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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The multi-faceted history of Lebanon., February 27, 2006
This review is from: A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered (Paperback)
This book isn't so much a history of Lebanon as about how the Maronites, the Druze, the Sunnites, and the Shi'ites hold different views of the history of Lebanon. It is difficult to understand one's history if there is little concensus about what is fact and what is myth. It is this latter aspect, fact versus myth, that Salibi explores. He attempts to outline the history of Lebanon as viewed by each of the major religious/political parties and detail what is supported by historical evidence and what is not. Overall, I feel that he has succeeded. Several points of particular interest include the fact that no group in Lebanon today has any strong claim to have descended from the ancient Phoenicians, and Salibi's discussion regarding the complications of Arabic nationalism versus Islamism is particularly enlightening. If I had any complaint about this book, it is that Salibi spends too much of the text on the Maronite and Druze communities, and not enough on the Shi'ite or Sunnite. This is a rather dense book packed with details and information, and I would not consider it a light read, but it is well worth the time invested.
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28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is your reference in Lebanese history, September 23, 2004
This review is from: A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered (Paperback)
Those who know Kamal Salibi, know that he is not affiliated with any Lebanese political group or party and that's what shoots Salibi's review of the Lebanese history up high.
Being an academic historian, Salibi wipes out popular versions of the Lebanese history and replaces them with a more analytical, critical, and well-researched version. In the heyday of a never ending debate about the identity of the Lebanese people, an objective historical record is highly needed.
Several Maronite historians should understand that they do not come from a different ethnic stock. They must thoroughly read their historical texts and subject them to historical analysis. Maronite history has become similar to a religious faith: it is not receptive of any historical examination.
Salibi does not favor one group more than another in this book. He only classifies groups according to the available texts and what he gets in conclusion is a different story about the history of Lebanon which might be sad, but true.
The anonymous reviewer who scorns Salibi for this book is apparently writing with the current political situation (the Syrians influencing Lebanese politics) in the back of his mind. This kind of review is what historians call biased history. Salibi never suggests that Lebanon must become a Syrian province, the reviewer reached to this conclusion by him/herself.
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The title should say "The history of Lebanon Repeated" instead of reconsidered, February 2, 2006
This review is from: A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered (Paperback)
Could not put this book down. It's a great resource to explain the origin of Lebanon and Syria. What is amazing is that after so many years of conflicts, Lebanese politicians HAVE NOT learned a thing. (because what happened in the 1500s and 1800s is repeated over and over).
I think it must be a requirement to whoever gets into politics to read this book. Maybe they will eventually learn something and get this country to show the world its true potential.
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