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Beware of Small States: Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East
Lebanon, a country no bigger than Connecticut, has become a battleground for the political, strategic and ideological conflicts of its neighbors and the great powers. It has come to reflect the broad historical experiences of the modern Middle East. Beware of Small States is an elegant and incisive history of Lebanon culminating with the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and its aftermath. David Hirst—a former Middle East correspondent for The Guardian , whose tough, skeptical voice has earned him death threats and seen him banned from six Arab countries—crafts a narrative that is essential for anyone wishing to understand the current political climate of the Middle East.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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1095 people want to read
About the author
David Hirst
4 books21 followersDavid Hirst is a veteran Middle East correspondent based in Beirut. He attended Rugby School from 1949 to 1954 and performed his national service in Egypt and Cyprus from 1954 to 1956. From 1956 to 1963 he studied at Oxford University and the American University of Beirut. He reported for the Guardian from 1963 to 1997 and has also written for the Christian Science Monitor, the Irish Times, the St. Petersburg Times, Newsday, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Daily Star. He was kidnapped twice (including one kidnapping in Beirut from which he escaped on by bolting from his captors' automobile in a Shia neighborhood of Beirut) and was banned at various times from visiting six Arab countries, including Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He continues to contribute to the Guardian and to other newspapers around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 3, 2013
BEWARE OF NEIGHBOURING STATES
The Guardians former Middle East correspondent and long term resident of Beirut (kidnapped twice) has penned a fine book telling the story of Lebanons role (putting the occupied territories to one side) as the main battleground of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The book begins with an overview of the period from 1860 to 1923, from the Ottoman period to the point where an enlarged Lebanon was carved out of Greater Syria by the French, this after the Arab provinces of the now deceased Ottoman Empire had been divided between the French and the British, with Palestine being simultaneously pledged to the Arabs and the Zionists. This was a crucial point in the regions history that set the context within which conflict was to flourish for the rest of the century and beyond.
Hirst paints a picture of Lebanon, its social-economic and ethnic-religious divisions and its sectarian democracy, before inevitably having to cross borders and examine events in neighbouring states: the rise of Arab Nationalism, the Zionist projects endevours in Mandatory Palestine and the Arab resistance to this (culminating in the Arab Revolt of 1936-39), the breakdown of British rule in Palestine and the subsequent conflict between the Zionists and the Arabs that brought Israel into existance, and a large number of Palestinian refugees into Lebanon upsetting the finely balanced ethnic and religious demography. This is followed by war after war after war including the decade and a half of civil war within Lebanon itself which its two neighbours, Syria and Israel extensively participated in, the former "invited" the latter invading first in the 1970's, then catastrophically in 1982 after which they occupied areas of the country until finally driven out by Hizbullah in 2000.
This is all competently done, written clearly and marshalling the facts in a comprehensible manner. Despite this I couldn't help thinking that this had been done before and done better in Robert Fisks monumental "Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War". It wasnt until its last third, the period taking the reader from the end of the Civil War 1990 to the point of publication in 2010, that "Beware of Small States" really impressed me.
The focus is then turned on Hizbullah (The Party of God). Hirst covers its development from an offshoot of the broadly secular but Shiite Amal movement to being the largest militia (and political party) in Lebanon. Its links with the Iranians and Syrians are also examined, though Hirst (along with many other commentators) regards them as being essentially indigenous to Lebanon, particularly the amongst poor Shiite of the rural South and Beruit. Both areas and their inhabitants have been on the recieving end of the violence Israel continually dispenses in order to attain its political goals (aka Terrorism).
Hirst's acccount of Hizbullahs growing ability to resist the Israeli occupation of 1982-2000 is excellent, and one is hard pressed not to feel a degree of admiration for the fighters of Hizbullah who eventually drove the Israelis out. After the freeing South Lebanon the story branches out to deal with Hizbullahs post-liberation dilemas and developments, Syrias increasingly contested role in Lebanon including the assassination of Rafiq Hariri and the so-called "Cedar" Revolution, the presence of outside powers (never really absent throughout the story) including Iran, France and the United States further complicate matters. All this culminates in the brutal Israeli attack on Lebanon (after a Hizbullah raid over the border into Israel resulted in the deaths of Israeli soldiers and the capture of two others) in 2006 which Hirst ably deals with, accounting for the actions of the various participants, directly and indirectly, in order to render a full and comprehensible account.
