Bøger i Cambridge Middle East Studies serien

What role does military force play during a colonial occupation? The answer seems obvious: coercion crushes local resistance, quashes political dissent and consolidates the dominance of the occupying power. However, as this discerning and theoretically rigorous study suggests, violence can have much more ambiguous consequences. Set in Syria during the French Mandate from 1920 to 1946, the book explores a turbulent period in which conflict between armed Syrian insurgents and French military forces not only determined the strategic objectives of the colonial state, but also transformed how the colonial state organised, controlled and understood Syrian society, geography and population. In addition to the coercive techniques, the book shows how civilian technologies such as urban planning and engineering were also commandeered in the effort to undermine rebel advances. Colonial violence had a lasting effect in Syria, shaping a peculiar form of social order that endured well after the French occupation.

How can we make sense of Algeria's post-colonial experience - the tragedy of unfulfilled expectations, the descent into violence, the resurgence of the state? Oil Wealth and the Poverty of Politics explains why Algeria's domestic political economy unravelled from the mid-1980s, and how the regime eventually managed to regain power and hegemony. Miriam Lowi argues the importance of leadership decisions for political outcomes, and extends the argument to explain the variation in stability in oil-exporting states following economic shocks. Comparing Algeria with Iran, Iraq, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, she asks why some states break down and undergo regime change, while others remain stable, or manage to re-stabilise after a period of instability. In contrast with exclusively structuralist accounts of the rentier state, this book demonstrates, in a fascinating and accessible study, that political stability is a function of the way in which structure and agency combine.

Drawing on extensive fieldwork with grassroots activists of Tunisia's al-Nahda movement, Rory McCarthy offers a challenging new perspective on one of the Middle East's most successful Islamist projects. He explains how an Islamic movement transforms over time as it struggles to adjust to a rapidly changing political environment.

Drawing on extensive fieldwork with grassroots activists of Tunisia's al-Nahda movement, Rory McCarthy offers a challenging new perspective on one of the Middle East's most successful Islamist projects. He explains how an Islamic movement transforms over time as it struggles to adjust to a rapidly changing political environment.

The June 1967 war was a watershed in the history of the modern Middle East. In six days, the Israelis defeated the Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian armies. Two veteran scholars of the Middle East bring together experts in their fields to reassess the origins and the legacies of the war.

The June 1967 war was a watershed in the history of the modern Middle East. In six days, the Israelis defeated the Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian armies. Two veteran scholars of the Middle East bring together experts in their fields to reassess the origins and the legacies of the war.

In Saudi Arabia there are now open debates about religion and politics, often in violation of official taboos. Madawi Al-Rasheed explores this phenomenon, and how, in consequence and with the rise of multiple interpretations of religious texts, the traditional Wahhabi discourse is losing its hold on the new generation.

The updated second edition of The War for Palestine presents the most balanced assessment of the different perspectives of the genesis of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Contributions cover the creation of the state of Israel, the fragmentation of Palestine, the conflict of the intervening sixty years and the continuing historical debate.

The updated second edition of The War for Palestine presents the most balanced assessment of the different perspectives of the genesis of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Contributions cover the creation of the state of Israel, the fragmentation of Palestine, the conflict of the intervening sixty years and the continuing historical debate.

The authors speculate on the relationship between identity and citizenship in Israeli society and explore the differential rights accorded different social strata. They conclude that, despite ongoing tensions, globalization and economic liberalization have transformed Israel from a frontier society to one more oriented towards peace and private profit.

A. J. Racy is well known as a scholar of ethnomusicology. In this pioneering book, he provides an intimate portrayal of the Arab musical experience. The focus is tarab, a multifaceted concept which refers to indigenous music and the ecstasy associated with it. This is the first book of its kind.