"Martin's work is a successful and nuanced account of the historical contingencies that contributed to the resilience of Syrian authoritarianism."—American Historical Review "Syria's Democratic Years is a gem that deserves an audience beyond historians of 20th century Syria. The writing is lucid, at times elegant. The study of middlebrow media is enriched by interviews in Damascus, memoirs, archives, court records, and United States diplomatic records. Martin shows a deft touch for using cultural theory and comparative history to lend the book intellectual depth and relevance beyond the case at hand."—The Middle East Journal "[A] book that will be both immediately valuable to scholars and teachers, and a significant contribution to historical scholarship on the cultural history of modern Syria. . . . In light of the endlessly unfolding tragedy in Syria, this kind of careful historical scholarship is increasingly important, and likely to become unfortunately rare. . . . [F]ill[s] one of many gaps in the historiography of modern and contemporary Syria."—Max Weiss, Princeton University "[A]n important contribution to understanding twentieth-century Syrian history, and particularly to understanding how and why post-Mandate Syria turned to authoritarianism rather than democracy. . . . [O]ffers insights into developments in other post-Ottoman states, [with] lessons for the broader region as well."—Andrea Stanton, University of Denver "[A]n extremely interesting story, deftly told and beautifully written . . . . [M]akes an important contribution to our understanding of Syrian history."—Peter Sluglett, National University of Singapore