Synopses & Reviews
Renowned blogger and Middle East expert Juan Cole takes us and#8220;inside the youth movements in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, showing us how activists used technology and social media to amplify their message and connect with like-minded citizensand#8221; (andlt;iandgt;The New York Timesandlt;/iandgt;) in this and#8220;rousing study of the Arab Springand#8221; (andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weekly,andlt;/iandgt; starred review).andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;For three decades, Cole has sought to put the relationship of the West and the Muslim world in historical context. In andlt;iandgt;The New Arabsandlt;/iandgt; he has written and#8220;an elegant, carefully delineated synthesis of the complicated, intertwined facets of the Arab uprisings,and#8221; (andlt;iandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/iandgt;), illuminating the role of todayand#8217;s Arab youthand#8212;who they are, what they want, and how they will affect world politics.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Not all big groups of teenagers and twenty-somethings necessarily produce historical movements centered on their identity as youth, with a generational set of organizations, symbols, and demands rooted at least partially in the distinctive problems of people their age. The Arab Millennials did. And, in a provocative, big-picture argument about the future of the Arab world, andlt;iandgt;The New Arabsandlt;/iandgt; shows just how they did it. and#8220;Engaging, powerful, and comprehensiveand#8230;The book feels as indispensable to scholars as it is insightful for a more casual readerand#8221; (andlt;iandgt;Los Angeles Timesandlt;/iandgt;).
Review
and#8220;Engaging, powerful and comprehensive. and#8230;andnbsp; [Cole] structures chapters with a handsome amount of narrative, peppering them with stories from his own travels and conversations undertaken in fluent Arabic. and#8230;The book feels as indispensable to scholars as it is insightful for a more casual reader.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;[A] rousing study of the Arab Spring. and#8230; Coleand#8217;s deep, nuanced exploration of political and social currents underneath the uprisings shines; he shows Westerners who think the Arab world is divided between corrupt despots and Islamist zealots just how strong and pervasive the tendencies towards liberalism and democracy are.and#8221;
Review
"Paints a nuanced picture of a fascinating generation. . . . The value of the book becomes apparent in the depth it provides to the simplistic, sound bite-ready explanations for the Arab Spring."
Review
and#8220;An elegant, carefully delineated synthesis of the complicated, intertwined facets of the Arab uprisings.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Ambitious and largely successfuland#8230; Coleand#8217;s account is rich and textured, and unexpectedly optimistic. Western readers may be surprised by the idealistic liberality and secularism of the young people he profiles. At the same time, Cole doesnand#8217;t shy away from the ugliness of his story. and#8230; andlt;Iandgt;The New Arabsandlt;/Iandgt; distinguishes itself by presenting a full, rich spectrum of ideas and observations [and] is an indispensable work for the contemporary reader of Middle East history and politics. It grants backstage access to one of the 21st centuryand#8217;s most important social movements and illuminates the motives and methods of the young people who are remaking the region. Our first reaction to dramatic change is usually to oversimplify in order to 'understand.' Cole has the courage to tell a more complicated story, and that makes andlt;Iandgt;The New Arabsandlt;/Iandgt; a vital read.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;[andlt;Iandgt;The New Arabsandlt;/Iandgt;] is at its most illuminating when it takes the reader inside the youth movements in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, showing us how activists used technology and social media to amplify their message and connect with like-minded citizens across the region. and#8230; Mr. Cole chronicles it in fascinating detail here, recounting the stories of prominent dissidents and their often pioneering use of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and cellphone technology to network and organize.and#8221;
Review
"[Cole's] comprehensive narrative of political events will long serve as a vital resource for those wanting to understand this era."
Synopsis
The renowned blogger and Middle East expert Juan Cole illuminates the role of todayand#8217;s Arab youthand#8212;who they are, what they want, and how they will affect world politics.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Beginning in January 2011, the revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests, riots, and civil wars that comprised what many call and#8220;the Arab Springand#8221; shook the world. These upheavals were spearheaded by youth movements, and yet the crucial role they played is relatively unknown. Middle East expert Juan Cole is here to share their stories. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;For three decades, Cole has sought to put the relationship of the West and the Muslim world in historical context. In andlt;Iandgt;The New Arabsandlt;/Iandgt; he outlines the history that led to the dramatic changes in the region, and explores how a new generation of men and women are using innovative notions of personal rights to challenge the authoritarianism, corruption, and stagnation that had afflicted their societies.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Not all big cohorts of teenagers and twenty-somethings necessarily produce movements centered on their identity as youth, with a generational set of organizations, symbols, and demands rooted at least partially in the distinctive problems besetting people of their age. The Arab Millennials did. And, in a provocative and optimistic argument about the future of the Arab world, andlt;Iandgt;The New Arabsandlt;/Iandgt; shows just how they did it.
About the Author
Juan Cole is Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan.andnbsp;He is the author of andlt;iandgt;Engaging the Muslim World andlt;/iandgt;and andlt;iandgt;Napoleonandrsquo;s Egyptandlt;/iandgt;. He has been a regular guest on andlt;iandgt;PBS NewsHourandlt;/iandgt; and has also appeared on andlt;iandgt;ABCandlt;/iandgt; andlt;iandgt;World Newsandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Nightlineandlt;/iandgt;, the andlt;iandgt;Today andlt;/iandgt;show, andlt;iandgt;Charlie Roseandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Anderson Cooper 360andlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;The Rachel Maddow Showandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;The Colbert Reportandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Democracy Now!, Al Jazeera Americaandlt;/iandgt;, and many others. He has commented extensively on al-Qaeda and the Taliban, Iraq, the politics of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Syria, and Iranian domestic struggles and foreign affairs.andnbsp;He has a regular column on TruthDig.com. Visit JuanCole.com.