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Syria's tumultuous twentieth century through the life of a central figure in Syrian politics
Born into an aristocratic Damascene family in 1889, Fakhri al-Barudi was a household name in Syria, universally acclaimed as one of the country's founding fathers and a leading figure in the country’s struggle for independence from French rule during the 1920s. A politician, he grew up in a world of privilege but also witnessed the decline of Ottoman rule and the rise of Arab nationalism.
His memoirs, originally published in Arabic in 1951, provide a vivid account of social life in Ottoman Damascus during the early twentieth century, offering a unique perspective onto the city’s cultural, political, and intellectual landscape. They capture the complexities of Damascus society, from the rigid class structures and Ottoman influence to the burgeoning nationalist movements that sought to redefine Arab identity. They also delve into the political upheavals of the time, particularly the 1908 Young Turk Revolution, which restored the Ottoman constitution and briefly promised reform and equality. Al-Barudi recounts the excitement and uncertainty that followed the coup, as well as the growing tensions between Arab nationalists and Ottoman authorities.
Drawing on both private papers and published sources., Sami Moubayed’s authoritative epilogue takes up al-Barudi’s life in Syrian politics from where the memoirs leave off, through to al-Barudi's death in 1966. Here again al-Barudi is a central figure in the political history of Syria, and his biography sheds fascinating light on the social and political dynamics that continue to shape Syria to this day, especially following the fall of the Assad regime in 2024.
"In Sami Moubayed’s beautiful translation of Fakhri al-Barudi's memoir, Ottoman Damascus emerges as a vibrant, three-dimensional city, rich in social and cultural detail, while his biographical study, covering al-Barudi’s life following conclusion of the memoir, offers a fascinating lens through which to view twentieth-century Syrian politics. An essential source for the study of late Ottoman rule in the Arab world, for the history of Damascus, and for the political history of modern Syria."—Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the Ottomans
"It is a rare treat when a book not only offers the memoirs of a consequential Syrian politician of the twentieth century, but also an accompanying analysis by an accomplished author such as Sami Moubayed, who is well-steeped in the history of Syria and its most notable figures. I highly recommend it as a snapshot of twentieth century Syrian history and the Syrians who made that history."—David W. Lesch, Trinity University, Texas, and author of The History of the Middle East since the Rise of Islam
"Few figures have played as pivotal a role in the making of modern Syria as Fakhri al-Barudi. With this translation of al-Barudi’s memoirs, supplemented by a thoughtful and wonderfully detailed account of his life in his later years, Sami Moubayed, has made the extraordinary contributions of a leading participant in the events that shaped modern Syria accessible to new generations of readers. We are in his debt for doing so."—Steven Heydemann, Smith College
"With this impressive contribution, Sami Moubayed has internationalized the recognition of Fakhri al-Barudi as a pan-Arab poet and writer, and a leading figure of the early twentieth century Syrian political renaissance."—Hilal Khashan, American University of Beirut
"Sami Moubayed has done Damascus and the modern history of Syria a welcome and timely service by publishing what remains of the memoirs of Fakhri al-Barudi, and reconstructing his biography. Al-Barudi had an energetic and spirited temperament, and lived life to the full in the mainstream of modern Syrian and especially Damascene life, its politics, economic transformations, and social and cultural changes. He was a wit, a raconteur, a convivial companion, and a bon viveur. He was also a nationalist politician who knew everybody, an aesthete and patron of the arts, and a quintessential Damascene. His memoirs combine reminiscences, anecdotes, oral history, folklore and Damascene ethnography, and bear valuable witness to late Ottoman Damascus and its society and politics."—Aziz al-Azmeh, Central European University
Sami Moubayed is a Syrian-British historian and founding chairman of the Damascus History Foundation. He specializes in pre-Ba‘th Syria and his most recent book is The Seat of Damascus Power (2024). In 2023, he was a visiting fellow at Durham University, UK, and in 2006 he helped found the Syrian Studies Center at St Andrews University in Scotland. In 2012–2014, he worked as a visiting scholar at Carnegie Middle East in Beirut. He is presently a scholar at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, Qatar.
Fakhri al-Barudi (1887–1966) was a Syrian politician, poet, and art patron.
Note on Translation
Introduction: The Life and Legacy of Fakhri al-Barudi
The Memoirs of Fakhri al-Barudi
Preface
Chapter One: Early Childhood
Chapter Two: The Ottoman Coup of 1908
Chapter Three: Journalism, Unemployment, and Marriage
Chapter Four: Europe, 1911
Epilogue: al-Barudi post-1911
References
Index