PhD (Durh)
MA (Cant)
William has written four sole-authored books on Middle Eastern affairs as well as variety of book chapters and academic article, principally on the politics and history of the Levant states. In recent years his work has concentrated on Lebanon and Syria.
His latest book is Lebanon: A History, 600-2011 for Oxford University Press in New York (2012). His previous book, The Levant: A Fractured Mosaic (Markus Wiener, Princeton, 2003 and 2005) won an Outstanding Academic Title award from Choice Magazine in the United States.
Research and teaching interests include: the politics and history of the Levant states and Turkey; Middle East comparative politics; and the international affairs of the Middle East.
Research groups
Middle East and Islamic Studies Aotearoa (MEISA)
Teaching
- POLS210 The Politics of the Middle East
- POLS310 Turkey and It’s Neighbours
- POLS550 Comparative Regional Conflicts
Contact details
Room 4N1, 4th floor, Arts (Burns) Building
Tel +64 3 479 8360
Email will.harris@otago.ac.nz
Office hours - Monday 10.00-12.00 noon
Research day - Friday
Publications
Harris, W. (2017). Republic of Lebanon. In M. Gasiorowski & S. L. Yom (Eds.), The government and politics of the Middle East and North Africa. (8th ed.) (pp. 79-110). Boulder, CO: Westview Pres.
Harris, W. (2015). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (4th ed.). Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 244p.
Harris, W. (2015). Syria's firestorm: Where from? Where to? Ortadoğu Etütleri, 6(2), 8-26.
Harris, W. (2014). Republic of Lebanon. In M. Gasiorowski (Ed.), The government and politics of the Middle East and North Africa. (7th ed.) (pp. 223-253). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Harris, W. (2013). Investigating Lebanon's political murders: International idealism in the realist Middle East? Middle East Journal, 67(1), 9-27. doi: 10.3751/67.1.11
Commissioned Report for External Body
Harris, W. (2008). Lebanese democracy: Battered, flawed, and unmatched in the Arab world. Commissioned by Lebanon Renaissance Foundation. Washington, DC: Lebanon Renaissance Foundation. 27p.
Other Research Output
Harris, W. (2013, June). The Syria on the horizon. E-International Relations. Retrieved from http://www.e-ir.info/2013/06/14/the-syria-on-the-horizon/. [Online Forum].
Harris, W. (2013, February). Syria's agony: Situation and outlook, winter 2013. E-International Relations. Retrieved from http://www.e-ir.info/2013/02/21/syrias-agony-situation-and-outlook-winter-2013/. [Online Forum].
Harris, W. (2008, May). Reflections on Lebanon. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Inaugural Professorial Lecture].
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. (2015). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (4th ed.). Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 244p.
Harris, W. (2012). Lebanon: A history 600-2011. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 360p.
Harris, W. (2008). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (3rd ed.). Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 220p.
Harris, W. (2006). The new face of Lebanon: History's revenge (2nd ed.). United States of America: Markus Wiener, 356p.
Harris, W. (2005). The new face of Lebanon: History's revenge (2nd ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Markus Wiener Publishers, 350p.
Harris, W. (2005). Levant: Bír kültürler mozaiği [The Levant: A fractured Mosaic]. Istanbul: Literatür Yayincilik, 258p.
Harris, W. (2005). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (2nd ed.). Princeton, USA: Markus Wiener Publishers, 218p.
Harris, W. W. (2003). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (Third printing with revised and updated epilogue). Princeton, USA: Markus Wiener Publishers, 212p.
Harris, W. W. (2003). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (First printing). Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 212p.
Harris, W. W. (2003). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (Second printing with revised epilogue). Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 212p.
Harris, W. W. (1997). Faces of Lebanon: Sects, Wars and Global Extensions. Princeton: Markus Wiener, 355p.
Harris, W. W., Arat, Y., Ashraf, A., Baram, B., & Lowry, H. (1997). Challenges to Democracy in the Middle East. Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener Publishers, 140p.
Chapter in Book - Research
Harris, W. (2017). Republic of Lebanon. In M. Gasiorowski & S. L. Yom (Eds.), The government and politics of the Middle East and North Africa. (8th ed.) (pp. 79-110). Boulder, CO: Westview Pres.
Harris, W. (2014). Republic of Lebanon. In M. Gasiorowski (Ed.), The government and politics of the Middle East and North Africa. (7th ed.) (pp. 223-253). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Harris, W. (2011). Republic of Lebanon. In D. E. Long, B. Reich & M. Gasiorowski (Eds.), The government and politics of the Middle East and North Africa. (6th ed.) (pp. 233-266). Boulder, USA: Westview Press.
