2014年、イエメン北部の部族連合が首都サヌアを占拠し、1962年から統治してきた共和制を打倒しました。「フーシ運動」と呼ばれ、ザイド派（シーア派の一派）の反政府武装組織が、南部で分離主義運動を展開し、サーレハ前大統領の政党と争うなどして主導権争いを続けているのです。アラビア半島の南西に位置するイエメン共和国は近年、内乱、宗派対立、飢餓、そして病気の蔓延と同義語になってしまいました。しかし、この国には何世紀にもわたる長い歴史があります。
本書ではイエメンとその国民について、特に現代の状況に焦点を当てながら、幅広い歴史的概観を提供するものです。イエメンの主要な政治家や民族を取り上げ、それぞれの成り立ちや今日の国政に与える影響について解説しています。部族主義、宗教の力学、地域のアイデンティティ、イエメンのアフリカ系およびユダヤ系少数民族、「アラブの春」が同国の女性や若者に与えた社会的影響に焦点を当てるほか、考古遺産や古代の経済的繁栄、部族や宗教の歴史など、その豊かな歴史にも目を向けています。また、イエメンの将来を見据え、その地理的条件、天然資源、経済的潜在力を利用し、国を安定させる手段も示唆しています。内戦が続くイエメンの現状、主なプレーヤー、今後の展望について包括的な理解を促す概説書です。
    

• Offers an accessible yet comprehensive introduction to Yemen
• Provides a broad-ranging overview of Yemen's history, politics, geography and society
• Features a richly informed analysis of the current crisis in Yemen

    
In 2014, a tribal alliance from Yemen's northern regions seized the capital city of Sana'a and overthrew a republic that had ruled since 1962. Known as the Houthi Movement, these rebels are today vying for control, sparring with southern separatist movements and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's political party. Indeed, Yemen--located in the southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula--has become synonymous with civil unrest, sectarian conflict, famine, and rampant disease in recent years. Yet the country has a much deeper history--one that stretches back centuries.
    
In Yemen: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Asher Orkaby provides a broad-ranging, historically overview of the country and its peoples that focuses in particular on the contemporary situation. He covers the countries major political figures and ethnic groups, explaining the origins of each and their impact on contemporary national politics. Throughout, he focuses on tribalism, religious dynamics, regional identities, Yemen's African and Jewish minorities, and the social impact of the Arab Spring on the country's women and youth. Orkaby also offers readers a window into Yemen's rich past: its archaeological treasures, its ancient economic prosperity, and its tribal and religious history. He also looks to Yemen's future, identifying potential avenues through which Yemen can use its promising geographic location, natural resources, and economic potential to achieve stability.