Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars

Description

Days of the Fall takes the reader into the heart of the terrible wars in Syria and Iraq. The book combines frontline reporting with analysis of the deeper causes and effects of the conflict. Over five years, Jonathan Spyer reported from the depths of the wars, spending time in Aleppo, Baghdad, Damascus, Mosul, Idlib, Hasaka and other frontline areas. He witnessed some of the most dramatic events of the conflict – the rescue of the trapped Yezidis from the attempted ISIS genocide in 2014, the Assad regime’s assault on Aleppo, the rise of independent Kurdish power in north east Syria, the emergence of the Shia militias in Iraq as a key force. The book depicts these events, and seeks to place them within a broader framework. The author notes the ethnic and sectarian faultlines in both Syria and Iraq, and contends that both countries have now effectively separated along these lines, leading to the emergence of de facto fragmentation and the birth of a number of new entities. The book also notes that this confused space has now become an arena for proxy conflict between regional and global powers. Containing interviews with key figures from all sides of the conflict, such as the Shia militias in Iraq, and even ISIS members, Days of the Fall serves as an invaluable and comprehensive guide to the complex dynamics and the tragic human impact of the wars. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Preface Acknowledgements 1 Birth of an Insurgency 2 The Battle for Aleppo 3 Rojava: The Kurds Alone 4 The Siege of Kobani: Interviewing ISIS 5 Black Summer, 2014 6 A YPG Volunteer 7 Uncovering ISIS’s Use of Chemical Weapons 8 With the Shia Militias in Iraq 9 The Ghosts of Shorja Market 10 Wasteland: Northern Syria, Winter 2015 11 The Rebellion at Twilight 12 Before Mosul 13 In the Ruined City 14 Undercover in Damascus Afterword Index