Battleground: 10 Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East

The essential guide to geopolitics in the modern Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring

The Middle East is in crisis. More than a decade ago, the Arab Spring raised hopes of a new beginning but instead ushered in a series of civil wars, coups, and even harsher autocracies that rocked the region to its core. Much of this carnage was exacerbated by the meddling of outsiders as regional and global powers sought to further their interests. The United States, for so long the dominant actor, has stepped back, leaving a vacuum behind it to be fought over.

Christopher Phillips explores geopolitical rivalries in the region, and the major external powers vying for Russia, China, the EU, and the US. Moving through ten key flashpoints, Phillips argues that the United States’ overextension after the Cold War, and retreat in the 2010s, has imbalanced the region. Today, the Middle East is caught up in a post-American scramble for power—leaving its fate in the balance.