Con Coughlin is a distinguished journalist and the author of critically acclaimed books. A specialist on the Middle East and international terrorism, he is Defence and Security Editor of the Daily Telegraph and also writes for the Spectator and other periodicals. In addition, he is a regular commentator on world affairs for BBC news programmes and Sky News. He lives in London and Sussex.
An important, compelling, and detailed examination of the failure of Western powers to act decisively in the early years of the Syrian Civil War and to prevent one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the early twenty-first century. In this significant new book, Con Coughlin provides a superb analysis of the West’s policy missteps and the tragic consequences of them. -- General David Petraeus Fascinating, timely and sharp, Con Coughlin delivers a lucid portrait of the brutal power games and byzantine conspiracies of Syria's Assad dynasty. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of <i>The World: a Family History</i>