Syria and Lebanon

'This book is a model of the effective use of IR theory to understand the great complexity of international politics in the Middle East. Taku Osoegawa provides a meticulous and rich narrative of the development of Lebanon-Syria relations over time, exposing their multi-dimensional complexity. Important also is his focus on actors in Lebanon, a state which, never having approximated the unitary rational actor model, exemplifies the increasing permeability and fragmentation of states in the region. While Lebanon might once have been the exception, in the post-Uprising Middle East, it may become increasingly the norm, making the theoretical tools developed in this book transferable to analyses of Lebanon's neighbours, not least to Syria and Iraq.' - Raymond Hinnebusch, Professor of International Relations, University of St Andrews 'Take Osoegawa has produced a most interesting study of a subject which forms the very heart of politics in the Middle East, and yet is so often overlooked by the policy community. Theoretically rich, the book usefully catalogues the growth of Syrian influence in Lebanon since the 1970s, and if read carefully can also provide a framework for trying to understand the implications for Lebanon of the unravelling of the Syrian state since the 2011 uprising. This book provides a commendable study of a subject that analysts instinctively know about but do not necessarily follow in detail.' - Anoush Ehteshami, Professor of International Relations, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University