The essential guide to geopolitics in the modern Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. The Middle East is in crisis. The shocking events of the war in Gaza have rocked the entire region. More than a decade ago, the Arab Spring had raised hopes of a new beginning, but instead ushered in a series of civil wars, coups, and even harsher autocracies. Tensions were exacerbated by the meddling of outsiders, as regional and global powers sought to further their interests. The United States, for so long that dominant actor, had stepped back, leaving behind a vacuum to be fought over. Phillips explores the geopolitical rivalries in the region and how the major external powers have been competing for influence: Russia, China, the EU, and the US. Moving through 10 key flashpoints, from Syria to Palestine, Phillips argues that the United States' over extension after the Cold War, and retreat in the 20 tens, has destabilized stabilized the region. Today, the Middle East remains blighted by conflicts of unprecedented violence and a post- American scramble for power - leaving its fate in the balance. -- From the book jacket.

Syria: the shattered mosaic -- Libya: anarchy on the Mediterranean -- Yemen: 'the worst humanitarian crisis in the world' -- Palestine: the vanishing land -- Iraq: the broken republic -- Egypt: fallen giant -- Lebanon: a crumbling state -- Kurdistan: the struggle in the mountains -- The gulf colon's wealth and insecurity -- the Horn of Africa: a new arena -- conclusion.