In February, Jonathan Spyer spoke at the Royal United Services Institute in London to a Fathom-RUSI audience about what he believes we are witnessing in the Middle East today: the closing stages of revolutions and counter-revolutions and the emerging war over the ruins of the states, fought out between various state and non-state entities. Spyer explains how this process is being shaped by competition between various global and regional players, which is leading to the consolidation of non-state actors performing many functions of the state. Spyer also spoke about the contents and story behind his new book, Days of the Fall: A Reporter’s Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars.