It Started In Damascus (how The Long Syrian Revolution Reshaped Our World)

A gripping social and political chronicle of the causes and consequences of Syria’s 2011 revolution, and its continuing global fallout.

A gripping social and political chronicle of the causes and consequences of Syria’s 2011 revolution, and its continuing global fallout.

Syrians have longed for the ordinary life that eluded them for decades. When President Bashar Assad was unexpectedly overthrown in December 2024, they celebrated the end of a dictatorial dynasty. But as they strive for post-Assad justice, they must grapple with the legacy of a fight for freedom that started many years earlier.

Damascus-born Rime Allaf tells the poignant story of a struggle for dignity that has shaken the world. When Hafez Assad’s violent rule ended in 2000, many believed his son would bring change. Instead, Bashar spent his first decade in power meddling regionally and reneging on promises of domestic reform. When Syrians finally rose up in revolution in 2011, they were mercilessly crushed by the regime—with extensive Iranian and Russian support—and abandoned by the foreign powers claiming to support them. The consequences of these events still reverberate internationally, in the largest refugee crisis since World War Two and in a new global order that has weakened democracy and privileged authoritarians.

Combining expert analysis, evocative storytelling and the author’s deep personal connection with the region, It Started in Damascus paints an intimate portrait of a devastated society and a resilient people determined to find their peace.

Rime Allaf has written and spoken about Syria and the Middle East for over twenty years, including as associate fellow at Chatham House (2004–12). Raised in Europe and America in a diplomatic family, she has contributed to the BBC, Sky News, CNN, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and others.