The great betrayal - Q and A with Fawaz Gerges on the struggle for political change in the Middle East

In this interview with LSE Review of Books Managing Editor Anna D’Alton, Fawaz Gerges discusses his new book, The Great Betrayal: The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in the Middle East, which explores the question of why political change has been so difficult to achieve in the region. Taking a historical-sociological perspective, the book examines key events from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire to the recent downfall of the Assad Regime in Syria and considers how ordinary people in the Middle East can achieve self-determination in the future. The Great Betrayal: The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in the Middle East. Fawaz A. Gerges. Princeton University Press. 2025.