Summary of A Rage for Order

A Rage for Order is a book by Libyan-British journalist and author Alister Indries. In it, he reveals the untold story of the creation of a modern nation by the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi. The book follows Gaddafi's rise to power and his attempts to impose authoritarian control over Libya. It looks at the pressure put on the regime by economic necessity and the international community, and the human-rights abuses committed by the regime. It also explores Gaddafi's efforts to build a modern state, and how his attempted reforms created a new set of problems. Indries also examines how religious, tribal, and regional identities were threatened by the regime and how Libya's isolation from the rest of the world grew stronger. He concludes by looking at the legacy of Gaddafi's rule in a post-Gaddafi Libya.