ISBN:
1849049408
,
9781849049405
Language:
English
Pages:
xviI, 340 Seiten, 8 ungezählte Seiten
,
Illustrationen, Karten
,
23 cm
Edition:
First published
DDC:
338.4/76770092
Keywords:
Chaker, Abu
;
Kaufleute
;
Zeitgeschichte
;
Migranten
;
Textilindustrie
;
Textilhandel
;
Syrien
;
Großbritannien
;
Merchants Biography
;
Textile industry History
;
Syria History
;
Biographie
;
Biografie
;
Syrien
;
Händler
;
Kaufmann
;
Textilindustrie
;
Textilhandel
;
Migration
;
England
;
Alltagsgeschichte
;
Mikrogeschichte
;
Geschichte
Abstract:
"Barely literate, and supporting his mother and sisters from the age of ten, Abu Chaker built up a business empire--despite twice losing everything he had. Diana Darke follows his tumultuous journey, from instability in Syria and civil war in Lebanon, to his arrival in England in the 1970s, where he rescued a failing Yorkshire textile mill, Hield Bros, and transformed it into a global brand. The Merchant of Syria tells two parallel stories: the life of a cloth merchant and his resilience, and the rich history of a nation built on trade. Over millennia Syria has seen great conflict and turmoil, but like the remarkable story of Abu Chaker, it continues to survive." - Jacket flap
Abstract:
The Merchant of Syria tells the life of Abu Chaker, a cloth merchant from Homs who lived from 1921 to 2013. Barely literate, he nevertheless built up a commercial empire based on trust, then lost everything twice through political instability and war, before coming to northern England as aneconomic migrant. The climax of this devout Sunni Muslim's tumultuous life was to buy and save a Yorkshire wool mill, which still serves as the headquarters of the textile manufacturing company he turned into a global brand. Standing on Little Horton Lane in Bradford, Briggella Mill continues tomanufacture the finest quality English cloth. Its looms clatter on.Drawing on interviews conducted in Syria, Lebanon and Britain, Abu Chaker's story exemplifies many of today's pressing global issues - poverty, Islamic values (he gave away a great deal to charity, albeit discreetly), religious co-existence, refugees, displacement, multiculturalism, political unrestand terrorism. One strand of the book offers the reader the vital backdrop against which his life was lived, while the other focusses on Abu Chaker himself. Diana Darke's final chapter weaves these strands together, seeking answers to a vital question: how, after seven years of war, in which half of its populationhas been displaced and the currency lost ninety per cent of its value, can Syria survive?
Description / Table of Contents:
The mercantile tradition -- An Ottoman inheritance -- The patriarchal society -- A brief childhood -- The French Mandate and the Great Syrian Revolt -- Marriage, divorce and remarriage -- Syrian independence and the rise of the Ba'ath party -- Early business ventures and politics -- The Lebanon effect -- Expansion into London -- The commercial climate under Hafez al-Assad -- Emigration to Britain -- Bashar al-Assad and the beginnings of economic liberalisation -- A Syrian merchant in London -- The Syrian revolution and the war economy -- Return to Homs and final displacement -- The merchant legacy and the future of Syria
Note:
Map on lining pages
,
Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 317-320 und Register
