Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom [Paperback]

Alan George (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2003

Based on the testimony of key players, Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom recounts the drama of the "Damascus Spring" and its repression, and reveals what happens in a state like Syria to the institutions that occupy the political space between government and governed. From political parties to parliament; from the media to the judicial system and universities, the official veil of rhetoric and propaganda is lifted to reveal a system so demoralized and corrupted that power is wielded for no purpose but power itself; a system which, as Bashar al-Assad himself is discovering, is virtually incapable of reform.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A devastating critique of one-party rule and unchecked power, and a stirring vindication of Syria's courageous civil society movement."--Rana Kabbani

"Based ... on personal interviews with Syrians directly involved in contemporary developments there, as well as on an awareness of the Syrian reality developed over many years, this book illuminates the real crisis that Syria faces as it tries to restructure the monolithic legacy of the late President Hafiz al-Assad.:--George Joffe, Cambridge University

"This searing documentary takes the reader on a chilling tour inside Syrian politics, the actions of a courageous civil society, and the reactions by abusive power holders. It is an astounding record and at the same time a disturbingly beautiful book."--Lotte Leicht, Brussels Director, Human Rights Watch

About the Author

Alan George is a freelance journalist and researcher, contributing to a wide range of UK and international publications including The Observer, The Independent and The Guardian, and commentating on Middle Eastern affairs for radio and television.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Zed Books (September 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842772139
• ISBN-13: 978-1842772133
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #585,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > History > Middle East > Syria

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The book with the misleading title, April 9, 2005

By 

Hussain Abdul-Hussain (Washington,DC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom (Paperback)

Misleading title

Alan George's Syria Neither Bread nor Freedom has a misleading title. When I first bought this book I thought it would be a description of the genesis and evolution of the Baath Party and the Syrian dictatorship that ultimately led to poverty and suppression of human rights.
Instead, the book talks about a brief period when the current Syrian President Bashar Assad succeeded his father Hafez in 2000. The period witnessed a surge in Syrian hopes that their young president had intentions to modernize the regime and the state and allow more freedom, only to discover later that Hazfez Assad's old guard heavy weights cracked heavily on the few figures who dared criticize the regime and call for its modernization.
The author is clearly informed about this civil movement and its leaders, yet his description of these people is sometimes misleading as he tends to depict them as freedom lovers whereas in fact, many of the Syrian "civil insurgents" are just nationalists who think that the regime has failed in winning regional Arab battles and would love to see a stronger one replace it.
This is particularly misleading for Western readers who might confuse these opposition activists for pro-West at the time they are in fact very much anti-West.
The style of the book is "slow and dry," and gets boring at times. The writer should have spiced up his manuscript with figurative description of the Syrian capital and the people whom he interviewed.