Exit the Colonel
The Hidden History of the Libyan Revolution
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
In Exit the Colonel, Ethan Chorin, a longtime Middle East scholar and one of the first American diplomats posted to Libya after the lifting of international sanctions, goes well beyond recent reporting on the Arab Spring to link the Libyan uprising to a flawed reform process, egregious human rights abuses, regional disparities, and inconsistent stories spun by Libya and the West to justify the Gaddafi regime's "rehabilitation." Exit the Colonel is based upon extensive interviews with senior US, EU, and Libyan officials, and with rebels and loyalists; a deep reading of local and international media; and significant on-the-ground experience pre- and post-revolution.
The book provides rare and often startling glimpses into the strategies and machinations that brought Gaddafi in from the cold, while encouraging ordinary Libyans to "break the barrier of fear." Chorin also assesses the possibilities and perils for Libya going forward, politically and economically.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The four-decade reign of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi springs to life in this complicated history. Centering on an in-depth retelling of the 2011 Libyan uprising, Chorin traces Gaddafi s rise from 27-year-old army colonel,to head of state, followed by his violent end after being pulled from a drainage pipe near his hometown of Sirte. Chorin provides context to the dictator s extended rule, highlighting the West s gentle hand and even complicity in dealing with rampant human rights abuses and connections to international terrorism (like the Lockerbie bombing), while angling for opportunity in the oil-rich country, thus justifying any challenges of working with the regime. He also contrasts Gaddafi s often bizarre, paranoid behavior rambling, hours-long speeches (with a government minister literally whipping the crowd to applause) and long-held grudges over minor political slights with the fearless cunning and greed that seems to have kept him in power. U.S. economic and commercial attach in Tripoli from 2004 to 2006, Chorin translated contemporary fiction from the region in 2008 s Translating Libya: The Modern Libyan Short Story. His leap to historical and political analysis of a largely underexamined regime isn t perfectly cohesive, but its broad scope offers a timely glimpse into the story of modern Libya.
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