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The Battlefield: Algeria 1988-2002, Studies in a Broken Polity
 
 
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The Battlefield: Algeria 1988-2002, Studies in a Broken Polity (Hardcover)

by Hugh Roberts (Author) "The development of a radical Islamist movement has been a major feature of Algerian political life since the mid-1970s and especially since the death of..." (more)
Key Phrases: nationalist political tradition, military reshuffle, pluralist constitution, Ben Bella, Algerian Islamism, Ben Hadj (more...)
2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review
"I found The Battlefield deeply knowledgeable, clearly written and always thought provoking. Of many writers on Algerian contemporary affairs I particularly value Hugh Roberts' unremitting effort to site Algerian problems in an Algerian context, thus avoiding the stereotypes and incorrect analogies that so clutter much writing on the subject ... an excellent and deeply rewarding book for anyone who wants to try to penetrate the often obscure politics of this troubled and important country." - Ronald E. Neumann, US Ambassador to Bahrain, Ambassador to Algeria 1994-1997 "...provocative, profoundly committed and impeccably documented, [The Battlefield] enlightens the obscurity of Algerian politics and questions the conventional wisdom of intellectuals. It is not only a collection of articles but a book all of its own, worth serious reflection for years to come." - Jean Leca, Professor at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, former Chair of the Editorial Board of Monde Arabe, 'Maghreb Machrek' "No other European scholar has followed the twists and turns of Algerian politics with such tenacity, sympathy and understanding." - Roger Owen, A.J. Meyer Professor of Middle East History at Harvard

Product Description
The violence that has ravaged Algeria has often defied explanation. Regularly invoked in debates about political Islam, transitions to democracy, globalization, and the right of humanitarian interference, Algeria's tragedy has been reduced to a clash of stereotypes: Islamists vs. a secular state, terrorists vs. innocent civilians, or generals vs. a defenseless society. The prevalence of such simplistic representations has disabled public opinion inside as well as outside the country and contributed to the intractability of the conflict.

This collection of essays offers a radical corrective to Western misconceptions. Rejecting the usual tautological approaches of inherent, predetermined conflict, Hugh Roberts explores the outlook and evolution of the various internal forces as they emerged—the Islamists, the Berberists, the factions within the army, and the régime in general—and he looks at external interests and actors. He explains their strategies and the maneuvers in which they have engaged. The resulting analyses illuminate the startling dynamics of the conflict and the real issues at stake, and identify the implications not only for Algeria but also for this crucial region.

Informed by a deep knowledge of Algeria and Algerian history, these accessible essays guide the reader through the extraordinary politics of the drama in all its complexity.

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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Verso; 1 edition (February 27, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 185984684X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1859846841
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #946,248 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #85 in  Books > History > Africa > Algeria

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A work of considerable scholarship, April 8, 2003
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
The Battlefield: Algeria 1988-2002 by Hugh Roberts (Senior Research Fellow of the Development Studies Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science) is a close and meticulous study of the recent violence that has wracked Algeria. This impressive history eschews oversimplifications reducing the conflict to simply Islamists vs. a secular state, or the generals vs. the common people. Carefully examining the makeup and motivating forces for the Islamists, the Berberists, various factions in the army and in the general regime, The Battlefield is a compelling dissection of the heart of bloodshed. A work of considerable scholarship but one which is easily accessible by the non-specialist general reader, The Battlefield is highly recommended for students of 20th Century Algerian history.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Turning Algeria Inside Out, February 21, 2003
By A Customer
Hugh Roberts is the leading anglophone expert on Algeria and this book will cause you to question all of your pre-conceived and half-baked notions of what has been going on in Algeria during the last decade and a half. Roberts is a passionately committed scholar who questions everything and comes up with original and serious critiques of what passes for scholarship and with fascinating reflections that will reward your curiousity and cause you to think deeply about why we understood so little about Algeria.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars The Algeria to Sleep By, August 14, 2006
By Major Miracle (Ft. Leavenworth, KS) - See all my reviews
I was hopeful that The Battlefield would provide some insight into the problems of Algeria and provide a basis for study in other Islamic revolutions. It did neither. What it did do was bore me to sleep on several occasions.

The Battlefield is a collection of essays where the author assumes that the reader has a basis of knowledge in Algerian history. Without this basis, the readier will be researching the names of key Algerian players while trying to understand the intricacies of the Algerian political and economic reforms. The author also assumes some understanding of French, as French terms, with and without translation, are liberally spread throughout the essays.

Given these problems, the writing is difficult to read through, and I often found myself less interested in the events in Algeria then in trying to keep my eyes open. While the author might be an expert in Algerian political movements, he is not able to present his theories and explanations in a method which will keep a casual reader engaged.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Comments about The Battlefield: Algeria 1988-2002, Studies in a Broken Polity
The book does relate to Algeria. It is, however, a collection of numerous articles that practically say the same thing. Read more
Published on August 6, 2006 by reader

1.0 out of 5 stars shakespearian english, simplistic analysis
The book is written in Shakespearian English, but the analysis is rather simplistic. The author is really an outsider to the conflict, he makes his own hypothesis from afar away... Read more
Published on July 26, 2006 by Reader

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