?Few Middle East observers have a keener eye for the region than
Wright, and she is a talented trend spotter. Two decades ago her
Sacred Rage foreshadowed the appeal of militant Islam and the
challenge it posed. With Dreams and Shadows she illuminates, in
riveting fashion, the hopeful political personalities and
developments in what many mistakenly see as the uninterrupted
bleakness of the Middle East. Her insights?drawn from vast
experience, a remarkable array of Middle Eastern contacts, and an
unblinking sense of realism?are cause for cautious optimism.?
?Representative Tom Lantos, Chairman, House Committee on Foreign
Affairs
?"Dreams and Shadows" offers a panoramic perspective on the
prospects of change in the Middle East. Wright brings to life an
array of forces, voices, and ideas?both inspiring and troubling?in
an engaging political travelogue. Readers will come away with a
better understanding of the region's rich past, a sense of its
current stirrings, and a view in
aFew Middle East observers have a keener eye for the region than
Wright, and she is a talented trend spotter. Two decades ago her
Sacred Rage foreshadowed the appeal of militant Islam and the
challenge it posed. With Dreams and Shadows she illuminates, in
riveting fashion, the hopeful political personalities and
developments in what many mistakenly see as the uninterrupted
bleakness of the Middle East. Her insightsadrawn from vast
experience, a remarkable array of Middle Eastern contacts, and an
unblinking sense of realismaare cause for cautious optimism.a
aRepresentative Tom Lantos, Chairman, House Committee on Foreign
Affairs
a"Dreams and Shadows" offers a panoramic perspective on the
prospects of change in the Middle East. Wright brings to life an
array of forces, voices, and ideasaboth inspiring and troublingain
an engaging political travelogue. Readers will come away with a
better understanding of the regionas rich past, a sense of its
current stirrings, and a view into what may lie ahead.a
aFormer National Security Adviser Lieutenant General Brent
Scowcroft
aA compelling account of a turbulent region whose future is
inescapably bound to our own. Anyone who wants to understand the
seismic forces at work would be well advised to read Dreams and
Shadows.a
aSenator Joseph Biden, Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations
Committee
aVery rarely is our world so faithfully captured. The Middle East
in recent decades has only become more complex. Wrightas insights
and analyses are critical for any sensible understanding of what is
happening. Her greatest contribution is to grasp the deep currents
of hope, humanity, and dignity that anchor the often turbulent
societiesof the region. This book is essential reading.a
aRami G. Khouri, syndicated columnist, Beirutas Daily Star
aWritten in the best style of a veteran traveler and expert, Dreams
and Shadows tells the story of the worldas most volatile area,
going through its most profound changes after decades of
stagnation. Wrightas journey among reformers and reactionaries,
clerics and democracy advocates is a necessary reference to anyone
interested in understanding the Middle Eastas undercurrentsaand it
taught me quite a lot about our neighborhood.a
aAluf Benn, diplomatic editor of the Israeli daily Haaretz
aInsightful and passionate. Wright is well aware of the dilemmas
facing the Middle East. But she also reminds us that we need not
resort to military force and violence or resign ourselves to
compromise with extremism and tyranny. Since tyranny and extremism
as well as democracy and freedom are not defined by geographical,
national, religious, or ethnic boundaries, hope lies in the
aspirations of those (our true allies) in the region who against
all odds are fighting for pluralism, openness, and human
rights.a
aAzar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran
"Fascinating reading for anyone who likes true human drama. Only
Wright could have written "Dreams and Shadows" because only Wright
has traveled so widely, interviewed such diverse leaders, and
brought so much wisdom to analyzing the region's many-sided
puzzles. This volume, full of mesmerizing detail and large truths,
sets a new standard for scholarship on the modern Middle East."
-Secretary Madeleine Albright "Robin Wright brings her enormous
knowledge of the Middle East, gained over years of reporting, to
narrate howthe region is undergoing enormous social change brought
on by technology and globalization, and why, despite Iraq,
democracy remains on the region's agenda." -- Francis Fukuyama,
Johns Hopkins University Professor of International Political
Economy and author of "America at the Crossroads" "In "Dreams and
Shadows," Robin Wright offers a compelling account of the political
contours that are defining the modern Middle East. Drawing upon her
decades of travel and reporting from the region, Wright reveals the
undercurrents of the latest fundamental searching in Palestine,
Iraq, and Lebanon, as well as the labyrinthine politics of Egypt,
Morocco, Syria, Iran, and others. With her impressive access to the
region's political and opinion leaders, Wright brings us to the
ideological battle lines of the new Middle East, including
promising openings and awakenings too often followed by
disappointment and repression. She describes autocrats, democrats,
and theocrats skirmishing in increasingly unpredictable ways." --
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN), Republican Leader of the U.S. Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. ""Dreams and Shadows" is a lucid and
comprehensive look at tumultuous events that have shaped the Middle
East and will continue to chart its future. Relying on thirty five
years of reporting Robin Wright provides a rich tapestry of
information and insight that is enjoyable to read and will also go
a long way in providing understanding of the Middle East and the
challenges that it presents U.S. foreign policy." --Vali Nasr,
author of "The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam will Shape
the Future" "This is the best of all possible worlds: An old hand
guides us through the changes inpost-9/11 Middle East, and is able
to sort out in a sober, smart way what is really going on." -Thomas
E. Ricks, author of "FIASCO: The American Military Adventure in
Iraq"
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