"Beware of Small States" is a welcome addition to an already crowded field. Within its 400 pages it provides a well written and straightforward account of the Arab-Israeli conflict as it effected Lebanon. Developments in the Middle East as a whole (particularly occupied Palestine, Syria and Israel) and beyond are never absent, and keep the reader informed, far more than ought to be practical in a book focussed on Lebanon, of the conflict in its entirety. Other books that might be of interest are Hirsts own "The Gun and the Olive Branch" which is a general history of the conflict up until its last revision in 2003; and Robert Fisks exemplary work "Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War" that details Lebanons ordeal up to the end of the Civil War in 1990, with additional chapters in the 2001 edition bringing the story up to the Israeli withdrawl of 2000.
The Guardians former Middle East correspondent and long term resident of Beirut (kidnapped twice) has penned a fine book telling the story of Lebanons role (putting the occupied territories to one side) as the main battleground of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The book begins with an overview of the period from 1860 to 1923, from the Ottoman period to the point where an enlarged Lebanon was carved out of Greater Syria by the French, this after the Arab provinces of the now deceased Ottoman Empire had been divided between the French and the British, with Palestine being simultaneously pledged to the Arabs and the Zionists. This was a crucial point in the regions history that set the context within which conflict was to flourish for the rest of the century and beyond.
Hirst paints a picture of Lebanon, its social-economic and ethnic-religious divisions and its sectarian democracy, before inevitably having to cross borders and examine events in neighbouring states: the rise of Arab Nationalism, the Zionist projects endevours in Mandatory Palestine and the Arab resistance to this (culminating in the Arab Revolt of 1936-39), the breakdown of British rule in Palestine and the subsequent conflict between the Zionists and the Arabs that brought Israel into existance, and a large number of Palestinian refugees into Lebanon upsetting the finely balanced ethnic and religious demography. This is followed by war after war after war including the decade and a half of civil war within Lebanon itself which its two neighbours, Syria and Israel extensively participated in, the former "invited" the latter invading first in the 1970's, then catastrophically in 1982 after which they occupied areas of the country until finally driven out by Hizbullah in 2000.
This is all competently done, written clearly and marshalling the facts in a comprehensible manner. Despite this I couldn't help thinking that this had been done before and done better in Robert Fisks monumental "Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War". It wasnt until its last third, the period taking the reader from the end of the Civil War 1990 to the point of publication in 2010, that "Beware of Small States" really impressed me.
The focus is then turned on Hizbullah (The Party of God). Hirst covers its development from an offshoot of the broadly secular but Shiite Amal movement to being the largest militia (and political party) in Lebanon. Its links with the Iranians and Syrians are also examined, though Hirst (along with many other commentators) regards them as being essentially indigenous to Lebanon, particularly the amongst poor Shiite of the rural South and Beruit. Both areas and their inhabitants have been on the recieving end of the violence Israel continually dispenses in order to attain its political goals (aka Terrorism).
Hirst's acccount of Hizbullahs growing ability to resist the Israeli occupation of 1982-2000 is excellent, and one is hard pressed not to feel a degree of admiration for the fighters of Hizbullah who eventually drove the Israelis out. After the freeing South Lebanon the story branches out to deal with Hizbullahs post-liberation dilemas and developments, Syrias increasingly contested role in Lebanon including the assassination of Rafiq Hariri and the so-called "Cedar" Revolution, the presence of outside powers (never really absent throughout the story) including Iran, France and the United States further complicate matters. All this culminates in the brutal Israeli attack on Lebanon (after a Hizbullah raid over the border into Israel resulted in the deaths of Israeli soldiers and the capture of two others) in 2006 which Hirst ably deals with, accounting for the actions of the various participants, directly and indirectly, in order to render a full and comprehensible account.
"Beware of Small States" is a welcome addition to an already crowded field. Within its 400 pages it provides a well written and straightforward account of the Arab-Israeli conflict as it effected Lebanon. Developments in the Middle East as a whole (particularly occupied Palestine, Syria and Israel) and beyond are never absent, and keep the reader informed, far more than ought to be practical in a book focussed on Lebanon, of the conflict in its entirety. Other books that might be of interest are Hirsts own "The Gun and the Olive Branch" which is a general history of the conflict up until its last revision in 2003; and Robert Fisks exemplary work "Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War" that details Lebanons ordeal up to the end of the Civil War in 1990, with additional chapters in the 2001 edition bringing the story up to the Israeli withdrawl of 2000.
