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). Syria's firestorm: Where from? Where to? Ortadoğu Etütleri, 6(2), 8-26.
Harris, W. (2015). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (4th ed.). Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 244p.
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, 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. (2008). Lebanese democracy: Battered, flawed, and unmatched in the Arab world. Commissioned by Lebanon Renaissance Foundation. Washington, DC: Lebanon Renaissance Foundation. 27p.
Commissioned Report for External Body
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].
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].
Other Research Output
Harris, W. (2008, May). Reflections on Lebanon. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Inaugural Professorial Lecture].
Other Research Output
Harris, W. (2015). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (4th ed.). Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 244p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. (2012). Lebanon: A history 600-2011. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 360p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. (2008). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (3rd ed.). Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 220p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. (2006). The new face of Lebanon: History's revenge (2nd ed.). United States of America: Markus Wiener, 356p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. (2005). Levant: Bír kültürler mozaiği [The Levant: A fractured Mosaic]. Istanbul: Literatür Yayincilik, 258p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. (2005). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (2nd ed.). Princeton, USA: Markus Wiener Publishers, 218p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. (2005). The new face of Lebanon: History's revenge (2nd ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Markus Wiener Publishers, 350p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. W. (2003). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (First printing). Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 212p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. W. (2003). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (Second printing with revised epilogue). Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 212p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. W. (2003). The Levant: A fractured mosaic (Third printing with revised and updated epilogue). Princeton, USA: Markus Wiener Publishers, 212p.
Authored Book - Research
Harris, W. W. (1997). Faces of Lebanon: Sects, Wars and Global Extensions. Princeton: Markus Wiener, 355p.
Authored Book - Research
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.
Authored 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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
Harris, W. (2009). Lebanon's roller coaster ride. In B. Rubin (Ed.), Lebanon: Liberation, conflict, and crisis. (pp. 63-82). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Chapter in Book - Research
Harris, W. (2009). Reflections on Lebanon. In B. Rubin (Ed.), Lebanon: Liberation, conflict, and crisis. (pp. 9-24). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
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.
Chapter in Book - Research
Harris, W. W. (1996). The Republic of Lebanon. In B. Maddy-Weitzman (Ed.), Middle East Contemporary Survey, Vol. XVIII. (pp. 467-494). Boulder: Westview.
Chapter in Book - Research
Harris, W. (2015). Syria's firestorm: Where from? Where to? Ortadoğu Etütleri, 6(2), 8-26.
Journal - Research Article
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
Journal - Research Article
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
Journal - Research Article
Harris, W. (2007). Crisis in the Levant: Lebanon at risk. Mediterranean Quarterly, 18(2), 37-60. doi: 10.1215/10474552-2007-004
Journal - Research Article
Harris, W. W. (2007). Syria [Review article]. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 34(2), 215-220.
Journal - Research Article
Harris, W. (2005). Bashar al-Assad's Lebanon gamble. Middle East Quarterly, 12(3), 33-44.
Journal - Research Article
Harris, W. W. (2001). The strategic situation of modern Iraq. Review of International Affairs, 1(1), 85-98.
Journal - Research Article
Harris, W. W. (1997). The crisis of democracy in twentieth century Syria and Lebanon. Princeton Papers in Middle Eastern Studies, 5, 1-28.
Journal - Research Article
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
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper
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: Full paper
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
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
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 - Published proceedings: Abstract
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
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
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.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
