Customer Reviews

Beware of Small States: Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East

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My Phalangist friends here in Beirut say, Oh, Hirst - he is in the pay of Hezbollah. While I'm certain that's not so, it's true that Hirst is strangely admiring of armed and militant Islam and of the Iranian and Syrian cats-paw posing as protectors of Lebanon in the South of the country, and he is unnecessarily venomous towards Israel in several instances. For example, gestures toward peace are always sincere coming from Syria and other Arab authorities, and always false and depraved coming from Israel. And Hirst seems also unaware of - or indifferent to - how Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian paymasters stand in opposition to the wonderful country Lebanon once was, and still is in parts - tolerant, humane and hospitable. A Hezbollah cleric recently issued one of his periodic statements in the Shiite suburbs south of Beirut reminding women of the importance of keeping their hair covered - does the world really need more of that? And Hezbollah's retention of their own arms is stifling the development of a normal civic government in the country, with the Shiite factions in the government recently insisting that it would not discuss the matter of Hesbollah's private army unless the media stopped writing about the matter. Again, not what the Middle East needs more of.
But the book's slightly skewed point of view is easily outweighed by its many virtues. It is great history, full of amazing detail and thorough research. It tore the scales from my Zionist eyes about the depopulation of Arab villages during the 1947 war of independence, it puts the IDF at the center of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, and not the periphery where its officers had insisted it had been, and it exposes dozens of instances of indifference to Arab death and suffering by Israeli officers during Israel's frequent forays into Lebanon - instances the expose Israel's sins far more damningly than Hirst's occasional failure of journalistic perspective.
Another thing for us, pardon me, we English majors: Hirst knows how to write. His use of punctuation is masterful, and long, multi-part and complex sentences flow on in paragraph after paragraph in seamless clarity. He helps you read quickly without sacrificing meaning or subtlety. It may be inevitable that the chronological flow is sometimes hard to follow - I found myself writing dates in the margins to keep up - but the book is essential reading as a history not only of Lebanon, the little playground of great power ambitions, but of the whole, sad story of the Middle East since the end of World War II.

Although I had a small part in researching this book by translating one of the source books, I had no idea how amazing the final book would become. This is a must-read for anyone who really is interested in understanding the background to the mess which continues to haunt us. There is plenty of blame to go around, but we here in the US seldom get enough of the real picture to make sound judgements--this goes for our various governments of all shadings. Thanks, David Hirst, for this valuable contribution.

At first I was unsure how Hirst could top his heroic Gun and Olive Branch:Roots of Violence in the Middle East...thinking that for 3 decades, with updates and a long desired comprehensive collection of all three editions in one, published in 2003, with a new 50,000 word forward, which brought the reader from the late 1980s (2nd edition) to the present decade-- the period leading up to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, including insight into evangelistic Christian Zionism and their enmeshment --(concept of Zion and return for Jews)....the exclusion of the narrative of indigenous amended ...and events which led up to the British (who were in a "partitioning state of mind" across their Empire at that point in time)....Partitioning of Syria-Palestine-Transjordan-Levant along with the French as 'spoils" from their defeat (which would never have been possible in all likelihood, except for the unified power of the Arab clans from Hijaz and across the Arab world at the time )...conniving and treachery dealt via betrayal against the Arabs who longed for independence.
Here, in Hirst's latest opus...he picks up from that period...carefully documented presenting the reader with events and players within the Levant prior to 1919 Paris Peace conference --replete with Weizmann quotes and forward.
It must be read... an absolutely essential comprehensive "BIG PICTURE" epic history, in the same way that David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" did. .the era & series of events and schemes and epic historical narrative that will open minds & rip veils from the eyes of those who remain uninformed --whether as a result of inadequate public education in north america as well as the infinitely well oiled & funded propaganda machines that have driven North American ignorance for more than a century..
There is no question that this author is the "Laureate of M/E history"....not merely the Dean, as Hirst has long been considered. Put aside all current readings on the region...clear the decks...and desks, kindles, laptops but make time for this retrospective historical accounting, as no other will enrich, inform, educate and awaken. Brilliantly researched using regional archives and beyond. READ THIS BOOK...give it as a gift to family, associates and friends....Many Blessings to David Hirst for providing readers with blue print and text to finally arrive at this comprehensive beautifully written book, which hands Obama administration an unsparing review of what could lie ahead without the strictest adherence to the lessons of the past... & to Nation Press for publishing this stunner. Bravo!!

This is one of the best books ever written about the Middle East, along with Hirst's previous book, The gun and the olive branch: the roots of violence in the Middle East, (Faber and Faber, 3rd edition, 2003).

The US state is trying to impose a new order on the Middle East. The USA, allied with the Israeli state, is scheming to defeat, break up and weaken Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iran. This is in line with Norman Podhoretz's advice urging Israel and the USA to wage `World War Four' against `militant Islam'.

Frontal assaults by the USA on Iraq and by Israel on Lebanon (1982 and 2006) failed, so the USA and Israel have turned to using subversion against Libya and Syria, hiring fundamentalists to attack these relatively secular states. Israel is also using terrorism against Iran.

In October 2008, General Eisenkot, commander of Israel's northern front, called for the army to use `disproportionate power' for `harming the population', openly proclaiming the intent to commit war crimes. On 4 November 2008, Israeli forces carried out a raid on Gaza, killing six people, provoking a Hamas response. Israel then attacked Gaza, killing 1,330 people, including 410 children, for the loss of only 13 Israeli soldiers.

Peace Now, including Amos Oz, backed Israel's wars against Lebanon and Gaza. The Knesset voted to ban Israel's three Arab parties from general elections.