Harris, W. (2009). Lebanon's roller coaster ride. In B. Rubin (Ed.), Lebanon: Liberation, conflict, and crisis. (pp. 63-82). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Harris, W. (2009). Reflections on Lebanon. In B. Rubin (Ed.), Lebanon: Liberation, conflict, and crisis. (pp. 9-24). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Harris, W. (2007). Republic of Lebanon. In D. E. Long, B. Reich & M. Gasiorowski (Eds.), The government and politics of the Middle East and North Africa. (5th ed.) (pp. 226-258). Boulder, USA: Westview Press.
Harris, W. W. (2002). The geopolitics of the Levant. In C. Schofield, D. Newman, A. Drysdale & J. A. Brown (Eds.), The razor's edge: International boundaries and political geography. (1st ed.) (pp. 439-462). Hague, the Netherlands: Kluwer Law International.
Harris, W. W. (2002). The Republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Weitzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol XXIV: 2000. (pp. 365-393). Tel Aviv, Israel: Tel Aviv University.
Harris, W. W. (2001). The Republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Weitzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol XXIII: 1999. (XXII ed.) (pp. 407-434). Boulder: Westview.
Harris, W. W. (2001). The Republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Weitzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol XXII: 1998. (XXIII ed.) (pp. 379-405). Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University.
Harris, W. W. (2000). The Republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Weitzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol XXI: 1997. (XXI ed.) (pp. 509-542). Boulder: Westview.
Harris, W. W. (1998). The republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Weitzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol XX: 1996. (pp. 472-509). Boulder: Westview.
Harris, W. W. (1997). The Republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Wietzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol XIX: 1995. (pp. 446-470). Boulder: Westview.
Harris, W. W. (1996). A perspective on the Persian Gulf area. In W. W. Harris & L. S. Leland (Eds.), The Middle East After the Cold War. (pp. 40-58). Dunedin: University of Otago Press.
Harris, W. W. (1996). The Republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Weitzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol. XVIII. (pp. 467-494). Boulder: Westview.
Journal - Research Article
Harris, W. (2015). Syria's firestorm: Where from? Where to? Ortadoğu Etütleri, 6(2), 8-26.
Harris, W. (2013). Investigating Lebanon's political murders: International idealism in the realist Middle East? Middle East Journal, 67(1), 9-27. doi: 10.3751/67.1.11
Harris, W. (2011). Lebanon's day in court: The controversial life of the Hariri Tribunal. Foreign Affairs, (June). Retrieved from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67971/william-harris/lebanons-day-in-court?page=show
Harris, W. W. (2007). Syria [Review article]. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 34(2), 215-220.
Harris, W. (2007). Crisis in the Levant: Lebanon at risk. Mediterranean Quarterly, 18(2), 37-60. doi: 10.1215/10474552-2007-004
Harris, W. (2005). Bashar al-Assad's Lebanon gamble. Middle East Quarterly, 12(3), 33-44.
Harris, W. W. (2001). The strategic situation of modern Iraq. Review of International Affairs, 1(1), 85-98.
Harris, W. W. (1997). The crisis of democracy in twentieth century Syria and Lebanon. Princeton Papers in Middle Eastern Studies, 5, 1-28.
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper
Harris, W. (2012). Some observations on the Syrian uprising. Proceedings of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) Annual Conference: Revolution and Revolt: Understanding the Forms and Causes of Change. Retrieved from https://brismes2012.files.wordpress.com//2012/02/william-harris-some-observations-on-the-syrian-uprising.pdf
Harris, W. (2011). Syria, Lebanon and the Arab uprising. In B. Lynch (Ed.), 'The Arab Spring': Its Origins, Implications and Outlook. (pp. 63-74). Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. [Full Paper]
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Harris, W. (2009). International Justice and Middle Eastern Politics: Implications of the Hariri Political Murder Case. Proceedings of the 21st World Congress of Political Science. Retrieved from http://paperroom.ipsa.org/papers/view/1562
Harris, W. (2007). Reflections on the emergence of the Lebanese mountain communities, 640-1300. Proceedings of the XXX Deutscher Orientalistentag [30th German Congress of Oriental Studies]. Retrieved from http://webdoc.urz.uni-halle.de/dot2007/index2.php?art=30&sprache=2
Harris, W. (2007). Lebanon's political murder crisis, 2005-07. Proceedings of the XXX Deutscher Orientalistentag [30th German Congress of Oriental Studies]. Retrieved from http://webdoc.urz.uni-halle.de/dot2007/index2.php?art=30&sprache=2
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Harris, W., & Goldsmith, L. (2012, June). The convulsion in Syria. Verbal presentation at the 47th Otago Foreign Policy School: The Middle East: Unfolding Dreams and Drama in the Early Twenty-First Century, Dunedin, New Zealand.
