“History comes alive in this book—in the intriguing detail of a Syrian who lived it, in the depth of a scholar who studied it. Syria’s brutal war changed our world—Rime Allaf helps us understand why in her page-turner of a chronicle.”

— Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent, BBC News, and author of The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan

“One of the most important books on Syria and its revolution. Its human voice rises above the noise of military analyses, major political issues, ideology and stereotyping, placing the Syrian people at the heart of the story: their dreams and disappointments, their astonishing resilience, and their determination to live, despite all the death that has surrounded them for decades.”

— Dima Wannous, author of The Frightened Ones

A vital portrait of a nation whose fate will shape the Middle East—and the world. A Damascene and one of the region’s esteemed analysts, Allaf blends intimate, on-the-ground reportage with piercing geopolitical insight to show Syria as few outsiders ever could. In the aftermath of the Assad regime’s fall, her story makes one thing clear: to understand the future of the Middle East—with all its risks and possibilities—you must first understand Syria.’”

— Janine di Giovanni, Executive Director of The Reckoning Project, and author of The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria

“I loved this book. Rime Allaf takes you on a journey, deeply personal at times, through Syria’s recent history and revolution, her vibrant writing bringing life to every page.”

— David Nott, author of War Doctor

“Allaf is unflinching when she trains her sights on regime depravity. It makes for disturbing, compulsive and at times heart-in-the-mouth reading.”

— Justin Marozzi, The Spectator

“Weaving her own story through an account of recent Syrian history, Rime Allaf provides a riveting insider’s perspective. She shows in painful detail how everyday life in Syria was dominated by the Assad family, so the reader understands why the country went so quickly from jubilation to jeopardy after the overthrow of Bashar Assad in 2024.”

— Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 News, and author of In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin

“A gripping and passionate account of how Syrians were subjected to fifty years of Assadisation, and how, despite betrayal and abandonment on many fronts, the long Syrian Revolution finally succeeded in breaking through. Full of forensic detail.”

— Diana Darke, author of Stealing from the Saracens; Islamesque; and My House in Damascus