The New Arabs

Starred review from April 14, 2014
Young people and their smartphones overthrow dictatorships in this rousing study of the Arab Spring. University of Michigan historian Cole (Engaging the Muslim World) follows the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya from their roots in dissident organizing though the mass protests of 2011, the collapse of repressive regimes, and ensuing political turmoil. He focuses on the leadership of the “millennial” generation of young, urban, secular activists, their horizons broadened by the Internet and satellite TV, their “interactive networks and horizontal organizations” empowered by blogs and YouTube videos that spread ideas and rallied demonstrators. Cole’s exhilarating journalistic narrative of their exploits is enlivened by interviews with participants and his own colorful firsthand accounts of upheavals. His emphasis on youth and technology is sometimes overdone; revolution was for young firebrands as much in 1848 as in 2011, and old-fashioned factors—allegiances of soldiers, the humble paper pamphlet—play as important a role as youthful élan and social media. However, Cole’s deep, nuanced exploration of political and social currents underneath the uprisings shines; he shows Westerners who think the Arab world is divided between corrupt despots and Islamist zealots just how strong and pervasive the tendencies towards liberalism and democracy are. Agent: Brettne Bloom, Kneerim, Williams & Bloom.

July 1, 2014

There is a new generation in charge--millennials, those born in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Denizens of a highly technological culture, they are primed to incite radical change in the political and social structure of their homelands. It is this cultural phenomenon that Cole (Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, Univ. of Michigan; Engaging the Muslim World) addresses here. The author outlines the progress of Arab revolutions that have taken place since the beginning of Internet culture, illustrating how young people in countries such as Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia have successfully used blogs, social media, and the Internet generally as a platform to organize and facilitate protests, impact political policy, and shed light on government corruption. This book contains a fascinating account of global politics, current events, and the youthful, tech-savvy generation that is sparking a call for true democracy worldwide. VERDICT This well-written and clearly well-researched title is an absorbing and educational read. Engaging writing and a solid fact base make it perfect for global politics enthusiasts, those pursuing academic study, or anyone interested in recent history. [See Prepub Alert, 1/26/14.]--Kathleen Dupre, Edmond, OK

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