Gilbert Achcar's Books

The People Want

A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

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The People Want

A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

The people want . . .": This first half of slogans chanted by millions of Arab protesters since 2011 revealed a long-repressed craving for democracy. But huge social and economic problems were also laid bare by the protestors’ demands. Simplistic interpretations of the uprising that has been shaking the Arab world since a young street vendor set himself on fire in Central Tunisia, on 17 December 2010, seek to portray it as purely political, or explain it by culture, age, religion, if not conspiracy theories. Instead, Gilbert Achcar locates the deep roots of the upheaval in the specific economic features that hamper the region’s development and lead to dramatic social consequences, including massive youth unemployment. Intertwined with despotism, nepotism, and corruption, these features, produced an explosive situation that was aggravated by post-9/11 U.S. policies. The sponsoring of the Muslim Brotherhood by the Emirate of Qatar and its influential satellite channel, Al Jazeera, contributed to shaping the prelude to the uprising. But the explosion’s deep roots, asserts Achcar, mean that what happened until now is but the beginning of a revolutionary process likely to extend for many more years to come. The author identifies the actors and dynamics of the revolutionary process: the role of various social and political movements, the emergence of young actors making intensive use of new information and communication technologies, and the nature of power elites and existing state apparatuses that determine different conditions for regime overthrow in each case. Drawing a balance-sheet of the uprising in the countries that have been most affected by it until now, i.e. Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria, Achcar sheds special light on the nature and role of the movements that use Islam as a political banner. He scrutinizes attempts at co-opting the uprising by these movements and by the oil monarchies that sponsor them, as well as by the protector of these same monarchies: the U.S. government. Underlining the limitations of the "Islamic Tsunami" that some have used as a pretext to denigrate the whole uprising, Gilbert Achcar points to the requirements for a lasting solution to the social crisis and the contours of a progressive political alternative.

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Page Count

323

Publisher

Univ of California Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0520956540

ISBN 13

9780520956544

Eastern Cauldron

Islam, Afghanistan and Palestine in the Mirror of Marxism

By: Gilbert Achcar

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Eastern Cauldron

Islam, Afghanistan and Palestine in the Mirror of Marxism

By: Gilbert Achcar

This volume brings together Gilbert Achcar s major writings on these issues over the past decades. The essays collected in "Eastern Cauldron" describe and explain the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism, the fate of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and its aftermath, and above all the Palestinian conflict in which the regional stakes are so dramatically embodied and contested. Achcar analyzes the social bases, strategies and tactics of PLO, Hizbollah, Israel and the United States from the establishment of the state of Israel to the second Intifada. He pinpoints the contradictions of the Israeli state seeking at the same time to be Jewish and yet democratic and the impact of these contradictions on all parties to the conflict. "Eastern Cauldron" is primarily aimed at producing a better understanding of the conflicts of the region. Achcar s work is informed by strong moral and political commitments but is never limited to polemic.

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Page Count

292

Publisher

Pluto Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0745322034

ISBN 13

9780745322032

The Arabs and the Holocaust

The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives

By: Gilbert Achcar

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The Arabs and the Holocaust

The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives

By: Gilbert Achcar

An unprecedented and judicious examination of what the Holocaust means—and doesn't mean—in the Arab world, one of the most explosive subjects of our time There is no more inflammatory topic than the Arabs and the Holocaust—the phrase alone can occasion outrage. The terrain is dense with ugly claims and counterclaims: one side is charged with Holocaust denial, the other with exploiting a tragedy while denying the tragedies of others. In this pathbreaking book, political scientist Gilbert Achcar explores these conflicting narratives and considers their role in today's Middle East dispute. He analyzes the various Arab responses to Nazism, from the earliest intimations of the genocide, through the creation of Israel and the destruction of Palestine and up to our own time, critically assessing the political and historical context for these responses. Finally, he challenges distortions of the historical record, while making no concessions to anti-Semitism or Holocaust denial. Valid criticism of the other, Achcar insists, must go hand in hand with criticism of oneself. Drawing on previously unseen sources in multiple languages, Achcar offers a unique mapping of the Arab world, in the process defusing an international propaganda war that has become a major stumbling block in the path of Arab-Western understanding.