All the Middle East's problems are linked to Palestine. Only the two-state solution will bring peace to the Middle East. Palestine means peace.

To me Lebanon has been a closed book; confusing, bewildering and a nightmare. David Hirst has done a great job of reducing for me the impact of those first two adjectives. It's still a nigtmare.

I began this book because I wanted a book completely dedicated to the story of Lebanon- from independence to today. However, the book is instead a retelling of the Arab-Isreali conflict with Lebanon appearing more as a bit player rather than the main character. In fact, there are certain chapters that Lebanon is barely mentioned at all. Of course, to understand Lebanon's promises and perils one needs to understand it within the larger context of the Middle East, but the author tends to get distracted by the wider context at the expense of Lebanese internal politics. Why was the Lebanese state prone to failure? Was there anyway it could have avoided disintegration? Who were the major internal power players of Lebanon? How democratic is Lebanon? All these questions are touched upon but none are given serious analysis. Much of the book is a critique of Israel's policy with respect to her neighbors and Lebanon being simply the most troubled of those neighbors.

Having said all this, I thought the book did have some high points- as a history of the Arab-Israeli conflict the book is quite readable and makes some interesting points regarding the politics of the Middle East. Furthermore, Hirst `s writing is lively and detailed (the chapter on Sabra and Shatila is especially good). To be sure, Hirst blames Israel for most of Lebanon's woes and as a history it is biased but as a political work it makes some well-reasoned arguments (see Hirst's reasons for Hezbollah's rise and his discussion of Israel's more recent military ventures). All in all, the book is good as a well-reasoned critique of Israel but weaker as a discussion of the creation, disintegration, and continuing struggle of Lebanon.

Beware of Small States: Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East documents 'small states' that are victims of greater states - and a source of danger to them. Lebanon, for example, is the battleground for the area's greater states and special interests, and this provides a concurrent history of Lebanon and documentation of Middle East conflicts and political positioning. A key acquisition for any collection strong in Middle East issues.

A first rate novel for those who are interested in the Arab/Israeli conflict. This up to date book speaks of the cause and effect which is played out in Lebonon ,which is revealing and hard to dispute. Thou there will be many in the pro- Isreal camp who would try, without much success I may add. A great read 10/10

A recommended read, here are 3 things {after reading the book} you will appreciate in context:

- Lebanese Zionism
- Israeli Official Quotes
- Arab Peace Plan

Lebanon's sects and parties are involved in political charade and bombastic rhetoric to appease some foreign power, due the unchanged fact that Lebanon is a "shell" state, too weak to have an efficient centralized army/navy/airforce to defend its borders.

However, the present Lebanon is different from the past Lebanon in one aspect, the political pawns are the same, but its people are more aware of the changing realities, living a civil war (the only Arab country to have engaged in such a bloodshed) and all the coming and going of all the-isms - Arab, Nasser, Fundamental, etc... they are conscience of the local and global political scams, and are quite skilled to adapting despite not having the ability to change the facts-on-the-ground. This paradox of social awareness, political paralysis and constant balancing of the interior and exterior threats makes Lebanon a truly unique country, a people with fanatic loyalty to their land in a midst of an irrelevant government and greedy neighbors.

As such, Hirst Narration of the political discourse in Lebanon as a jumping board to the ME politics is superb, as the politics of Lebanon belongs to the ME, but it does not truly capture Lebanon.
Take for example what happen after Rafic Harriri's murder, the schism between the political leaders and its people was for a moment completely severed, spontaneously people took to the streets, eventually one million marched in peace, one quarter of the country, can any Arab country claim such a peaceful demonstration to end an occupation? Can Israel wither such a large scale demonstration without any violence? Of course, soon after, the political vultures came down and seized the moment to adopt this movement as their own, causing an opposite movement using peaceful tools to achieve other political aims. It's only in Lebanon where such amazing feats are accomplished and quickly squandered.

The point is, Lebanon's reality can't only be understood from a historical narration, a political ping-pong text, it needs a touch of social science, social economy, theology, and a touch of Howard Zinn-esque, where history is foretold from the peppering POV of the people.

To his credit, Hirst showcases the Holy Warriors successes in fighting Israel as a phenomenon that cannot be stopped locally, the successes shine a beacon of light on the Israel's discrimination and vilification towards Arabs, in the greater context, Israeli criminalization of the Palestinian cause, and Israeli's sheer arrogance, paranoia, and religious zealously armored with their full faith that brute force can subdue all.

The Price to illuminate Israeli's misgivings, alleviate the narrative in the Middle East conflict, to pierce through the framed dialogue of "terrorists" versus "democracy", is the country called Lebanon its people and its infrastructure which are schedule to be sacrificed at the altar.
When will this happen, it's not known, though Hirst is confident in its eventuality.


I hope he is wrong, as punishing Lebanon would be an inhumane act of disastrous proportions exacted by the Israelis on the Lebanese, as it's aimed at destroying something beautiful to prove the Syrians and Iranians how cruel and willful they can be.
In the same token neither Syria nor Iran gives hoot about Lebanon as they just want to provoke Israel into a war that will prove that Israel is a monster that is willing to destroy innocent lives to prove a point.

Just like the The Olive Branch and the Gun, this book is biased toward the non-Israeli rendition of history. That is not to say the book is not worth reading--you can find many details concerning personalities/statements of State actors in this book that you rarely find in other accounts of the Middle East dilemma and these contribute to a clearer picture of the centuries-old war. But I suggest also reading a book on the opposite end of the spectrum like The Israeli Test and then read one or two of the many books in the middle of the argument as well. This book should in no way be your only review of Levant/Middle East history...one-sided arguments like this are what prolong such wars.