August 17, 2011
I would give it a 3 star for the fact that it is not an easy reading and the sometimes you cannot comprehend what the author means.
I wouldn't recommend it to those who want to read their first book about Lebanese politics. I would recommend "The Great War for Civilization" by Robert Fisk, to get a view about the Middle East.
I wouldn't recommend it to those who want to read their first book about Lebanese politics. I would recommend "The Great War for Civilization" by Robert Fisk, to get a view about the Middle East.
Currently reading
February 16, 2012Only just started but I wish David Hirst would sort out his sentence structures. Or, I should say, I wish, to some extent, but not entirely, he, or his editor, would at least attempt to sort out, his sentence structures.
May 11, 2012
This is sweeping history of Lebanon, including its intersection with the Palestinian cause. My main complaint is that it focuses too much on "battles" and not enough on personalities and social forces.
March 27, 2020
Very informative, very well translated to Arabic. The world requires more books like this one, a book that is more fair in showing the real reasons behind the conflict in the middle east, without falling to the Anti-Arabic Anti-islamic biased views.
Read
July 29, 2017Hirst sums his book's strengths and weaknesses well on page 425:
Yikes. Behold Hirst's writing style, with its fissiparous phrasing and nested clauses, sliced and sutured - some would say too finely - with commas and dashes it at times has an overpowering effect, almost greasing the pathway for the readers eyes to slide off the page. Which would be a pity because while its author might be a little too prone to sweeping proclamations and fulminating denunciations in the style of a certain other veteran British journalist who has made Beirut his home this book is free of meandering digressions and authorial self-injection.
This is a good history about Lebanon in the Arab-Israeli struggle, but as such it isn't a working history of the Arab-Israeli struggle or Lebanon. If you know a bit about the former this will fill you in about Lebanon's place in it but if you'd like to know about Lebanon per se, how Ottoman and French rule shaped the country's tangled ethnic and confessional communities, what daily life and culture was like in Beirut in the 20th century, how the sectarian political order plays out in every corner of life (other than the mere fact that it does) or even political questions like how do you climb your way to Marounite nomination for presidency or why the Druze maintain a strong political perch despite their size relative to other factions, sadly this book won't have many answers. Hirst is good on the grand politics of the region and Lebanon's kaleidoscopic factional alliances, he has a keen eye for the hypocrisies and relentless human cost of sweeping visions and glorious ambitions but this book doesn't really explore the titular country in any great depth.
This book didn't start out as a history of the Arab-Israeli struggle. Yet, at every stage of its writing, the struggle kept intruding on it as so inseperable, intrinsic and formative a part of its titular subject that that is what, in great measure, it actually turned out to be - a history in which Lebanon, the author's country of half a century's residence, nonetheless always remained to the fore as the lens through which he viewed it.
Yikes. Behold Hirst's writing style, with its fissiparous phrasing and nested clauses, sliced and sutured - some would say too finely - with commas and dashes it at times has an overpowering effect, almost greasing the pathway for the readers eyes to slide off the page. Which would be a pity because while its author might be a little too prone to sweeping proclamations and fulminating denunciations in the style of a certain other veteran British journalist who has made Beirut his home this book is free of meandering digressions and authorial self-injection.
This is a good history about Lebanon in the Arab-Israeli struggle, but as such it isn't a working history of the Arab-Israeli struggle or Lebanon. If you know a bit about the former this will fill you in about Lebanon's place in it but if you'd like to know about Lebanon per se, how Ottoman and French rule shaped the country's tangled ethnic and confessional communities, what daily life and culture was like in Beirut in the 20th century, how the sectarian political order plays out in every corner of life (other than the mere fact that it does) or even political questions like how do you climb your way to Marounite nomination for presidency or why the Druze maintain a strong political perch despite their size relative to other factions, sadly this book won't have many answers. Hirst is good on the grand politics of the region and Lebanon's kaleidoscopic factional alliances, he has a keen eye for the hypocrisies and relentless human cost of sweeping visions and glorious ambitions but this book doesn't really explore the titular country in any great depth.
