Faculty Book-Length Publications

The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth

by Blake Gumprecht
The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999; published in paperback, 2001

Winner of the J. B. Jackson Prize, Association of American Geographers, and the Donald Pflueger Local History Award, Historical Society of Southern California.

"Essential… The many transformation of the river are Blake Gumprecht’s extended metaphor for what we’ve made of this place and a reminder of the reckoning it asks of us." -- D. J. Waldie, Los Angeles Times

"Impressively researched, beautifully illustrated…wonderfully written, full of rich details and winning anecdotes. This is an impressive piece of work deserving of a large audience." -- Matthew W. Klingle, Pacific Historical Review

"A masterpiece of classical geographical synthesis. The Los Angeles River is the kind of book we should all read, and encourage our students to read, because it is one reminder of what good geography is all about. I wish I could write like that!" -- Douglas J. Sherman, Geographical Review

Purchase this book at Amazon.com

Syria and the Middle East Peace Process

by Alasdair Drysdale and Raymond A. Hinnebusch
Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1992

excerpt from book cover: Alasdair Drysdale and Raymond A. Hinnebusch, two noted Middle East scholars, present the first detailed examination of Syria's role in the long struggle for an Arab-Israeli peace. They paint a surprising portrait of a country whose power is out of proportion to its size, economy, and resources. They explore the reasons behind this phenomenon, most importantly, the Machiavellian brilliance of its leader, Hafez al-Asad. The authors address the origins of the Asad regime, Syria’s strategy toward its Arab neighbors, its conflict with Israel, and the history of its relationships with the Soviet Union and the United States. The authors argue forcefully that Syrian involvement is vital in an effort to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict.