The late historian and scholar of the Middle East based at Otago University in New Zealand, William W. Harris, wrote Quicksilver War in 2017. It offered a unique perspective on the complex interconnections between Syrian and Iraqi sides in the warfare that arose in the wake of the rebellion in Syria and the departure of American-led troops from Iraq in 2011. While most analysts tend to be experts on either Syria or Iraq, Harris was well-versed in the details of Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. He was able to perceive that the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was made possible by Bashar al-Asad’s mismanagement of the popular uprising, leading to a government breakdown in various parts of Syria, beginning with Raqqa in early March 2013. Harris allows readers to understand the importance of the Syrian Desert in the geography of the Syrian Civil War, which recenters...

You do not currently have access to this content.