February 3, 2023
"Beware of Small States" by David Hirst is an informative and well-researched book that provides historical context to the origins of the Middle Eastern conflict and the role of Lebanon within it. The author shows great integrity and objectivity in his writing and presents interesting facts that offer valuable insights into the region's history.
However, I would have liked to read more about the Lebanese civil war and the battles between the various factions in it (believe me, there was no shortage of that). There was a lot of talk about neighboring countries, especially towards the end, that I do not find to have greatly contributed to the Lebanese context. Around 2009, there were things happening in Lebanon that were more relatable to Lebanon than the 22 days Gaza war (not to undermine the latter's great importance, just pointing out that I would have liked to read more about Lebanon in a book about Lebanon).
The author sheds light on important topics such as the initiation of Hezbollah and its power, Sharon and Begin's secret plans for a new Middle East (helping the PLO turn Jordan into neo-Palestine, solving the problem of the Palestinian people, and then turn Lebanon into the natural Christian ally in the region - this purpose behind the 1982 invasion did just the complete opposite, creating Hezbollah, perhaps Israel's greatest threat to ever exist), and the ongoing issue of Lebanese identity within the Arab world (I believe that this, our inability to form a single nation as a united force, and the absence of a single leader that manifests the will of our people - yet who are our people anyway? - formulate the origin of most of our problems).
Overall, this was a great read.
However, I would have liked to read more about the Lebanese civil war and the battles between the various factions in it (believe me, there was no shortage of that). There was a lot of talk about neighboring countries, especially towards the end, that I do not find to have greatly contributed to the Lebanese context. Around 2009, there were things happening in Lebanon that were more relatable to Lebanon than the 22 days Gaza war (not to undermine the latter's great importance, just pointing out that I would have liked to read more about Lebanon in a book about Lebanon).
The author sheds light on important topics such as the initiation of Hezbollah and its power, Sharon and Begin's secret plans for a new Middle East (helping the PLO turn Jordan into neo-Palestine, solving the problem of the Palestinian people, and then turn Lebanon into the natural Christian ally in the region - this purpose behind the 1982 invasion did just the complete opposite, creating Hezbollah, perhaps Israel's greatest threat to ever exist), and the ongoing issue of Lebanese identity within the Arab world (I believe that this, our inability to form a single nation as a united force, and the absence of a single leader that manifests the will of our people - yet who are our people anyway? - formulate the origin of most of our problems).
Overall, this was a great read.
June 25, 2019
Beware of Small States is an immensely absorbing and thoroughly researched book on Lebanon's critically turbulent history which unavoidably evolves into the history of Middle East's Arab - Israeli conflict. The author David Hirst, explains how Lebanon endured seemingly endless turmoil since its independence from France in 1943 and played an unwilling role since then, for the unrest in that part of the world. The book is not an easy ready by any means. This is history with all its ugly truth and some more.
Hirst's perspective is based on actual geo-political facts and the events that sowed the seeds of imminent conflict that caused the six Israel - Arab wars to date, the rise of Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), how Ayatollah Khomeini's militant group, Hizbullah got involved from Iran, Syria's so called big brother protection of Lebanon and interfering into its politics, other Arab leader's non-reaction when the need to do so was at hand and of course, Israel's relentless pursuit of aggression to disable any form of unity that would threaten its own existence - the root cause for this whole mess to start with.
For those as ignorant as I was on the conflicts that plagued Middle East especially after World War II, was born from the Palestine - Israel issue. This one underlying thorn caused Lebanon more than 40 years of turbulent existence which it had nothing to do from the outset. Like the author put it, Lebanon became the 'battleground of other people's wars'. Alas, being geographically poised to offer such a ground for two warring parties, unwittingly and inevitably Lebanon got drawn into the 'Arab - Israeli struggle' on Lebanon's land.
And so, this whole Lebanon being the place where proxy wars are waged grew into a regional and international quagmire that has lasted till the Obama's administration with no resolution in sight. In conclusion David Hirst does say that he was inspired to write this side of Lebanon's history where he has lived and made his home for half a century but at every turn, the Arab-Israeli struggle kept intruding as an intrinsic part of the country's life. He needed and wanted to tell the world how this small nation became the pawn that other powerful hands used to maneuver and ultimately destroyed for their gain sake. He couldn't have written a better book. I now have a totally different view on Israel but one must seek knowledge from all angles before a personal conclusion can be made. David Hirst has made his opinion well and true. It's up to us now who have read 'Beware of Small States' to seek more facts from opposite sides if any; to make up our own minds. However, I think David Hirst has got the truth spot on.
