Tunisia stands out as an anomaly of the Arab Spring, avoiding the pitfalls of renewed tyranny, violent uprisings by radical sects, or descent in the chaos of civil war. Instead it has forged a unique path in the region, installing a relatively stable democracy. Safwan Masri set out to explain the reasons for Tunisia's success in this book.

Masri argues that Tunisia's developments since the mid 19th century, particularly an emphasis on education, paved the way for a more progressive society that, while finding a common identity in Islamic and Arabic culture, was able to incorporate a great deal of western and secular thought. Masri makes sure to include the history of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Berbers, Arabs, Ottomans, and French in relation to Tunisa, and the dynamics by which these states impacted the development of a Tunisian identity.

The bulk of the book focuses on Tunisia from the 19th century onward. The various scholars, monarchs, politicians, and labor unions all had their roles to play. In particular, Masri argues that education played the development of modern Tunisia. Education makes frequent appearances throughout the book and is the focus of the last three chapters. While education does quite often occupy the front seat, Masri does cover a vast array of topics and characters in Tunisian history. Women's rights, labor unions, colonial institutions, civic participation, and comparisons with other Arab and Islamic states make the book very well rounded.

There are only a couple complaints I have with the book. The largest is that it is in an odd order, using the first few chapters to describe the Jasmine Revolution, bringing up figures whose roles are not made clear until chapters later. Then it goes through the entire history of Tunisia before coming back to modern events. Also, the couple decades of Ben Ali's rule are largely glossed over, other than education reform.

All in all, the book is well worth the read. It is a detailed study of a country that is rarely brought up on the world stage, and deserves more attention than it recieves.

Things are good but the writing style could've been better for more engaging way for reading. Okay kind of book for me.
I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this work