziziyya, which the author defines on page 150, but which he began using on page 121 (without any hint that a definition was forthcoming).

Second, and more importantly, the book lacks a surprising amount of detail. We are informed that a small group accomplished a coup against King Idris in September, 1969, but we are told almost nothing else: where did the coup happen? How did it happen? Perhaps a palace was stormed, or military installations seized? We are not even told of the fate of King Idris -- was he executed, banished, imprisoned, or left alone? These are all natural questions when dealing with something as momentous as the coup that changed Libya from a shaky kingdom to a radical, terrorist-sponsoring anti-state.

We are informed that two Libyan planes were shot down over the Gulf of Sirt after some kind of dispute. What was the nature of the dispute? Again, we are not told. And very frequently, as with the Gulf of Sirt incident and the Lockerbie bombing, Vandewalle makes allusion to the matter long before offering what scant detail he does provide, meaning the reader must already have some basic background or be left with no means of evaluating the validity of the author's interpretation.

As to that last point, another clear weakness of the book is that the footnotes are extremely sparse. Generalization is far more forgivable where the author directs the conscientious student to further information. That said, this book is a slim 206 pages of text -- the author easily could have added more helpful material without making the book unwieldly.

One final, important weakness is that the author frequently jumps around chronologically, resulting in a confused narrative. Again, the author assumes too much familiarity on the part of the reader, which familiarity makes little sense given the scope of the book.

EDIT: I recommend Libya: From Colony to Independence, by Ronald Bruce St. John, for readers interested in the subject.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Libya as of today., August 8, 2008

By 

Edmond Junker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Modern Libya (Hardcover)

I thought the book would give a modern view of customs ,geography and archytecture of this country but it was'nt like this.Instead the political history is presented which by the way is written very well.
I know quite a lot of this history as Libya was my second home for years but I feel a bit neglected when the book tells nothing about the people of this region.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellant and up-to-date reference, April 4, 2007

By 

L. Elston - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Modern Libya (Paperback)

As an expat living in Libya since August 2005 I read this book with focused interest. It has greatly helped me understand my government bureaucratic customer. And this new insight has reduced my fustration and increased my effectiveness.