Hirst's perspective is based on actual geo-political facts and the events that sowed the seeds of imminent conflict that caused the six Israel - Arab wars to date, the rise of Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), how Ayatollah Khomeini's militant group, Hizbullah got involved from Iran, Syria's so called big brother protection of Lebanon and interfering into its politics, other Arab leader's non-reaction when the need to do so was at hand and of course, Israel's relentless pursuit of aggression to disable any form of unity that would threaten its own existence - the root cause for this whole mess to start with.
For those as ignorant as I was on the conflicts that plagued Middle East especially after World War II, was born from the Palestine - Israel issue. This one underlying thorn caused Lebanon more than 40 years of turbulent existence which it had nothing to do from the outset. Like the author put it, Lebanon became the 'battleground of other people's wars'. Alas, being geographically poised to offer such a ground for two warring parties, unwittingly and inevitably Lebanon got drawn into the 'Arab - Israeli struggle' on Lebanon's land.
And so, this whole Lebanon being the place where proxy wars are waged grew into a regional and international quagmire that has lasted till the Obama's administration with no resolution in sight. In conclusion David Hirst does say that he was inspired to write this side of Lebanon's history where he has lived and made his home for half a century but at every turn, the Arab-Israeli struggle kept intruding as an intrinsic part of the country's life. He needed and wanted to tell the world how this small nation became the pawn that other powerful hands used to maneuver and ultimately destroyed for their gain sake. He couldn't have written a better book. I now have a totally different view on Israel but one must seek knowledge from all angles before a personal conclusion can be made. David Hirst has made his opinion well and true. It's up to us now who have read 'Beware of Small States' to seek more facts from opposite sides if any; to make up our own minds. However, I think David Hirst has got the truth spot on.
June 7, 2015
بعد ثلا��ة أعوام على صدوره بالإنكليزية، بات يُمكن للمهتم قراءة الترجمة العربية (ثائر ديب، منشورات الرمال) لكتاب يقرأ لبنان كـ«ساحة معارك الشرق الأوسط». والعنوان تعبيرٌ لميخائيل باكونين، اعتبر أن الدول الصغيرة «ضحايا» الدول الكبيرة، وهذا ينطبق على لبنان. الصحافي المقيم في بيروت منذ نصف قرن تقريباً يغوص في الرمال اللبنانية المتحرّكة بامتداداتها، وفي المنطقة، والصراع العربي الإسرائيلي.
Want to read
October 8, 2010My sister got me this for my birthday, she bought it off Amazon. It is difficult book to find, not in any libraries in two states or any bookstores in several towns. It's one of the most recent books published about Lebanon and so far is proving an informative read.
June 19, 2012
Amazing book. So informed and concise. As well as covering the history and politics or Lebanon it goes into great detail about countries such as Syria, Iran and of course, Israel, in regards to the conflicts that have plagued the Middle East.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
October 9, 2012
Superly applicable for Syria...
January 24, 2016
Excellent rendering on the Arab-Israeli conflict from the point of view of Lebanon... a must read for anyone interested in the region!
March 19, 2022
As someone who has read a lot on Lebanon and it’s place in the Middle East I found this book interesting but also somewhat frustrating. The section on the early relationship between the Maronite community and Israel was quite informative.
I found the authors style to be a source of constant frustration. Even for such a long book he has a way of dwelling on some aspects inordinately while glossing over other important events. He’s also a frequent user of somewhat cryptic sentences; you know he’s trying to tell you something but in the end it’s not always clear what.
While this book, published just as the Syrian civil war was getting started, is now somewhat out of date it is nevertheless a useful addition to readings on Lebanon’s modern history.
I found the authors style to be a source of constant frustration. Even for such a long book he has a way of dwelling on some aspects inordinately while glossing over other important events. He’s also a frequent user of somewhat cryptic sentences; you know he’s trying to tell you something but in the end it’s not always clear what.
While this book, published just as the Syrian civil war was getting started, is now somewhat out of date it is nevertheless a useful addition to readings on Lebanon’s modern history.
