The Arab Spring has been much written about by western commentators. Writing Revolution: The Voices from Tunis to Damascus gives an Arab voice to that ongoing debate. Contributors, male and female, from across the region, offer reflections on and appraisals of the political situation in their countries. The net effect is to give a very intimate insight into events that shape the lives of millions. The recollections of dictatorships are vivid, and the casual brutality they practised on their citizens is truly horrifying. The sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shia surface, as do the dangers that women face, both from revolution and the established order. Indeed, two stand-out essays are by women: Yasmine El Rashidi's Cairo, City in Waiting, about events in Egypt, and Safa Al Ahmad's Wishful Thinking, about Saudi Arabia. Both essays show quiet bravery, astute observation and no little worry about what the future holds for ordinary people.
