PDF The Commander Fawzi alQawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 19141948 Laila Parsons Books
PDF The Commander Fawzi alQawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 19141948 Laila Parsons Books
Download As PDF : The Commander Fawzi alQawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 19141948 Laila Parsons Books
The definitive biography of the military leader who stood at the center of Arab politics for four decades
Revered by some as the Arab Garibaldi, maligned by others as an intriguer and opportunist, Fawzi al-Qawuqji manned the ramparts of Arab history for four decades. As a young officer in the Ottoman Army, he fought the British in World War I and won an Iron Cross. In the 1920s, he mastered the art of insurgency and helped lead a massive uprising against the French authorities in Syria. A decade later, he reappeared in Palestine, where he helped direct the Arab Revolt of 1936. When an effort to overthrow the British rulers of Iraq failed, he moved to Germany, where he spent much of World War II battling his fellow exile, the Mufti of Jerusalem, who had accused him of being a British spy. In 1947, Qawuqji made a daring escape from Allied-occupied Berlin, and sought once again to shape his region’s history. In his most famous role, he would command the Arab Liberation Army in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948.
In this well-crafted, definitive biography, Laila Parsons tells Qawuqji’s dramatic story and sets it in the full context of his turbulent times. Following Israel’s decisive victory, Qawuqji was widely faulted as a poor leader with possibly dubious motives. The Commander shows us that the truth was more complex although he doubtless made some strategic mistakes, he never gave up fighting for Arab independence and unity, even as those ideals were undermined by powers inside and outside the Arab world. In Qawuqji’s life story we find the origins of today’s turmoil in the Arab Middle East.
PDF The Commander Fawzi alQawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 19141948 Laila Parsons Books
"A deeply researched and highly readable account of the life of a significant figure in the history of Arab nationalism. Sure to be of interest to historians and non-experts alike. Highly recommended!"
Product details
|
Tags : The Commander Fawzi al-Qawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 1914-1948 (9780374537081) Laila Parsons Books,Laila Parsons,The Commander Fawzi al-Qawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 1914-1948,Hill and Wang,0374537089,Middle East - General,010202 Hill Wang-Trade Paper,BIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Military,BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY,Biography,GENERAL,General Adult,HISTORY / Middle East / General,History,History/Middle East - General,History/World,History World,MIDDLE EAST - HISTORY,MILITARY HISTORY (GENERAL),Military,Non-Fiction,middle east history; arab history; arab revolt; military history; military history books; military biography; biographies; world war i; wwi; world war one; world war ii; world war two; wwii; arab liberation army; arab israeli war; israel; arab independence
The Commander Fawzi alQawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 19141948 Laila Parsons Books Reviews :
The Commander Fawzi alQawuqji and the Fight for Arab Independence 19141948 Laila Parsons Books Reviews
- I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a great survey of the life of al Qawuqji. On the other hand, I felt more detail could have been provided. It fills in a lot of pieces of history in a very complicated period of Levant (Syrian) history. It also provides an alternative view to the propaganda put out by the likes of the Mufti of Jerusalem. The book balances history between those of us who feel Fawzi was our symbol of revolutionary fighter to those who feel he had a lesser impact and possibly a double-agent. Most importantly, it is a book about a man with a passion to rid al Sham of colonialist powers. It lays a good frame work to understand the Islamist movement of today.
Finally, it is a nice study of the complexities of loyalties of the time. British, French, and Germans all claiming revolutionary leaders and harboring some during the war. - The subject of this biography lived through tumultuous times. In some ways he was an ambiguous figure a self-proclaimed anti-colonialist, he began his career as an Otttoman officer and would fight for the French as well as others. Important in his own right, he also represents the complexity of the times and places he operated in. Arab unity was non-existent and accusations of treason were commonplace. The author does a remarkable job of producing an interesting and very readable work without ever over simplifying. She is also refreshingly even handed in writing about subjects colored by extreme partisanship. Anyone interested in the roots of the modern Middle East should read this book.
- A friend of mine recommended this book, and I bought it for my app, fully expecting it to languish in the Cloud for years, just as my Netflix DVDs of highly acclaimed Rumanian films fester next to my computer. But one afternoon I had finished binging on yet another mordant Nordic detective novel, and I checked the Cloud Library for the next brutal ice-bound murder. The Commander sat at the top of my list. Guilt compelled me to give it at least a half hour, so I poked it onto my IPhone.
This book doesn't grab you immediately, but gradually the information Parsons delivers in her straightforward clear style begins to form a critical story. For many of us who are too lazy to actually learn why the Middle East has become such a nidus of tragedy, this book is a gift. By laying the track of Fawzi al-Qawuqji's military adventures and misadventures throughout that region over half of the twentieth century, Parson provides guidance for understanding how those early critical events are key to comprehending the present.
I had already known that the blundering partition of the Arab nations by the British and French after the First World War had set this hellish ball rolling, but I hadn't realized the full craziness of their last attempts to regain colonial nirvana. The subsequent resistance by Qawuqji and his colleagues against the European presence was obstructed by their own changing alliances as they wrestled with the continual question of whether the outcome should be a unified Arab state or individual nations. Qawuqji's own alternating roles as major player, scapegoat, and victim reflected the chaotic shifts of loyalty within the perilous Arab power structure and to the Europeans as well. The establishment of the Israeli state and Qawuqji's failed attempt to lead a small ill-equipped army against it was the final step in destroying any ambitions for an Arab state. The fractured nations that emerged from these conflicts still carry unhealed wounds.
Of some interest, having the book on allowed me to search for the terms "Muslim", which had 35 mentions, and "Islam", which had only 34. The early fight against the European masters and Israel was nationalistic, not religious. The only ominous hint of this current terrible trend was a brief mention of Wahhabism, an austere and strict practice by Sunni Muslims in the Nejd region located in Saudi Arabia, which later fed the beliefs of those in Al Qaeda and ISIL. At the time it was a small rural cult that played no role at all in the mid 20th century struggles or in the thinking of those who were fighting for Arab autonomy during this period. I hope Parsons has another book in mind for tracking this particular tough story.
In the meantime, I'm grateful for this book. I think it's important; it uses an interesting and compelling story of a flawed leader in a flawed situation to explain how the Middle East disaster evolved, who the original villains really were, and why our own intrusion into this part of the world was yet another iteration of the original awful blunder. - Illuminates the history of Palestinian/Israeli conflict through the experience of one Palestinian soldier’s journey in the military from the earliest days.
- An excellent look at the history leading to Middle East quagmire through the life of one patriot.
- Having trouble understanding the conflict in the Middle East in general and the wars in Syria and Iraq in particular? French President Charles de Gaulle famously paraphrased, "Countries have no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests." This brilliantly written book goes a long way toward explaining and clarifying the permanent interests of the people in the Middle East.
- A deeply researched and highly readable account of the life of a significant figure in the history of Arab nationalism. Sure to be of interest to historians and non-experts alike. Highly recommended!
- Wonderful book that explains the history of the middle east in vivid prose. A truly engaging read.
Comments
Post a Comment