September 1, 2024
Excellent, complicated, depressing. The fact one deduces from these pages is the military balance of power has shifted in favour of Hezbollah over the last 35 years even though Western media touts the Israeli line. Combating guerrilla warfare is very difficult for a regular army and there are plenty of examples (Vietnam, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq to name a few) that Israel has been ignoring.
If we look 50 years ahead, no one can live in perpetual war which will become more precise in targeting by Hamas or Hezbollah. The US needs to go back to diplomacy probably starting with Iran. Keeping it in a box has not helped and in fact it has exacerbated this conflict. I doubt the thick brains in Congress would make that possible.
The Pope is right, in war everyone looses.
If we look 50 years ahead, no one can live in perpetual war which will become more precise in targeting by Hamas or Hezbollah. The US needs to go back to diplomacy probably starting with Iran. Keeping it in a box has not helped and in fact it has exacerbated this conflict. I doubt the thick brains in Congress would make that possible.
The Pope is right, in war everyone looses.
December 1, 2018
It's a very informative book. Spans the history of the Lebanon from 1920s till 2009. The authors elaborates a lot on the Palestinian problem throughout the book that he might make you forget the book is about Lebanon in the first place. Nevertheless, he mentions this at the end of the book and was not apologetic about this since he deemed that much of Lebanon's history is related to Palestine and its relationship with Israel. The author's language is a bit convoluted. It can be dense at many points. But it's a definitely worth it. One last tip: don't stop reading the book and get back to it later. This book is best read from start to finish non-stop.
November 28, 2020
I was disappointed that this book is not actually about Lebanon, but rather about how mainly Israel, but also Iran and Syria, used its territory to advance their barbaric foreign policy goals. It also gives a good overview of Hezbollah. But not much about the history or politics of Lebanon itself.
It took me some time to get used to the writing style. The long sentences with abundant punctuation can be hard to understand, but short chapters kept my attention. Overall it was a pleasure to read.
It took me some time to get used to the writing style. The long sentences with abundant punctuation can be hard to understand, but short chapters kept my attention. Overall it was a pleasure to read.
December 21, 2022
Excellent recount of the all the Arab/Israeli wars from a very objective perspective. Book has good insights for people that are not super familiar with the Middle East conflict and want to gain a neutral review of ongoing conflict. A couple of lessons worth noting from this book especially on what counts the most when 2 parties are fighting. Ideology, belief and conviction are key traits to harm the most powerful armies int the world. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to learn about all the 5 Arab/Israeli wars since the 1948.
Read
March 30, 2025Más de 400 páginas de historia y política que me he engullido con más ganas que una cena rica después de un largo día. No sólo nos cuenta los hechos (las fechas, las personas, el qué pasó), sino que analiza las redes de influencia y poder con todo el arte de un tejedor maestro. Qué destreza al escribir, combinando contenido con un estilo rápido, cercano, a la vez que culto. Y sus previsiones en el 2010 que escribe pues se han visto cumplidas de sobra.
No sabía que me fascinaba Líbano pero se ve que me fascina Líbano.
Librazo. Quiero regalárselo a mi padre.
No sabía que me fascinaba Líbano pero se ve que me fascina Líbano.
Librazo. Quiero regalárselo a mi padre.
January 8, 2018
A must read for anyone interested in the political history of Lebanon. I have read many books about such topic, yet David Hurst's book is the most accurate and comprehensive of them. Besides going smoothly through Lebanon's history, he provides a simple and powerful analysis of the situation on hand.
March 11, 2023
One of the more startling histories I’ve read. A decent base knowledge of understanding of Middle East and Arabic politics is probably needed to get the most of it, unless you want to be like me and scramble to Wikipedia every three pages. The book focuses on the political-military-diplomatic aspect of modern Lebanese history heavily, look elsewhere for a wider discussion on social and economic issues.
April 15, 2018
Very interesting book about Lebanon's modern history and particularly about the role of regional countries in its history and development. This book is however quite difficult to read and understand at times as the writing is not always clear.
July 23, 2018
This is a must-read for anyone interested in the political history of Lebanon. The author has a real wide political access to many resources, accurate and starts from theoretical framework (beware of small states ) and not narrational one.
July 30, 2024
Incredible, riveting read. A perfect crash course about modern Lebanese history with an inevitable coverage of wider Middle Eastern history with a focus, unsurprisingly, on the Palestine question that has bled into so many of the wars, conflicts and politics of the region, Lebanon especially.
