Overview

The death of Colonel Muammar Qadhafi freed Libya from forty-two years of despotic rule, raising hopes for a new era. But in the aftermath, the country descended into bitter rivalries and civil war, paving the way for the Islamic State and a catastrophic migrant crisis. In a fast-paced narrative that blends frontline reporting, analysis, and history, Frederic Wehrey tells the story of what went wrong. An Arabic-speaking Middle East scholar, Wehrey interviewed the key actors in Libya and paints vivid portraits of lives upended by a country in turmoil: the once-hopeful activists murdered or exiled, revolutionaries transformed into militia bosses or jihadist recruits, an aging general who promises salvation from the chaos in exchange for a return to the old authoritarianism. He traveled where few or no Western journalists have gone, from the shattered city of Benghazi, birthplace of the revolution, to the lawless Sahara, to the coastal stronghold of the Islamic State in Qadhafi's hometown of Sirte. He chronicles the American and international missteps after the dictator's death that led to the country's unraveling.

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9781665139144

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Reviews

Wehrey's book is a masterpiece: an authoritative history of Libya's tragic descent into chaos and a riveting narrative...His deep knowledge of the country and of the American role there--political and military--shines through on every page. -- Robert F. Worth, author of A Rage for Order With refreshing clarity of mind, of purpose, and considerable personal courage, Frederic Wehrey has written an excellent narrative history of Libya's catastrophic undoing. For anyone seeking a nonpartisan, coherent accounting of what has gone wrong in Libya since Qadhafi's fall from power, including the circumstances of the tragic death of U.S. ambassador J. Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, this is the book to read. -- Jon Lee Anderson, author of The Fall of Baghdad

"""Wehrey's book is a masterpiece: an authoritative history of Libya's tragic descent into chaos and a riveting narrative...His deep knowledge of the country and of the American role there--political and military--shines through on every page."" -- ""Robert F. Worth, author of A Rage for Order"" ""With refreshing clarity of mind, of purpose, and considerable personal courage, Frederic Wehrey has written an excellent narrative history of Libya's catastrophic undoing. For anyone seeking a nonpartisan, coherent accounting of what has gone wrong in Libya since Qadhafi's fall from power, including the circumstances of the tragic death of U.S. ambassador J. Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, this is the book to read."" -- ""Jon Lee Anderson, author of The Fall of Baghdad"""

Author Information

Frederic Wehrey is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His writing has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other publications. He has consulted on Libya for the United Nations and testified before the U.S. Congress. He holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Oxford. He is the author of Sectarian Politics in the Gulf and To the Shores of Tripoli. Paul Boehmer is an American actor best known for his numerous appearances in the Star Trek universe. Paul is a 1992 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware.

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