Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) [Paperback]

Robert Fisk (Author)

Book Description

Series: Nation Books | Publication Date: October 24, 2002

With the Israeli-Palestinian crisis reaching wartime levels, where is the latest confrontation between these two old foes leading? Robert Fisk's explosive Pity the Nation recounts Sharon and Arafat's first deadly encounter in Lebanon in the early 1980s and explains why the Israel–Palestine relationship seems so intractable. A remarkable combination of war reporting and analysis by an author who has witnessed the carnage of Beirut for twenty-five years, Fisk, the first journalist to whom bin Laden announced his jihad against the U.S., is one of the world's most fearless and honored foreign correspondents. He spares no one in this saga of the civil war and subsequent Israeli invasion: the PLO, whose thuggish behavior alienated most Lebanese; the various Lebanese factions, whose appalling brutality spared no one; the Syrians, who supported first the Christians and then the Muslims in their attempt to control Lebanon; and the Israelis, who tried to install their own puppets and, with their 1982 invasion, committed massive war crimes of their own. It includes a moving finale that recounts the travails of Fisk's friend Terry Anderson who was kidnapped by Hezbollah and spent 2,454 days in captivity. Fully updated to include the Israeli withdrawl from south Lebanon and Ariel Sharon's electoral victory over Ehud Barak, this edition has sixty pages of new material and a new preface. "Robert Fisk's enormous book about Lebanon's desperate travails is one of the most distinguished in recent times."—Edward Said

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fisk, a former Middle East correspondent for the London Times , details violence, sundry political factions, the 1982 invasion of Israel, the efforts of the multinational peace-keeping force and the taking of Western hostages. "A passionate and often angry book describing how Lebanon 'humiliated the West, brought shame upon Israel, corrupted the Syrians and destroyed itself,' " said PW .
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The labyrinthian tale of Lebanon's destruction has been told a number of times from a number of vantage points, but not since Ze'ev Schiff and Ehud Ya'ari's Israel's Lebanon War ( LJ 10/15/84) has such a powerful book appeared. Fisk, a highly honored British journalist who wrote for The Times (London) for 11 years and who still lives in Lebanon, conveys those appalling events of 1976-85 with the passionate intensity of someone outraged at the actions that have turned a country and people inside out. Fisk graphically portrays the Lebanese tragedy through interviews, anecdotal information, and thoughtful, incisive analyses. Thomas Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem ( LJ 7/89) and Charles Glass's Tribes with Flags ( LJ 4/1/90) are comparable efforts, but Friedman's work deals more with the psychological aspects of Arab versus Israeli; Glass has a more leisurely pace that belies Fisk's sense of urgency. Highly recommended for all libraries of any size.
- David P. Snider, Casa Grande P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books; 4 edition (October 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560254424
• ISBN-13: 978-1560254423
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > History > Middle East > Lebanon

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-wrenching Journey to Hell, July 29, 2003

By 

J. Michael Cole (Taipei, Taiwan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) (Paperback)

Mr. Fisk's account of the wars that have ravaged the Lebanese society is peerless. Rarely have I read a book that so realistically depicted the sundry horrors of armed conflict. Further, the books provides the much-needed context to the current situation in the Middle East, and finally exposes all the suffering, the double standards, and key players that have made the region such a complex riddle. And while it covers a conflict that, for one reason or another, has long been forgotten, it successfully makes the reader aware of the fact that the seeds of discontent that were sown in 1948 are still growing to this day.

Besides a number of realistic depictions of the horrors of war, the book also dissects the notions of "terrorism" we generally take for granted and thereby shows how the use of language, as well as the manipulation of the media, will inevitably bias our understanding of what is, unarguably, an emotionally-charged situation. As with many a conflict, the book leads the reader to the conclusion that "solving" the Israeli-Palestinian issue will ultimately require nothing less than a region-wide (and honest) effort. Found many echoes of current US policy as well, where the "honest broker" gets sucked into a culture it does not fully comprehend. There are lessons to be learned from this book-lessons with immediate applicability-but somehow I have doubts that the powers that be in Washington have enough cognitive staying power, if not a sense of moral probity, to read it.

Absolutely brilliant, daunting in size but altogether satisfying. Anyone who wishes to reach a better understanding of the headlines emerging from the Middle East simply cannot afford not to read this book. Made me wanting more, horrors notwithstanding. If only Mr. Fisk could be more prolific...

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not an easy read, January 18, 2007

By 

Albert Doyle (Sanibel, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) (Paperback)

As Fisk tells us this book is not an academic history of the wars in Lebanon but rather a personal narrative of a news reporter based on his mountain of notes, a profession in which he is just the best. This leads to some confusion for a reader who has to stay with him as he jumps from place to place, army to army, party to party, and even time to time. It also takes a strong stomach as he forces us to read about the reality of modern "war", the ugly brutality of what modern weapons can do in dismembering pitiful, innocent human beings. Over and over. As he says, "So far as armies and militias go, there are no good guys in Lebanon." While none of them including the PLO come out as heroes the Israelis certainly do not look good, not just in the brutality inflicted on the Lebanese but in their racist arrogance and lies they often told to cover up their actions. For exposing these Fisk was, as usual, subject to attack by the ubiquitous Israeli lobby in the US including the dreary and false charges of "anti-Semitsm". He is one of the few foreign reporters who has called attention to the Israeli practice of falling back on "the Holocaust" or accusations of anti-Semitism when caught out in one of their military outrages.

This book although a difficult read is particularly educational for Americans who may have opinions about Lebanon formed by the usually inadequate US media.

Fisk is British but lives in Lebanon. He was educated in Ireland and has somewhat Irish outlooks which I think give him a certain sympathy for those without power. I note that when on leave he went to the remote west of Ireland rather than the fleshpots of Europe!

Lastly, his bravery in reporting literally under fire is unique as far as I know, except for a few of his other companions such as his friend the kidnapped Terry Anderson and a few others from several nations and the brave United Nations soldiers. His final chapter about the Israeli attack on the UN base at Qana with its Fiji soldiers and many civilians is shocking and a fitting finale to the book.

62 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, yet heartbreaking!, February 6, 2004

By 

"usakligil00" (Istanbul Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) (Paperback)

I first started reading Fisk couple years ago from his columns in the Independent Newspaper. During the Second Gulf War he made so excellent observations and comments that my respect and admiration for him grew a lot.. When I wanted to read a book about the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict I knew exactly which address to go to: A journalist who has been living in Beirut for around 20 years, who is unbiased and intelligent enough to interpret what really is going on, a.k.a. Robert Fisk..
This book is truly marvelous, totally unbiased and very informative. If you want to get a good grip of what really is going on in the Middle East, you have to read this book.. It's easy to read and you won't regret neither the money nor the time you spent on this book.. This is the only book that made me burst into tears as I'm reading it.. I don't usually write comments, but with this book I felt like this is the least I can do.. More people should read this and open their eyes!!!