Qadhafi's Libya, 1969-1994

Although much attention has been paid to the more spectacular exploits of the Libyan government and its leader, Mutammar al-Quadhafi, the internal politics of the country remain largely unexplored. In this volume editor Dirk Vandewalle has assembled a group of scholars who have been studying the political and socioeconomic progress of the Libyan government since Quadhafi assumed power in 1969. By paying particular attention to the contradictions between the regime's rhetoric and the day-to-day reality of life in Libya, the picture that emerges is one colored by the tensions and inconsistencies that exist between the aspirations of this self-styled revolutionary state and its complete dependence on the international economy to survive. The availability of massive oil revenues has allowed the Quadhafi government to engage in an experiment of popular management of the country's political and economic structures. Unfortunately, this governmental experiment is unlikely to outlive the Libyan leader. Through the work of these scholars who have spent a considerable amount of time working in Libya, the internal workings of the Quadhafi government are viewed in a new light and the future of the country is seen more clearly. Quadhafi's Libya, 1969-1994 is a fresh and enlightening look at this highly volatile country and its charismatic leader.