In 2011, many Syrians took to the streets of Damascus to demand the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government. Today, much of Syria has become a war zone and the country is on the brink of collapse. This book explores the complex reality of life in present-day Syria with unprecedented details and sophistication, drawing on new first-hand testimonies from opposition fighters, exiles lost in an archipelago of refugee camps and courageous human rights defenders.

Journalist Yassin-Kassab and human rights activist Al Shami expertly intertwine these stories with an incisive analysis of the militarization of the uprising, the rise of Islamists, the sectarian war and the role of the Syrian government in exacerbating the brutalization of the conflict. Through these issues and a wide range of materials from secondary sources, the authors argue that the international community has failed in its stated commitments to support Syrian opposition movements. Covering Islamic State and Islamism, regional geopolitics, new grassroots revolutionary organizations and the worst refugee crisis since World War II, we are looking at a vivid and pioneering look at one of the biggest modern political and humanitarian nightmares.