Customer Reviews

Lebanon: A Shattered Country: Myths and Realities of the Wars in Lebanon, Revised Edition

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Like the country and conflict it chronicles, Picard's book is in many ways difficult to grasp and may seem, at the outset, hard to follow. However, a thorough reading reveals a remarkably subtle treatment of the civil war in Lebanon and its myriad causes and effects (the latter of which ramify the situation occuring today).

The "causes" underlying the war will never be settled and any claim will be controversial. Many scholars have taken this as an excuse to make safe claims (e.g. blaming the Palestinian refugee crisis out of hand) or simply lament the situation. Picard, on the other hand, probes the historical depth of "Lebanon" itself, leaving the reader wondering whether the word "state" can even be accurately applied to this troubled region. She argues that the civil war was both the result and the manifestation of Lebanon's factionalist "confessional" political system and outside forces, ranging from French colonialism to Nasserist pan-Arabism. Everyone -- rightfully -- receives a portion of the blame: her analysis stands in direct contrast to stereotypical Western analyses that blame the Palestinian resistance to stereotypical Arab ones that blame the Maronites and/or the Israelis. The fact is that every major player/group involved was incredibly multifaceted (and, sadly, quite duplicitous and ruthless), and that the scars of the civil war in Lebanon are not likely to heal easily.

In addition to her treatment of the war itself, Picard offers interesting discussions of several Lebanese political cultural phenomena. Many paradoxes come up over the course of her discussion that resonate today. For example, were Lebanon transformed to a majoritarian democracy in the vein of France, the Shia might dominate the country. On the other hand, maintaining a "pluralistic" (in the sense of "confessional") democracy strengthens factionalism -- and Lebanon's greatest enemy (or benefactor?): political clientelism.

Readers from novices to university professors will learn something from this excellent book. However, novices may have to take things a bit more slowly, especially as there is quite a barrage of place names and historical figures at the beginning. The theoretical component is not too challenging, but it is quite rigorous, and familiarity with comparative politics is helpful. Beyond that, one need only know that Picard herself does not fall into any of the traps set by writers like Said -- or writers like Nietzsche ("we need history..."). She makes a valiant effort to present every facet of the conflict, and if her explanations seem labyrinthine as a result, it is simply because the conflict itself is labyrinthine.

As far as that goes, she still might have made more of an effort to outline some clear theses. The book is littered with great ideas, and the chapters themselves are well-organized, but a primer in the introduction would have helped. As another minor complaint, the book could use more maps and diagrams, and a timeline or two, in face of the sheer breadth and depth of the conflict.

Finally, the negative review of this book by L. Akl is baseless: if anything, Picard goes out of her way to apportion blame to every faction! The vast majority of books on Lebanon are bland histories or traditionalist interpretations of the war that eschew thorough, unforgiving (for lack of a better term: just as Samir Geagea was the only militia leader punished for his actions, few involved in Lebanon's conflict were blamed accordingly) analysis. Picard does not make excuses from any participants, from the Druze to the Maronites to the Palestinians. As a result of this courageous effort, she will be lambasted by blind supporters of any given group involved, but will be admired by those desiring a truer, if somewhat difficult, picture of Lebanon and its civil war.

The author reviews the history of lebanon with all the actors involved. You need to need to know its history, and groups previously in order to understand it. In whole it is a good to start studying lebanon's history.

This book covers information from a particular faction. It lacks fundamental concepts that underlie the `whole' Lebanese situation.