Overview

Shortlisted for the Conflict Research Society’s 2021 Book of the Year Prize Shortlisted for the British-Kuwait Friendship Society 2021 Book Prize After the overthrow of the Qadhafi regime in 2011, Libya witnessed a dramatic breakdown of centralized power. Countless local factions carved up the country into a patchwork of spheres of influence. Almost no nationwide or even regional organizations emerged, and no national institutions survived the turbulent descent into renewed civil war. Only the leader of one armed coalition, Khalifa Haftar, managed to overcome competitors and centralize authority over eastern Libya. But tenacious resistance from armed groups in western Libya blocked Haftar’s attempt to seize power in the capital Tripoli. Rarely does political fragmentation occur as radically as in Libya, where it has been the primary obstacle to the re-establishment of central authority. This book analyzes the forces that have shaped the country’s trajectory since 2011. Confounding widely held assumptions about the role of Libya’s tribes in the revolution, Wolfram Lacher shows how war transformed local communities and explains why Khalifa Haftar has been able to consolidate his sway over the northeast. Based on hundreds of interviews with key actors in the conflict, Lacher advances an approach to the study of civil wars that places the transformation of social ties at the centre of analysis.

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9780755600809

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Reviews

This book is a rich, empirically informed treatment of an important and neglected topic. Wolfram Lacher sets out an intriguing puzzle about fragmentation in post-Qadhafi Libya. What makes the book stand out is the depth of the fieldwork - not only are there few academics or researchers working on the ground in Libya, but the research he conducted over the years is fundamentally non-replicable. This is likely to be one of the very few books of its kind, able to combine field research with theory to explain this period of Libya's history - with implications well beyond Libya. -- Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs; Director, Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS), The George Washington University, U.S This book is unquestionably a milestone in research on Libya and conflict dynamics in the country. At the same time, its theoretical insights make a significant contribution to the study of violent conflict. This work is likely to become a standard reference not only on Libya, but in the study of civil wars more broadly. -- Klaus Schlichte, Professor of International Relations and Politics in the World Society, University of Bremen, Germany This could easily become the defining book on the crisis in Libya since 2011 -- Jacob Mundy, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Colgate University, U.S.

This book is a rich empirically informed treatment of an important and neglected topic and the author sets out an intriguing puzzle about fragmentation in Libya post-2011. What makes the book stand out is the depth of the fieldwork - not only are there few academics or researchers working on the ground in Libya, but the research he conducted over the years is fundamentally non-replicable. This is likely to be one of the very few books of its kind, able to combine field research with theory to explain this period of Libya's history - with implications well beyond Libya. -- Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs; Director, Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS), The George Washington University, U.S This could easily become the defining book on the crisis in Libya since 2011 -- Jacob Mundy, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Colgate University, U.S. This book is unquestionably a milestone in research on Libya and conflict dynamics in the country. At the same time, its theoretical insights make a significant contribution to the study of violent conflict. This work is likely to become a standard reference not only on Libya, but in the study of civil wars more broadly. -- Klaus Schlichte, Professor, University of Bremen, Germany

