The updated edition provides a comprehensive overview of Libya's tumultuous history, focusing on significant events since 2005, including the civil war and the fall of Qadhafi. It delves into the political, social, and economic changes that have shaped the nation, offering insights into the struggles and transformations faced by the Libyan people during this critical period.
Although Libya and its current leader have been the subject of numerous accounts, few have considered how the country's tumultuous history, its institutional development, and its emergence as an oil economy combined to create a state whose rulers ignored the notion of modern statehood. Dirk Vandewalle supplies a detailed analysis of Libya's political and economic development since the country's independence in 1951, basing his account on fieldwork in Libya, archival research in Tripoli, and personal interviews with some of the country's top policymakers