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Page Count

399

Publisher

Macmillan + ORM

Published Date

ISBN 10

142993820X

ISBN 13

9781429938204

Perilous Power

The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice

By: Noam Chomsky,Gilbert Achcar,Stephan R. Shalom

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Perilous Power

The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice

By: Noam Chomsky,Gilbert Achcar,Stephan R. Shalom

The volatile Middle East is the site of vast resources, profound passions, frequent crises, and long-standing conflicts, as well as a major source of international tensions and a key site of direct US intervention. Two of the most astute analysts of this part of the world are Noam Chomsky, the preeminent critic of U.S, foreign policy, and Gilbert Achcar, a leading specialist of the Middle East who lived in that region for many years. In their new book, Chomsky and Achcar bring a keen understanding of the internal dynamics of the Middle East and of the role of the United States, taking up all the key questions of interest to concerned citizens, including such topics as terrorism, fundamentalism, conspiracies, oil, democracy, self-determination, anti-Semitism, and anti-Arab racism, as well as the war in Afghanistan, the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the sources of U.S. foreign policy. This book provides the best readable introduction for all who wish to understand the complex issues related to the Middle East from a perspective dedicated to peace and justice.

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Page Count

313

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317254309

ISBN 13

9781317254300

Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

By: Gilbert Achcar

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Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

By: Gilbert Achcar

In this collection of essays, Gilbert Achcar examines the controversial relationship of Marxism to religion, to Orientalism and its critique by Edward Said, and to the concept of cosmopolitanism. A compelling range of issues is discussed within these pages, including a comparative assessment of Christian liberation theology and Islamic fundamentalism; "Orientalism in reverse", which can take the form of an apology for Islamic fundamentalism; the evolution of Marx's appraisal of non-Western societies; and the vagaries of "cosmopolitanism" up to our present era of globalisation. Erudite and incisive, these essays provide a major contribution to the critical discussion of Marxism, Orientalism and cosmopolitanism, and illuminate the relationships between all three.

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Page Count

109

Publisher

Saqi

Published Date

ISBN 10

0863567983

ISBN 13

9780863567988

Morbid Symptoms

Relapse in the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

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Morbid Symptoms

Relapse in the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

Since the first wave of uprisings in 2011, the euphoria of the "Arab Spring" has given way to the gloom of backlash and a descent into mayhem and war. The revolution has been overwhelmed by clashes between rival counter-revolutionary forces: resilient old regimes on the one hand and Islamic fundamentalist contenders on the other. In this eagerly awaited book, foremost Arab world and international affairs specialist Gilbert Achcar analyzes the factors of the regional relapse. Focusing on Syria and Egypt, Achcar assesses the present stage of the uprising and the main obstacles, both regional and international, that prevent any resolution. In Syria, the regime's brutality has fostered the rise of jihadist forces, among which the so-called Islamic State emerged as the most ruthless and powerful. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood's year in power was ultimately terminated by the contradictory conjunction of a second revolutionary wave and a bloody reactionary coup. Events in Syria and Egypt offer salient examples of a pattern of events happening across the Middle East. Morbid Symptoms offers a timely analysis of the ongoing Arab uprising that will engage experts and general readers alike. 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.

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Page Count

241

Publisher

Stanford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1503600475

ISBN 13

9781503600478

33 Day War

Israel's War on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Its Consequences

By: Gilbert Achcar,Michel Warschawski

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33 Day War

Israel's War on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Its Consequences

By: Gilbert Achcar,Michel Warschawski

This book assesses the causes and consequences of the impact on the recent Middle East war. The authors describe the popular basis of Hezbollah in Lebanon among the Shiites, but also its relation to the country's other religious communities and political forces. They analyze the regional roles of Syria, Iran, and Hamas as well as the politics of the United States and Europe. The authors dissect the strategic and political background behind recent actions taken by Israel; the impact of Israel's incursion into Lebanon and effects on Lebanon's population -- and the consequences of the war on Israel polity and society.