October 15, 2025
A concise yet thorough account of Lebanon’s history, especially in relation to Israel, covering the period from the 1800s up to the Gaza conflict in 2009. Unlike other books on the topic (e.g., Fisk), Hirst gets straight to the point, avoiding unnecessary subplots and cluttered narratives.
July 29, 2018
Fascinating, I didn't appreciate the vast extent of the shifting complexities of the conflict. I'm not sure I do now, no fault of the book, just a reflection of events.
May 9, 2019
Amazing history with lots of detall, but very very dense and perhaps too in the weeds for a non-academic read.
March 29, 2020
A compelling history of Lebanon told through the wars of the Middle Eastern protagonists, and how the country has come to embody the main problems of the region
June 3, 2012
First, Hirst is a compelling writer. The narrative of mayhem, false prophets, wars and rumors of wars, moves along as a pleasing pace. Not that the content is all that pleasing; but if you're going to tell a such a tale of woe, there is little point in making it a dirge.
So, second, the story itself is bothersome. The 'Middle East' has rarely seemed coherent, and Hirst complicates matters further through detailing the exploits of all the players in and around the 'small state' of Lebanon. There is no 'straight line' in this story. There is just a mixture of people, powers and pundits who struggle to tell the 'real' story of the whys and wherefores of a strip of land no larger than an average US state. And what a story.
Finally, Hirst has no intention of leaving the reader in anything but a state of annoyance. There's just so much to be annoyed about when it comes to the relations within and between Lebanon. Hirst places a great deal of responsibility on Israel, yet he doesn't hold back from critiquing the misadventures of Syria, Iran, and the para-military/para-political groups (most especially, Hezbollah) whose own narratives shape the contours of life in Lebanon and the region in a way unimaginable to most Western readers. Yet despite this critique, it is exactly groups like Hezbollah who come out in the story as the closest thing to a just organization.
I am certain Hirst has his opposite number out there writing a completely different tale. Nevertheless, Hirst is worth reading and minding, especially for those of us in the West who look to the 'Middle East' often with disbelief.
So, second, the story itself is bothersome. The 'Middle East' has rarely seemed coherent, and Hirst complicates matters further through detailing the exploits of all the players in and around the 'small state' of Lebanon. There is no 'straight line' in this story. There is just a mixture of people, powers and pundits who struggle to tell the 'real' story of the whys and wherefores of a strip of land no larger than an average US state. And what a story.
Finally, Hirst has no intention of leaving the reader in anything but a state of annoyance. There's just so much to be annoyed about when it comes to the relations within and between Lebanon. Hirst places a great deal of responsibility on Israel, yet he doesn't hold back from critiquing the misadventures of Syria, Iran, and the para-military/para-political groups (most especially, Hezbollah) whose own narratives shape the contours of life in Lebanon and the region in a way unimaginable to most Western readers. Yet despite this critique, it is exactly groups like Hezbollah who come out in the story as the closest thing to a just organization.
I am certain Hirst has his opposite number out there writing a completely different tale. Nevertheless, Hirst is worth reading and minding, especially for those of us in the West who look to the 'Middle East' often with disbelief.
August 15, 2012
Lebanese history is grisly, convoluted and political as hell. Hirst's broader argument is that the politics and conflicts of the small sectarian nation of Lebanon are consumed by broader power dynamics between its neighbouring states and their Western allies, and that Lebanese conflicts are emblematic of the political complexities of the entire region. He does a great job in unfolding an intelligible sweeping narrative which tracks down the plethora of shifting political alliances and betrayals over a century and a half that ends with an analysis of events surrounding the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2009. A lot of blame is explicitly attributed to the application of belligerent, aggressive Zionist Israeli military strategy in encouraging the civil war and inflicting subsequent military violence upon civilians (for e.g., siding with the Phalangists on numerous occasions, especially in the case of the Sabra and Shatila camp massacres), and Hirst clearly admires Hizbullah as a non-state state-like organisation for their provision of social services and their effective discipline as a guerilla force. Yet the work never comes across as too polemic, for Hirst's analyses of the interconnectedness of relationships between the other players such as Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the already-fraught internal politics of Lebanese factions provide a pretty nuanced account of the fragile Lebanese state, and a convincing explanation of the aggregation of problems that form the conditions of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
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