My book on Syria-Israel talks, being reprinted

I just heard from the good folks at the US Institute of Peace Press that they will be reprinting my 2000 book The Israeli-Syrian Peace Talks: 1991-96 and Beyond.
The book had fallen out of print a couple of years ago, which I thought was a real pity. But one phone call to a friend at USIP and it seems they’re now planning to print up a bunch more copies. (My thanks to that friend!)
This is very timely, given Mitchell’s imminent arrival in Damascus.

The story of the face-to-face peace talks Syria and Israel conducted in 1991-96 was fascinating. But it was woefully under-reported at the time, as all the big journalistic and analytical ‘names’ were focusing on developments on the Palestinian track. The talks were ultimately amazingly productive in hammering out common understandings of how the four different “legs” on the agenda of theSyria-Israel peace track fit together, and what would be the substance in each.
The talks were also marked by quite a lot of drama– including in the way that, sadly, in 1996 Israeli PM Shimon Peres broke them before they reached a final conclusion.
In researching the book I interviewed main participants and decisionmakers in Israel, the US, and Syria, including Peres, Itamar Rabinovitch, Dennis Ross (!), Walid Moualem, and Farouq Sharaa.
Here are three reactions the book received when it first came out:

Raymond Hinnebusch: “Includes a wealth of detail, unavailable in any other single source, which gives readers a greater understanding of the negotiation efforts. . . . A must-read for anyone with interest in the Middle East or the dynamics of peace negotiations in general.”
Moshe Maoz: “In a well-researched, perceptive, and balanced study, Cobban skillfully examines the achievements and setbacks, hopes and frustrations that characterized these crucial talks, and points to the challenges facing the Israeli and Syrian leaders in their quest for peace.”
Patrick Seale: “The definitive account of the Israeli-Syrian negotiations in the Rabin-Peres era. Israelis and Syrians need to ponder this excellent book to understand why the chance of peace was missed.”