Three-time Pulitzer finalist Anand Gopal on his new book, Days of Love and Rage

What happens when ordinary people try to build a democracy from scratch in the middle of a civil war — and what happens when it falls apart? In this episode, host Kelly McFarland sits down with journalist and author Anand Gopal, a three-time Pulitzer finalist, to discuss his new book Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution. The book follows six individuals in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, where residents overthrew the Assad regime in 2012 and launched a remarkable 18-month experiment in participatory democracy — before inequality, economic crisis, and the rise of ISIS tore it apart. 0:00 — Introduction 1:45 — What led Anand to the story of Manbij 3:30 — Sourcing: tracking down participants & 2,000 interviews 8:00 — The lead-up to Manbij's democratic experiment 10:28 — Building a democracy from scratch 13:08 — When inequality threatened the experiment 15:40 — The rise of ISIS in Manbij 18:42 — How ordinary people become radicalized 22:30 — The role of outside powers (or lack thereof) 24:50 — Women in the revolution: Mina's story 27:13 — Was it all worth it? Anand Gopal is a journalist and author who has covered Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria for over a decade. His new book Days of Love and Rage is based on eight years of reporting and nearly 2,000 interviews. It was published on March 3rd. 📚 Featured book Days of Love and Rage: https://www.amazon.com/Days-Love-Rage... 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth conversations on diplomacy, foreign policy, and international relations.