"Inside Syria" reading and book launch party for Reese Erlich

Join SPJ NorCal for a reading and discussion followed by a mixer with local journalist and author Reese Erlich in honor of the publication of his new book, "Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect."

WHEN: 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20
WHERE: The Green Arcade, 1680 Market St. (at Gough)
RSVP: Via this Meetup group

About "Inside Syria"

Through vivid, on-the-ground accounts and interviews with both rebel leaders and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, journalist Reese Erlich gives the reader a better understanding of the complex dynamics underlying the Syrian civil war and why it matters.

Through his many contacts inside Syria, Erlich reveals who is supporting Assad and why; he describes the agendas of the rebel factions; and he depicts in stark terms the dire plight of many ordinary Syrian people caught in the cross-fire. The book also provides insights into the role of the Kurds, the continuing influence of Iran, and the policies of US leaders who seem interested only in protecting US regional interests. “A deeply readable and informative book that is particularly wise about the economic undercurrents beneath what more-superficial writers see merely as political or religious tensions. A fine introduction to one of today’s most terrible tragedies.” —Adam Hochschild, author of To End All Wars and King Leopold’s Ghost

Reese Erlich is an award-winning journalist and the author of four books on foreign policy. A full-time freelance journalist and special correspondent, he recently reported for both CBS Radio and GlobalPost from the Kurdish Region of Iraq, interviewing Yazidis and Kurdish peshmerga and analyzing the US bombing campaign. Erlich also reports regularly for National Public Radio and Radio Deutsche Welle. His articles on the Middle East have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Atlantic Online, and Vanity Fair Online. In 2012, the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California, gave Erlich an Explanatory Journalism Award for his radio documentary titled “Inside the Syrian Uprising.”