Syria - by Daniel Neep (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A landmark new history of Syria--a country forged in conflict, cursed by civil war and dictatorship, and pivotal to the future of the Middle East

"A masterful history of Syria that is both sweeping in scope and brimming with vivid detail...a riveting and insightful book." --Wendy Pearlman, author of We Crossed A Bridge and It Trembled

Modern Syria has seen violence, repression, and autocracy, suffering through tragedy after tragedy over the past century. Yet the history of Syria is not just a tale of dictators and generals. From the 1800s to the 2020s, the Syrian people have engaged in a passionate struggle for justice, equality, and a better future.

Whether fighting for national independence from French colonial rule, battling local landowning elites to share the country's wealth, or rising up against the Assad regime, the Syrian people have fiercely clung to their right to live with respect and dignity. Theirs is a story of protest and perseverance in the long fight to reshape the political destiny of their nation.

Daniel Neep's Syria: A Modern History offers a gripping narrative of how Syrians have navigated these events. Never losing sight of the fates of ordinary people, it provides a comprehensive account of how a nation born in conflict nevertheless sustained a rich, complex, and diverse society that will now chart its own path into the uncertain future.

Review Quotes

"A comprehensive, analytically sophisticated English-language history of modern Syria, one that successfully challenges both externalist and culturalist orthodoxies. For English-language readers seeking to understand Syria's modern trajectory--scholars, students, policymakers, journalists, and engaged publics--this will become an important reference for years to come."--Middle East Journal

"A nuanced history of Syria...an illuminating, comprehensive study of the region."--Publishers Weekly

"[Neep] writes vividly, telling Syrian history through the push-and-pull of social forces rather than an endless succession of Sultans and military coups."--Daily Telegraph

"Neep's sweeping account tracks the story of how a country and its people have sought to make sense of its place in the world while enduring dictatorship, war and terrorism."--Financial Times, "What to read in 2026"

"Daniel Neep's excellent, comprehensive history of 'modern' Syria corrects the traditional narrative of a passive Syria by placing its people at the heart of their story...masterly narrative."--Financial Times

"Daniel Neep has delivered a masterful history of Syria that is both sweeping in scope and brimming with vivid detail. Grounded in rigorous research, great storytelling, and original analysis, this is a riveting and insightful book."--Wendy Pearlman, author of We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled

"Drawing on a wide range of Arabic sources, Neep reframes our understanding of Syria's turbulent political history with careful attention to both highly local dynamics and the broader regional and international context. This magnificent, beautifully written political history will be required reading for anyone interested in Syria or the broader Middle East."--Marc Lynch, author of America's Middle East

"This is a rare book that magnificently captures how Syria's political sediments shaped its trajectory from the late Ottoman period through to the collapse of the Assad regime. Neep is a masterful storyteller who weaves together Syria's many conflicts over society, politics, identity, and the state into a highly readable text."--Samer Abboud, Villanova University

About the Author

Daniel Neep is Senior Editor at Arab Center Washington DC and a non-resident fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University. He has taught Middle East politics at George Washington University, Georgetown University, and the University of Exeter, and was previously Syria research director with the Council for British Research in the Levant. He has lived in Damascus, Amman, and Beirut, and now lives in Washington, DC.