Bet You Didn't Know This About Beirut!

by Warren Singh-Bartlett, Sinan Hallak (Illustrator)

Delve into the underbelly of Beirut through its past, its myths, truths and half-truths sometimes twisted or stretched by the Lebanese themselves!. Experience Beirut’s dug up facts and artifacts – from Phoenician to Roman to plain old bizarre and ridiculous – courtesy of Warren’s fun gems that tell of this “phoenix city forever rising from its ashes” and a people that have made this endurance possible. Crammed with a wealth of knowledge, this book dares to challenge even the most dedicated Lebanon connoisseur! Bet You Didn’t Know This About Beirut! is a compendium of fascinating and quirky facts about the capital and wider Lebanese landscape, dealing with diverse and scintillating topics, such as family relations, the stories behind famous monuments, strange facts about well-known Lebanese personalities, crazy tales about food and drink. The emphasis is on the outlandish and intriguing – still staying within the bounds of good taste – as it entertains the reader and stimulates topics of conversation with friends and family. The Lebanese and foreigner alike can indulge in this cleverly illustrated textual treat, which holds a lens to this nation that loves to relish the idiosyncrasies of its own people and celebrate its dearest habits.

180 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

After 20 years in Beirut as a journalist, Warren Singh-Bartlett moved to Beijing in 2020. His timing was impeccable. Ten days later, China closed its border for 3 years.

He is the author of three books about Lebanon, the latest of which, In the Footsteps of Baal, will be released on the 11th of October. Part travelogue, part memoir, it recounts a 28-day, 470-kilometre hike through the Lebanese mountains from the Israeli border to the Syrian border in 2016, and is liberally sprinkled with asides on Lebanese culture, history and food. It is his first attempt at self-publishing.

He is currently putting the finishing touches to two scifi-fantasy novels - his first forays into fiction - which will be released in 2025.

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being Lebanese myself, I realized there are many facts I wasn't aware of, and many stories I had never heard within my Lebanese community. Worth the read, not to find out everything true, but to dig into the psyche of the Lebanese population.

A Lebanese flag on the moon, for instance! :D

[Abir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light and easy read with entertaining random facts!

[heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chock-full of interesting, quirky facts about Beirut. It reads like a compilation of short travel / trivia articles found online. A perfect book to pick up for a quick read, maybe a page or two on Beirut facts that you never knew before. I keep this book in the car and flip through it whenever I have occasion to wait for someone.

I would have given this book 5 stars because it is evidently well-researched and written by someone passionate about Beirut and her charms. The author definitely knows his stuff. Unfortunately his writing suffers from lack of strict editing. The author tries to cram too many facts and by-the-ways in one long sentence, with the use of dashes and parentheses. On some pages the article is unfinished, leaving the reader hanging. A few sentences are left halfway printed with no finishing clause or period marks.

I hope the publisher will review this book and print a better edition.