Fractured Lands

How the Arab World Came Apart

By: Scott Anderson

Narrated by: Scott Anderson

From the bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia, a piercing account of how the contemporary Arab world came to be riven by catastrophe since the 2003 United States invasion of Iraq.

In 2011, a series of anti-government uprisings shook the Middle East and North Africa in what would become known as the Arab Spring. Few could predict that these convulsions, initially hailed in the West as a triumph of democracy, would give way to brutal civil war, the terrors of the Islamic State, and a global refugee crisis. But, as New York Times bestselling author Scott Anderson shows, the seeds of catastrophe had been sown long before. In this gripping account, Anderson examines the myriad complex causes of the region’s profound unraveling, tracing the ideological conflicts of the present to their origins in the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003 and beyond. From this investigation emerges a rare view into a land in upheaval through the eyes of six individuals—the matriarch of a dissident Egyptian family; a Libyan Air Force cadet with divided loyalties; a Kurdish physician from a prominent warrior clan; a Syrian university student caught in civil war; an Iraqi activist for women’s rights; and an Iraqi day laborer-turned-ISIS fighter. A probing and insightful work of reportage, Fractured Lands offers a penetrating portrait of the contemporary Arab world and brings the stunning realities of an unprecedented geopolitical tragedy into crystalline focus.

Critic reviews

“Fantastic.” —PBS Newshour

“A mammoth undertaking. . . . A fascinating look into the region’s history, the forces of tribalism, and the global implications of an Arab world in revolt.” —Charlie Rose

Timely and a must to listen to!

While disturbing this was very enlightening and I see how tribalism on any scale can create stifled beliefs and no exposure to outside influence. This becomes ripe for corruption.

FRACTURED STORY

Fractured story . Hard to flow from charictor to charictor. plight of characters. well drawn.
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insightful

Nice to read about a problem from an insider's perspective. Heart wrenching. So glaring the opportunities we have here in America and the safety we enjoy.

Interesting and educational, but not what I expected

The author does an excellent job of relating the personal of several middle eastern individuals experiences to historical and contemporary conditions in the region. Extrapolating from his writing, I have drawn the conclusion that there is little hope for a lasting peaceful situation for the region!

Engaging & illuminating glimpse into another world

A startling look into the chaos one century after the Ottomans. What a mess the (collective) we made. Enjoyed having the author narrate.