In 2002 the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) swept to power in Turkey. Since then it has shied away from a hard-line ideological stance in favour of a more conservative and democratic approach. In this book; M. Hakan Yavuz negotiates this ambivalence asking whether it is possible for a political party with a deeply religious ideology to liberalise and entertain democracy or whether; as he contends; radical religious groups moderate their practices and ideologies when forced to negotiate a competitive and rule-based political system. The author explores the thesis through an analysis of the rise and evolution of the AKP and its more recent 2007 election victory. The book; which tackles a number of important issues including political participation; economics and internal security; provides a masterful survey of modern Turkish and Islamic politics; which will be of interest to a broad range of readers from students to professionals and policymakers.
#16620 in Books Cambridge University Press 2005-08-22 2005-11-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x 1.30 x 5.43l; 1.35 #File Name: 0521618959536 pages
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Exactly the overview for which I was searchingBy K. YostThis book offers an excellent overview of warfare throughout the ages; from the Assyrians to the present day; and covering the personalities; weapons; strategies; tactics and technologies used. It should be noted that it covers only warfare as it has impacted and been fought in the Western culture; with no reference at all to important forces like the Mongols and only very brief interludes relating to the likes of China and Japan (except insofar as their wars involved Western opponents as in the Russo-Japanese War or World War II).It is not a work for experts; in my opinion; but a terrific primer for those who are new to the subject and looking to ground themselves in the subject before moving on to more focussed and analytical works.One very helpful feature of the book is that it contains diagrams of several key battles; showing troop deployments and movements. Many other overview texts on the history of warfare which I have seen merely describe the battles; and I found the diagrams particularly useful in clarifying how these fights developed. My one criticism of the book is that might have used more such diagrams; but that is a quibble.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Required for MIL-ED course. Book met my requirement and ...By A. ThomasRequired for MIL-ED course. Book met my requirement and all pages were present. Was the desired year/ edition printing required.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great book!By P. J. SNYDEROutstanding history book that logically explains the Western Way of Warfare and how it came to dominate the globe. Its definitely worth the few extra $$ to get the illustrations; as they both further explain concepts; and are interesting/entertaining.