Wolfram Lacher has made a remarkable contribution to the literature on civil conflict and the Libyan civil war by putting forward the transformative effects of violent conflicts on communities. His work is crucial for political scientists and policymakers seeking to understand how the political and military landscape in Libya has fragmented and why the actors are still in dispute with each other. * LSE Review of Books * A remarkable combination of fieldwork and theory, Libya's Fragmentation is highly recommended for diplomats, journalists, and scholars. * Middle East Journal * Lacher's book is certain to become an essential reference on the North African country. * Politique Etrangere (Bloomsbury Translation) * This book is a rich, empirically informed treatment of an important and neglected topic. Wolfram Lacher sets out an intriguing puzzle about fragmentation in post-Qadhafi Libya. What makes the book stand out is the depth of the fieldwork - not only are there few academics or researchers working on the ground in Libya, but the research he conducted over the years is fundamentally non-replicable. This is likely to be one of the very few books of its kind, able to combine field research with theory to explain this period of Libya's history - with implications well beyond Libya. -- Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs; Director, Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS), The George Washington University, U.S This book is unquestionably a milestone in research on Libya and conflict dynamics in the country. At the same time, its theoretical insights make a significant contribution to the study of violent conflict. This work is likely to become a standard reference not only on Libya, but in the study of civil wars more broadly. -- Klaus Schlichte, Professor of International Relations and Politics in the World Society, University of Bremen, Germany This could easily become the defining book on the crisis in Libya since 2011 -- Jacob Mundy, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Colgate University, U.S. Based on extensive fieldwork inside Libya, over 400 interviews and deep contextual knowledge, Libya's Fragmentation is a major contribution to recent scholarship on the war-torn North African country. Moreover, the book's insights into the dynamic interplay between armed actors and the social groups from which they emerge have resonance beyond the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Libya's Fragmentation is the only book available today which both takes Libya's complexity seriously, while attempting to say something more broadly about the nature of civil war and society, as such it deserves to become as staple of North African politics and civil war studies courses for years to come. -- Christopher Thornton, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, in Mediterranean Politics Wolfram Lacher's book on post-Qadhafi Libya is sure to become an indispensable reference on the North African country. The many visits the author made to Libya since 2007 give him access to a large range of factual details and witness accounts. Lacher's meticulous work tangibly and vividly immerses the reader in the uncertainty and the extraordinary danger of these few weeks of 2011 that were so crucial in shaping the post-Qadhafi era. -- Jalel Harchaoui, Clingendael Institute, in Politique Etrangere Lacher advances a novel theoretical framework that emphasizes the centrality of the process of Libya's unravelling. In doing so, he makes a significant contribution to scholarship on contemporary events in Libya and to conflict studies more broadly. The book masterfully retraces the breakdown of Libya's transitional process, the outbreak of a second bout of civil war in 2014, and the current governance crisis. -- Tim Eaton, Chatham House, London, UK

This book is a rich, empirically informed treatment of an important and neglected topic. Wolfram Lacher sets out an intriguing puzzle about fragmentation in post-Qadhafi Libya. What makes the book stand out is the depth of the fieldwork - not only are there few academics or researchers working on the ground in Libya, but the research he conducted over the years is fundamentally non-replicable. This is likely to be one of the very few books of its kind, able to combine field research with theory to explain this period of Libya's history - with implications well beyond Libya. -- Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs; Director, Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS), The George Washington University, U.S This book is unquestionably a milestone in research on Libya and conflict dynamics in the country. At the same time, its theoretical insights make a significant contribution to the study of violent conflict. This work is likely to become a standard reference not only on Libya, but in the study of civil wars more broadly. -- Klaus Schlichte, Professor of International Relations and Politics in the World Society, University of Bremen, Germany This could easily become the defining book on the crisis in Libya since 2011 -- Jacob Mundy, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Colgate University, U.S. Based on extensive fieldwork inside Libya, over 400 interviews and deep contextual knowledge, Libya's Fragmentation is a major contribution to recent scholarship on the war-torn North African country. Moreover, the book's insights into the dynamic interplay between armed actors and the social groups from which they emerge have resonance beyond the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Libya's Fragmentation is the only book available today which both takes Libya's complexity seriously, while attempting to say something more broadly about the nature of civil war and society, as such it deserves to become as staple of North African politics and civil war studies courses for years to come. -- Christopher Thornton, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, in Mediterranean Politics Wolfram Lacher's book on post-Qadhafi Libya is sure to become an indispensable reference on the North African country. The many visits the author made to Libya since 2007 give him access to a large range of factual details and witness accounts. Lacher's meticulous work tangibly and vividly immerses the reader in the uncertainty and the extraordinary danger of these few weeks of 2011 that were so crucial in shaping the post-Qadhafi era. -- Jalel Harchaoui, Clingendael Institute, in Politique Etrangere Lacher advances a novel theoretical framework that emphasizes the centrality of the process of Libya's unravelling. In doing so, he makes a significant contribution to scholarship on contemporary events in Libya and to conflict studies more broadly. The book masterfully retraces the breakdown of Libya's transitional process, the outbreak of a second bout of civil war in 2014, and the current governance crisis. -- Tim Eaton, Chatham House, London, UK Wolfram Lacher has made a remarkable contribution to the literature on civil conflict and the Libyan civil war by putting forward the transformative effects of violent conflicts on communities. His work is crucial for political scientists and policymakers seeking to understand how the political and military landscape in Libya has fragmented and why the actors are still in dispute with each other. * LSE Review of Books *

Author Information

Wolfram Lacher is Senior Associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). His research focuses on conflict dynamics in Libya and the Sahel region, and relies on frequent fieldwork. Lacher has published in many journals and media outlets, including Survival, Mediterranean Politics, Foreign Affairs and The Washington Post. He received his PhD in Political Science from Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.

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