{"product_id":"9781529074895-assad","title":"Assad","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Triumph of Tyranny\u003cbr\u003eA riveting and insightful account of Bashar al-Assad and his tyrannical regime from the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSaddam: The Secret Life\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Engrossing . has the vice-like grip of a thriller' \u003c\/b\u003e- \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Fascinating, timely and sharp' \u003c\/b\u003e- Simon Sebag Montefiore\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eAssad: The Triumph of Tyranny\u003c\/i\u003e, Con Coughlin, veteran commentator on war in the Middle East and author of \u003ci\u003eSaddam: The Secret Life\u003c\/i\u003e, examines how a mild-mannered ophthalmic surgeon transformed himself into the tyrannical ruler of a once flourishing country.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUntil the Arab Spring of 2011, the world’s view of Bashar al-Assad was largely benign. He and his wife, a former British banker, were viewed as philanthropic individuals doing their best to keep their country at peace. So much so that a profile of Mrs Assad in American \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e was headlined ‘The Rose in the Desert’. Shortly after it appeared, Syria descended into the horrific civil war that has seen its cities reduced to rubble and thousands murdered and displaced, a civil war that is still raging over a decade later.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this vivid and authoritative account Con Coughlin draws together all the strands of Assad's remarkable story, revealing precisely how a young doctor ensured not only that he inherited the presidency from his father, but held on to power to preside over one of the most brutal regimes of modern times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40886095413345,"sku":"9781529074895","price":15.36,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_24531325.jpg?v=1718039514","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781529074895-assad","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}