I thought this was a timely book to read given the turmoil in Syria, and I've always been interested in the region. This is an interesting book about one of Syria's longest-serving Ministers of Economy, Dr.Muhammad Imady, educated abroad by a modernising Syrian state, who returned to serve his country. It's a complicated book for Imady to write, about-his father worked for 2 of the worst dictators in the world, and he sets out to make a case for people who tried their best to do their jobs sincerely, under horrible circumstances, and collaborating with terrible people, to prevent things from becoming worse. I think he succeeds admirably at that and the book forces you to think about personal responsibility and choice in a time of great uncertainty. However, where I felt the book failed for me was that the editing needed to be better-I was expecting to get a sweeping look at post-Independence Syria and its political development, but it's more a collection of impressionistc vignettes instead, so you don't really get that. A lot of the book is very interesting, but it needs tighter editing and a more chronological order of things. If you've ever asked yourself why seemingly good men continue to work under oppressive regimes, this is a nuanced book that explains a lot of things. I hope Dr.Imady ( the writer) and his family are doing ok now, in this time of hope for Syria.

Being originally from a country that is very close to Syria and yet not knowing nearly anything about this complicated history, I am so grateful to the author for neatly presenting figures and their impact on today's situation. This is a perfect representation of historical decisions and their impacts on the everyday life of regular people. This book is a must-read.

As someone who still follows events in Syria closely, I found this history on Modern Syria to be very enlightening. The author did a great job of chronicling events that relate to the current state that Syrians experience on a daily basis. I would highly recommend this book to those who wish to better understand this complicated nation.