The wave of popular uprisings that swept through the Middle East promised to pave the way for democracy. It brought down dictators and captured the popular imagination, but for most of the region, peace and stability remain as elusive today as they have ever been.In this fully revised introduction, Oxford University’s Philip Robins takes a close look at the issues plaguing the region. With each chapter focusing on a key theme, Robins weaves together the disparate countries into a c...

Since the publication of the first edition, substantial changes have occurred in the political landscape of Jordan and the Middle East. King Abdullah II has cemented his rule amidst an onslaught of threats which have faced his kingdom since he succeeded his father in 1999. The Syrian civil war has fundamentally shifted the political context of its neighbouring countries, with Jordan experiencing a huge population explosion as people moved across the border from Syria. This second edition o...

The Middle East is notoriously complex and difficult. This compact audiobook on the topic by the University of Oxford's leading expert does not shirk the challenge. Organised thematically, and dealing with all the pivotal issues in the region, from oil and religion, to gender and conflict, this comprehensive primer is both easy to listen to and full of insight. Stuffed with historical background, real-life examples, profiles of key figures from Nasser to Gadaffi, and even popular jokes fro...

This work seeks to develop a new concept with which to analyse the actions and activities of states that tend to be relatively ignored by the discipline of International Relations (IR).As a discipline, IR has a tendency to lean towards the analytically safe. Given the current and recent dynamism of the international system that is both surprising and undesirable. Arranged around the concept of the idea of the Cusp State (and cuspness more generally), the book consists of empirical ...

Thomas Tallis, inspector of provenance, has just arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, to authenticate The Goldenacre, a masterpiece by iconic Scottish architect and painter Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Still dealing with a miserable divorce and the fallout from a disastrous job in London, Tallis iseager to sign off on the painting and leave. It should be simple, as the painting has been owned by one noble family since the ’20s. But then a horrifying parcel arrives on Tallis’s desk, and the...

The Goldenacre – a masterpiece by the painter and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh – has been given to the people of Scotland. The beautiful canvas, the last work by the artistic genius, enthrals the art world, but behind it lies a dark and violent mystery.Thomas Tallis, an art expert with a trouble past, is trying to uncover the truth about the painting's complex history, while dogged newspaper reporter Shona Sandison is investigating a series of shocking murders in Edinburgh.

Fearless freelance reporter Shona Sandison might be about to get her biggest scoop yet—if she can make it to the end of the investigation alive.The third installment of the Shona Sandison Investigations is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, John le Carré, and Denise Mina.In a post-COVID Britain, investigative reporter Shona Sandison is seeking meaning and the next big story; her reclusive contact inside the government has promised her something huge, but she has no idea what k...

Fearless freelance reporter Shona Sandison might be about to get her biggest scoop yet—if she can make it to the end of the investigation alive.The third installment of the Shona Sandison Investigations is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, John le Carré, and Denise Mina.In a post-COVID Britain, investigative reporter Shona Sandison is seeking meaning and the next big story; her reclusive contact inside the government has promised her something huge, but she has no idea what k...

Investigative journalist Shona Sandison is attending the wedding of her closest friend and former colleague, Vivienne. But the night before the wedding, Viv’s reclusive school friend, Dan, jumps from a roof to his death. Shona is the only witness to the suicide—and so the only person who saw the occult tattoos covering Dan’s body, and heard the unsettling, mystical phrases he was uttering.Compelled to look further into the tragic incident, Shona sets off on a quest to find out why ...

Investigative journalist Shona Sandison is attending the wedding of her closest friend and former colleague, Vivienne. But the night before the wedding, Viv’s reclusive school friend, Dan, jumps from a roof to his death. Shona is the only witness to the suicide—and so the only person who saw the occult tattoos covering Dan’s body, and heard the unsettling, mystical phrases he was uttering.Compelled to look further into the tragic incident, Shona sets off on a quest to find out why ...

This book offers a comprehensive study of regional industrialization in Europe and Asia from the early nineteenth century to the present. Using case studies on regional industrialization, the book provides insights into similarities and differences in industrialization processes between European, Eurasian and Asian countries. Important factors include the transition from traditional to modern industrial production, industrial policy, agglomeration forces, market integration, and the determ...

The Pain Book: Finding hope when it hurts provides an up-to-date overview of how pain works and the best pain treatments now available.Authors Professor Philip Siddall, Rebecca McCabe and Dr Robin Murray have devoted much of their lives to working with people in pain and are lead clinicians in the HammondCare Pain Management Service at Greenwich Hospital.The Pain Book helps people face pain by using plain language to explain the source and types of pain, h...