Once regarded as tangential, Yemen is now central to strategic calculations- not because of its wealth or power but its weaknesses. There is no surer guide to understanding how Yemen has dexcended into civil conflict and institutional inadequacy that=n this informed and clear-headed book. Uzi Rabi's deep knowledge and grounded judgement will assist students, policymakers, journalists and the informed public in making sense of a country and its labyrinthine politics thata are now front page news. James Piscatori, Professor of International Relations, Durham University. In a post- Arab spring world, much attention has come to focus upon the idea of failed and failing states as the Middle East struggles to redefine and reshape notions of legitimacy and justice that have, for too long, been the preserve of autocratic rule. Yemen has not been immune from such struggles, facing a Houthi rebellion in the north and widespread unrest in the south that has partially nurtured the emergence of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Yet the Western notion of the state and thus state failure remains bounded and informed by particular 'Western' constucts. Yet as Uzi Rabi reminds us in this important new book, alternative forms of governance- not least tribalism and religious based affiliation- have alternately competed with and at times complemented the state in Yemen. Critically informed in its analysis and ambitious in its intellectual scope, this path-breaking study will likely be the definitive study on Yemen for many years to come. Clive Jones, Chair in Regional Security, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University.
