Mirror of the Arab World: Lebanon in Conflict

by Sandra Mackey

"A vivid picture of the crushing difficulties faced by every Arab government."-- Kirkus Reviews The security of the West is threatened by escalating turmoil rising out of the Arab states is Lebanon, a small, tortured country poised uneasily between East and West. Improbably, this most unique of Arab states has much to teach about the Arab world. Like many Arab little sense of common identity and no strong central government. The tumultuous history of Lebanon illuminates not only the challenges that Arabs pose to themselves but also the fear and hostility that arise in response to perceived threats from the West. Awareness and understanding circumstances and pressures are the first steps toward resolution, cooperation, and solidity on all sides. 2 maps

Genres: History, Middle East, Lebanon, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

318 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

Sandra Mackey was an American writer on Middle Eastern culture and politics.

Reviews

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sandra Mackey's book suggests that Lebanon is a microcosm of the issues experienced across the Middle East, particularly the religious, sectarian and ethnic disputes that recur. There are some kernels of insight in the book, but overall it tends to be broad brush strokes with generalisations or superficial conclusions. The coherence across the chapters is weak and the narrative can be quite plodding. There are definitely better books on Lebanon and the region, even those that do more sweeping histories like this one. So, I'd give this book a miss.

[Bud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sandra Mackey calls the current situation in the middle east the clash between the believers and the thinkers - and at this point the believers are winning. She shows why current Lebanese governmental structure makes it likely that the upheavals in the Levant will continue to show up in Lebanon as true believers - radical Muslims, Christians, Jews - try to push their world view. This was an enlightening book about the many complexities of Lebanese society and the history of these various groups from the PLO to Hezbollah.

[Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. The author uses events in Lebanon to point out how entangled all politics are in this part of the world. It's a sad case in Lebanon of every person of consequence making bad decision after bad decision. The author spares no one including Lebanese politicians, the USA, Israel, Syria, The Saudis and Iranians all players in the destruction of Lebanon. Highly recommended as it fleshes out many of the things you might have intuitively grasped about events in the country.

[Alex Raines · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is poorly written and I don't think I could reccomend it to anyone. It got 2 stars, however, because the quality of the e-book was nice & because there were portions of the book that showed promise, but then it would inevitably let you down. Basically, she used too much detail in parts and way too little detail in many other parts.

[Karim Souki · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Harvey]

Fascinating.