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Page Count

121

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317264304

ISBN 13

9781317264309

Morbid Symptoms

Relapse in the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

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Morbid Symptoms

Relapse in the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

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241

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Stanford University Press

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ISBN 10

1503600475

ISBN 13

9781503600478

Clash of Barbarisms

The Making of the New World Disorder

By: Gilbert Achcar

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Clash of Barbarisms

The Making of the New World Disorder

By: Gilbert Achcar

This inquiry into the probable shape of things to come is sober, uncompromising, deeply informed, and full of provocative insights and judicious analyses." Noam Chomsky "The most forceful, most rigorous text that there is to read on this war." Le Monde Diplomatique The volatile Middle East is the site of vast resources, profound passions, frequent crises, and long-standing conflicts, as well as a major source of international tensions and a key site of direct U.S. intervention. Two of the most astute analysts of this part of the world are Noam Chomsky, the preeminent critic of U.S. foreign policy, and Gilbert Achcar, a leading specialist of the Middle East who lived in that region for many years. In their new book, Chomsky and Achcar bring a keen understanding of the internal dynamics of the Middle East and of the role of the United States, taking up all the key questions of interest to concerned citizens, including such topics as terrorism, fundamentalism, conspiracies, oil, democracy, self-determination, anti-Semitism, and anti-Arab racism, as well as the war in Afghanistan, the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the sources of U.S. foreign policy. This book provides the best readable introduction for all who wish to understand the complex issues related to the Middle East from a perspective dedicated to peace and justice.

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Page Count

193

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317262387

ISBN 13

9781317262381

The New Cold War

The United States, Russia and China - From Kosovo to Ukraine

By: Gilbert Achcar

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The New Cold War

The United States, Russia and China - From Kosovo to Ukraine

By: Gilbert Achcar

One of the world's most seasoned international relations experts updates and revises his far-sighted 1999 book arguing that the Cold War did not, in fact, end with the collapse of the USSR – and that the US, Russia and China today are locked anew in a spiral of hostilities.

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335

Publisher

Saqi Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1908906545

ISBN 13

9781908906540

33 Day War

Israel's War on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Its Consequences

By: Gilbert Achcar,Michel Warschawski

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33 Day War

Israel's War on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Its Consequences

By: Gilbert Achcar,Michel Warschawski

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Routledge

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ISBN 10

1317264290

ISBN 13

9781317264293

The People Want

A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

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The People Want

A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising

By: Gilbert Achcar

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Page Count

323

Publisher

Univ of California Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0520956540

ISBN 13

9780520956544

Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

By: Gilbert Achcar

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Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

By: Gilbert Achcar

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109

Publisher

Saqi

Published Date

ISBN 10

0863567983

ISBN 13

9780863567988

Perilous Power

The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice

By: Noam Chomsky,Gilbert Achcar,Stephen R. Shalom

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Perilous Power

The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice

By: Noam Chomsky,Gilbert Achcar,Stephen R. Shalom

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Page Count

336

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317254317

ISBN 13

9781317254317

Revolutions

By: Michael Lowy

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Revolutions

By: Michael Lowy

Revolutions is a unique collection of rare photographs documenting some of the most important revolutionary upheavals, from the 1871 Paris Commune to the Zapatista rebellion of the 1990s.

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Page Count

550

Published Date

ISBN 10

1642592579

ISBN 13

9781642592573

Book's by Gilbert Achcar

The People Want

The People Want

Eastern Cauldron

Eastern Cauldron

The Arabs and the Holocaust

The Arabs and the Holocaust

Perilous Power

Perilous Power

Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

Morbid Symptoms

Morbid Symptoms

33 Day War

33 Day War

Morbid Symptoms

Morbid Symptoms

Clash of Barbarisms

Clash of Barbarisms

The New Cold War

The New Cold War

33 Day War

33 Day War

The People Want

The People Want

Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

Perilous Power

Perilous Power

Revolutions

Revolutions

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