Days of Love and Rage
A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution
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4.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
“This story of ordinary Syrians who fought tyranny is a masterpiece.” —The New York Times Book Review
From Pulitzer and National Book Award finalist Anand Gopal, an epic and enthralling account of six Syrians fighting for a better world, in the tradition of classic works by Philip Gourevitch and Katherine Boo.
In 2011, in a northern Syrian city, a small group of men and women began a movement that overthrew a brutal dictatorship. For the next eighteen months, many of the citizens of Manbij carried out one of the most remarkable experiments in democracy in modern times.
Days of Love and Rage details the powerfully intimate narratives of the men and women who led this struggle, and who experienced the highs of camaraderie and the lows of betrayal. Among them: a pair of best friends torn apart by political polarization, a mother who stands up to male dominance, and a worker who risks everything for the dream of equality.
Anand Gopal immerses you in the world of a single city in the throes of revolution, and lays bare the danger that inequality poses to democracy. But this book transcends the particulars of one terrible conflict to tell the broader story of rising authoritarianism in our times. Days of Love and Rage has the force, sweep, and artistry of a great novel, and is ultimately a story of our enduring human need for dignity and hope.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This sweeping narrative nonfiction tale follows the rise and fall of a revolution driven by the fight for freedom but torn apart by attacks from both without and within. Journalist Anand Gopal recounts how, in 2011, the residents of one Syrian city took inspiration from the Arab Spring to wrest control away from the country’s dictatorship. But tragically, their utopian democratic project would ultimately crumble in the face of ISIS’ brutality. Gopal brings an intense intimacy to this story, focusing on the aspirations of the ordinary, relatable people who led the uprising. He relies on meticulous research, drawing on thousands of interviews and years spent on the ground in Syria. The result is a lusciously immersive book that transports you to the arid deserts and bustling markets of Manbij. If you want to understand the Syrian war not as a geopolitical abstraction but as a human quest for liberty, Days of Love and Rage is a powerful guide.
