Description: In the midst of a bloody and unpopular civil war, Algeria celebrated its first free presidential elections with the November 1995 inauguration of Lamine Zeroual. Like many postcolonial states, Algeria has traveled a tortuous road to freedom and economic stability; if its past is any predictor of the future, the success of Algeria's democracy and economic development is anything but certain. Examining Algeria's history, from the founding of the Berber kingdoms, 130 years of French rule, and the devastating war for independence -- gained in 1962 -- to the present, The Agony of Algeria makes intelligible the current crisis tearing at the fabric of the country's society, while offering an analysis of the social, economic, and political challenges ahead.

Martin Stone introduces the major actors and conflicts that ruled and continue to dominate the political, social, and economic landscape of Algeria, and presents a picture of Algeria as a potentially great nation-in-the-making. Stone examines the antagonistic relationship between the Arab majority and the Berber minority; the competing forces of Islamic fundamentalism and Western modernization; the current military regime's murderous campaign against the outlawed Fundamentalist Islamic Salvation Front; and a population disillusioned with the promises of freedom and prosperity held out by an arduous struggle for independence.

The Agony of Algeria is a valuable analysis for students of Middle Eastern and North African politics, and International Affairs.

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