The Truth about Syria    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 126090 words. Language: English. Published on February 15, 2013. Essay » Political.
A stock figure of modern political literature is the Latin American dictator, a beribboned generalissimo, overweight, corrupt, propping up rich landlords who live in luxury on the back of impoverished peasants, using the language of anti-Communism to justify crushing any possibility of reform. Clearly, such people were seen as villains.

Istanbul Intrigues    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 106090 words. Language: English. Published on February 14, 2013. Essay » Political.
This is the story of Istanbul--but also of Turkey, the Balkans, and the eastern Mediterranean--during World War II, based on extensive interviews and the use of archives, especially those of the OSS, which I was the first to see for this region. The book is written as a cross between a scholarly work and a real-life thriller.

Assimilation and its Discontents    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 120470 words. Language: English. Published on February 13, 2013. Essay » Political.
When I realized that nobody had written a comprehensive history of Jewish assimilation, I knew that I had to try doing it myself. It was a remarkable learning experience as I researched a wide range of cultural and historical issues and discovered lots of people and events of which I’d previously known nothing.

The Tragedy of the Middle East    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 111440 words. Language: English. Published on February 13, 2013. Essay » Political.
The title was chosen in great sincerity because the theme here is to explain how the region’s modern history really is a tragedy.’ Terrible mistakes were made; the wrong roads were chosen. Bloodthirsty ideology took hold; pragmatism was thrown out the window. And yet alongside all of these disasters was a certainty of correctness and a violent rejection of even considering what had gone wrong.

Long War for Freedom    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 98970 words. Language: English. Published on February 13, 2013. Essay » Political.
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This book foresaw the “Arab Spring” of 2011. It was obvious years before that the old Arab nationalist dictatorships had failed and were being challenged by two forces: liberal democracy advocates and revolutionary Islamists. While the Long War for Freedom focuses on the moderates, it also, by necessity, presents the worldview and strategy of the Islamists.

Modern Dictators - Third World Coup Makers, Strongmen, and Populist Tyrants    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 122700 words. Language: English. Published on February 11, 2013. Essay » Political.
The world suddenly became a lot more difficult for Americans to understand in the 1970s and 1980s. Dozens of Third World countries underwent a seemingly endless series of coups and revolutions.

Cauldron of Turmoil: America in the Middle East    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 82990 words. Language: English. Published on February 10, 2013. Essay » Political.
This book is the culmination of 15 years in studying U.S. policy and Middle East politics. All of my opinions, much of the material, many of the anecdotes, and the unattributed quotes are the result of direct observation and private discussions with American and regional policymakers and experts.

Secrets of State    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 138040 words. Language: English. Published on February 7, 2013. Essay » Political.
This book is a history of the State Department but, more broadly, of the American foreign policymaking process. It narrates the development of both the decision-making institutions and the content of policy from the founding of the republic through the administration of President Ronald Reagan.

Paved with Good Intentions    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 137730 words. Language: English. Published on February 7, 2013. Essay » Political.
Watching the Iranian revolution in 1978, it seemed to me vital to explain the history of U.S.-Iran relations and how things had become so much in conflict. This book traces that relationship down through the hostage crisis. Many have recognized it as the critical account on this issue.

The Arab States and the Palestine Conflict    by Barry Rubin
Price: Free! 121780 words. Language: English. Published on February 7, 2013. Essay » Political.
Hundreds of books and thousands of articles have been devoted to the history and contemporary course of the Arab-Israeli conflict.