This highly topical book argues that the success or failure of Syria's policies is directly linked to the degree to which these policies accord with those of Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and that the country has been subject throughout its history to competition between the forces occupying the geostrategic spheres that surround it. The book further argues that the influence of these spheres is not restricted to foreign policy, but also extends to interaction with cultural, economic, and social groups, thus transforming the geo-political to geo-cultural, geo-economic, and geo-social. Ordered chronologically, the book deals chapter-by-chapter with the different conflicts and struggles that have surrounded Syria throughout history, detailing the constant struggles to control it by Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Egypt. It examines the political changes that have taken place during the term of President Bashar Assad, including the role of the 'superpowers' in seeking to achieve control of the region, and it concludes that whoever controls Syria can tighten their grip on Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt, and thus the whole of the Middle East.

World War in Syria answers questions that will have continued relevance beyond the country’s borders for years to come. "Impressive in its scholarship, pondered in its judgements, above all searing in its dissection of Western powers' war on Syria waged over many decades, the book is a must-have on the bookshelves of any serious fair-minded student of Syria." --Peter Ford, British Ambassador to Syria from 2003 to 2006 "The most detailed history of the war in Syria so far, providing a richness of highly interesting details, as well as a critical analysis of its complex international and domestic dimensions, rarely encountered in other Western publications." --Nikolaos van Dam, former Special Envoy for Syria, 2015-16. Ambassador of the Netherlands to Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Germany and Indonesia, Author of Destroying a Nation. The civil war in Syria. "A. B. Abrams explores the widening scope of the Syrian conflict in his important book. Solving Syria’s civil war will require a regional approach engaging stakeholders whose interests are fundamentally opposed." --David L. Phillips, Director, Program on Peace-building and Rights, Columbia University Institute for the Study of Human Rights. "Abrams is a meticulous guide to the labyrinth of Syria's modern political history." --Richard W. Murphy. U.S. Ambassador to Syria, 1974 to 1978. Consul in Aleppo, Syria, 1960 to 1963 "A. B. Abrams has written an extremely informative and illuminating account on the international dimension of the origins, outbreak and evolution of the Syrian conflict. His empirically rich analysis in this nuanced and comprehensive study make it one of the best books, if not the best book, written about the Syrian crisis. This book is a MUST read for anyone who wants to understand the Syrian conflict, the Middle East, and the role of the great powers in the region." --Jubin Goodarzi, Professor and Deputy Head of International Relations, Webster University, Geneva. Former consultant and political adviser on Middle Eastern affairs for the UNHCR. "An insightful and dispassionate record of the Syrian Maelstrom and the West’s role as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice." --John Holmes, Major General and Director Special Forces (ret.), British Army.

An unprecedented analysis of the crucial but underexplored roles the United States and other nations have played in shaping Syria’s ongoing civil war “One of the best informed and non-partisan accounts of the Syrian tragedy yet published.”—Patrick Cockburn, Independent Syria’s brutal, long-lasting civil war is widely viewed as a domestic contest that began in 2011 and only later drew foreign nations into the fray. But in this book Christopher Phillips shows the crucial roles that were played by the United States, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar in Syria’s war right from the start. Phillips untangles the international influences on the tragic conflict and illuminates the West’s strategy against ISIS, the decline of U.S. power in the region, and much more. Originally published in 2016, the book has been updated with two new chapters.

Levensbeschrijving van de Syrische president (geb. 1930) met veel informatie over de gebeurtenissen in het Midden-Oosten en zijn visie daarop

Van Dam provides an in-depth analysis of the role of sectarian, regional and tribal loyalties in contemporary Syrian history, and focuses attention on developments within the military and civilian power elite and the Ba'th Party organization.

"Syrian crisis is a multi-dimensional and multi-pronged crisis grabbed by international politics. Its internal fault-lines in political, strategic, ethnic and sectarian perspectives spilled over beyond the Syrian borders. The involvement of global players like USA, Russia, European Union, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey in the Syrian crisis for their strategic stakes make the crisis all the more volatile. Possible fall of Assad regime was expected to form a democratic government in Syria. Coalition air operation and sudden Russian air campaign over Syrian sky has added a new dimension and increased the complexity. Since the termination of cold war (1989), it is for the first time Russia is fighting a war in foreign soil in support to its allies. The present Syrian crisis and involvement of major powers has changed the characteristic of the conflict and altogether has triggered inter locked sociocultural and geopolitical Arab states towards the unpredictable destiny. The crisis have tremendous humanitarian catastrophe, socio-economic, demographic, political, sectarian and ethnic impact not only in Syria but also to the region specially the five neighbouring countries."--Abstract.