Description
Book SynopsisBeyond the Arab Cold War brings the Yemen Civil War, 1962-68, to the forefront of modern Middle East History. During the 1960s, in the wake of a coup against Imam Muhammad al-Badr and the formation of the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR), Yemen was transformed into an arena of global conflict. Believing al-Badr to be dead, Egypt, the Soviet Union, and most countries recognized the YAR. But when al-Badr unexpectedly turned up alive, Saudi Arabia and Britain offered support to the deposed Imam, drawing Yemen into an internationally-sponsored civil war. Throughout six years of major conflict, Yemen sat at the crossroads of regional and international conflict as dozens of countries, international organizations, and individuals intervened in the local South Arabian civil war. Yemen was a showcase for a new era of UN and Red Cross peacekeeping, clandestine activity, Egyptian counterinsurgency, and one of the first largescale uses of poison gas since WWI. Events in Yemen were not dominated by a sing
Trade ReviewUntil the last two decades, much of the scholarship on Yemen has often been characterized by a tendency, whether intentional or not, to emphasize the isolation of the country, its history, and its politics from global processes of imperial expansion, state formation, and capital accumulation.It is refreshing then to read Asher Orkaby's account of the Yemeni Civil War of 1962-68, which proceeds with the assumption that the war must be understood in a broader context of international relations that can be reduced neither to Cold War rivalries nor to competition between Arab monarchies and their republican rivals. A well-researched study that pushes us to think more carefully about whether the Yemen Civil War, and possibly any civil war, can be considered solely within a national framework. * John M. Willis, International Journal of Middle East Studies *
Orkaby's book represents an important contribution to both the philatelic and political history of this turbulent part of the world. * Charles Snee, Linn's Stamp News *
In summary this is a high quality book of tremendous importance for the study of the auxiliain the early empire. The extensive bibliography of some thirty-seven pages is exhaustive and there are a limited number of typographical errors. The work is certain to become the new reference for any study on that topic. * François Gauthier, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
Through truly impressive multiarchival and multilingual research (in U.S., British, Canadian, Russian, Israeli, Yemeni, and Swiss collections), Orkaby illuminates several key aspects of the Yemeni conflict that were previously shrouded in official secrecy or historiographical neglect. * Yemeni Thicket, Diplomatic History *
[P]rovides special significance and important relevance today, half a century later... Recommended. * CHOICE *
Backed by solid research, Orkaby's narrative easily succeeds in taking readers beyond the Arab Cold War and into the machinations of a variety of international players. * Eric Watkins, International Affairs *
Table of ContentsBeyond Paradigms: An Introduction to the Yemen Civil War Chapter 1: International Intrigue and the Origins of September 1962 Chapter 2: Recognizing the New Republic Chapter 3: Local Hostilities and International Diplomacy Chapter 4: The UN Yemen Observer Mission (UNYOM) Chapter 5: Nasser's Cage Chapter 6: Chemical Warfare in Yemen: The Limits of the Poison Gas Taboo Chapter 7: The Anglo-Egyptian Rivalry in Yemen Chapter 8: Yemen, Israel, and the Road to 1967 Chapter 9: The Impact of Individuals Chapter 10: The Siege of Sana'a and the End of the Yemen Civil War Epilogue: Echoes of a Civil War Notes Bibliography Index
