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Damascus DiariesLife Under the Assads

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When Peter Clark arrived in Damascus 1992 to open the new British Council office, he was not to know that the next five years were to give him a unique window on the upper echelons of Syrian society in the last few years of Hafez Al-Assad's rule. Here we see the dramas and routines of everyday life played out against the backdrop of the world's oldest continually inhabited city on the eve of collapse into civil war. Enchanting and alarming by turns, everyday events combine to paint a vivid and almost nostalgic picture of life in this remarkable city.

This highly entertaining and highly personal account of life in Damascus in the 1990s paints the portrait of a city now immensely remote from the world we see on our news screens today.

All author royalties are donated to the Saeed.

Peter Clark, OBE, is a translator, writer, and consultant. For thirty years he worked for the British Council in Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria. He has translated eight works by contemporary Arab writers including fiction by Muhammad al-Murr, Liana Badr, and Ulfat Idilbi, as well as drama, poetr, and history. He has written books on Marmaduke Pickthall and Wilfred Thesiger. Peter is a tour consultant, advising on cultural tourism in Turkey and Syria, a trustee ofthe International Prize for Arabic Fiction, and a contributing editor ofBanipal

Author: Peter Clark (all their books in stock)
Format: Paperback
Published: 2015
Pages: 393
Publisher: Gilgamesh Publishing
ISBN: 9781908531353

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Our conditions mean the following:

  • New - a brand new book
  • Almost New - appears new but is actually secondhand.
  • Very Good - only minor imperfections such as minor scuffs to edge or cover or a price written in pencil or shop sticker.
  • Standard Secondhand - Clearly been read before, but not too bad. We do not recommend these for gifting. Spines usually creased. Could also include creases or folds to cover, some writing such as in the cover or elsewhere, underlining or highlighting, but might not do. Possibly some stains or marks. Similar in general to books in any secondhand shop or charity shop.
  • Poor Condition - Usually this will have a specific problem such as writing inside, water damage, missing dust jacket, heavy staining, large creases or cuts. These are readable copies but not nice ones. On other websites this condition is called 'Acceptable' or 'Fair' , but we want to be more honest.
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