About the Book
Since the first wave of uprisings in 2011, the euphoria of the “Arab Spring” has given way to the gloom of backlash, clashes between rival counter-revolutionary forces, and a descent into mayhem and war. Morbid Symptoms offers a timely assessment of the ongoing Arab uprising.
Focusing on Syria and Egypt, Gilbert Achcar analyzes the factors of the regional relapse: the resilience of the old regimes, the power of religious reactionary forces, the exceptional number of rival international and regional supports of both reactionary camps, and the shortcomings of progressive forces.
Drawing on a unique combination of scholarly and political knowledge of the Arab region, Achcar argues that, short of radical social change, the region will not achieve stability any time soon.
About the Author
Gilbert Achcar grew up in Lebanon. He is Professor of Development Studies and International Relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has written extensively on politics and development economics, as well as social change and social theory. His publications include The Clash of Barbarisms: September 11 and the Making of the New World Disorder (2002), published in 15 languages; Perilous Power: The Middle East and US Foreign Policy (2008), with Noam Chomsky; the critically acclaimed The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli-War of Narratives (2010); The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising (2013); and Morbid Symptoms: Relapse in the Arab Uprisings.
Reviews
‘One of the best analysts of the contemporary Arab world’ Le Monde
‘A sobering yet generous account of the Arab people’s fight for true liberation and the lessons that have been learned from that struggle.’ Jacobin
'Focusing largely on Syria and Egypt, Morbid Symptoms skilfully explains the mutation of the ‘Arab Spring’ into an ‘Arab Winter’.’ The News (Pakistan)
Morbid Symptoms is a masterfully written and challenging analysis of paramount importance. Studies of Transition States and Societies
