Voices of the Arab Spring - by Asaad Alsaleh (Paperback)

About the Book

"Narrated by dozens of activists and everyday individuals involved in the Arab Spring, this book documents the unprecedented events that led to the collapse of dictatorial regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. Arab citizens were called to join the revolt during the second half of 2011, while the revolutionary moment was still unfolding. Their stories offer unique access to the message that inspired citizens to act, their experiences during revolt, and the lessons they learned from some of the most dramatic changes and appalling events to occur in the history of the Arab world. The riveting, revealing, and at times heartbreaking stories in this volume also include voices from Syria. Featuring participants from a variety of social and educational backgrounds and political commitments, these personal stories of action represent the true phenomenon of the Arab Spring's united though broad social movements, collective identities, and youthful character. For years, these participants lived under regimes that brutally suppressed free expression and protest. Their testimony speaks to the multifaceted emotional, psychological, and cultural factors motivating citizens to join together and fight, putting a human face on events that might seem abstract or impersonal to many in the West"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Narrated by dozens of activists and everyday individuals, this book documents the unprecedented events that led to the collapse of dictatorial regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. Beginning in 2011, these stories offer unique access to the message that inspired citizens to act, their experiences during revolt, and the lessons they learned from some of the most dramatic changes and appalling events to occur in the history of the Arab world. The riveting, revealing, and sometimes heartbreaking stories in this volume also include voices from Syria.

Featuring participants from a variety of social and educational backgrounds and political commitments, these personal stories of action represent the Arab Spring's united and broad social movements, collective identities, and youthful character. For years, the volume's participants lived under regimes that brutally suppressed free expression and protest. Their testimony speaks to the multifaceted emotional, psychological, and cultural factors that motivated citizens to join together to struggle against their oppressors.

Review Quotes

...Humane and sensitive storytelling...-- "New Statesman"

Al-Saleh brings together personal stories from the democratic uprisings.... The cumulative effect of the pieces is to insist that leaders, in the Middle East and outside of it, must listen to and heed the voices of the Arab Spring before lasting positive change can take place.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Through the accumulation of personal stories, the reader begins to experience the larger narratives of the Arab Spring.-- "National Journal"

Valuable... Exhilarating to read...-- "Biographile"

There's a wonderful, cumulative power to reading these personal narratives. They are gripping, extremely poignant, often heartbreaking, and astonishing. It is long overdue to finally have unmediated access to 'regular' citizens' experiences and recollections.--Mona El-Gobashy, Baheyya, of blogblogblog.com

This collection is of enormous importance. The speakers in these narratives are not specialist scholars but participants in the process of change and, all too often, victims of the regimes in the countries and regions covered. Their accounts provide the reader with vivid images of events that may have already been 'covered' by the world's media but have not, thus far at least, emerged with the kind of crystalline reality and sheer variety that is to be found within the covers of this book.--Roger Allen, professor emeritus, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author

Asaad Alsaleh is associate professor of Arabic, comparative literature, and cultural studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Indiana University-Bloomington.

Peter Sluglett is director of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore.