Syria has been at the centre of world news since 2011, following the beginnings of a popular uprising in the country and its subsequent violent repression. Eight years on, Joseph Daher analyses the resilience of the regime and the failings of the uprising, while also taking a closer look at the counter-revolutionary processes that have been undermining the uprising from without and within.

Through a sharp reconstruction of the key historical developments, Daher focuses on the reasons behind the transition of a peaceful uprising into a destructive war with multiple regional and international actors. He argues that other approaches have so far neglected a global analysis of the conflict’s economic, social and political characteristics. He also shows that it is impossible to understand the Syrian uprising without a historical perspective dating back to the seizure of power by Hafez al-Assad in 1970.

A result of years of research and discussions with activists, students, members of political parties and Syrian academics, this book will be the go-to analysis of Syria for years to come.