Researching Syria with Daniel Neep and Ora Szekely

Daniel Neep, who just published Syria: A Modern History, joins Ora, who published Syria Divided: Patterns of Violence in a Complex Civil War, for a conversation focusing on research on a specific conflict: the war in Syria. Reflecting on their own experiences, Daniel and Ora dig into the ethical and methodological challenges of researching civil war from afar, as well as some common myths and misunderstandings related to research on the Syrian civil war, their own reactions to the unexpected fall of the Assad regime, and their thoughts on the immense challenges of Syria’s postwar reconstruction. They conclude by offering some advice on research for emerging scholars in challenging environments.

2:47: What Drew Daniel and Ora to Syria?

5:21: How Has Time in Syria and with Syrians Influenced Your Research?

7:58: Inspiration for Research Questions

12:05: Discussing Dan and Ora's Books

21:11: Challenges of Writing a Comprehensive History

27:37: Unpacking Common Myths and Misunderstandings about Syria

35:30: The Challenges of Research from a Distance

45:10: What Was it Like to See the Civil War End?

52:00: Advice for Emerging Scholars

Publications Mentioned in This Episode

1. Daniel Neep. Syria: A Modern History. Basic Books, 2026, https://www.amazon.com/Syria-Modern-History-Daniel-Neep/dp/1541608127
2. Ora Szekely. Syria Divided: Patterns of Violence in a Complex Civil War (Columbia Studies in Middle East Politics). Columbia University Press, 2023, https://cup.columbia.edu/book/syria-divided/9780231555982/

Producers: Dominic Calareso, Jasmine Han, and Taylor Perkins

Find Stories from The Field at Columbia University Press or Amazon