Customer Reviews

The War on Lebanon: A Reader

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent collection of work that has been compiled here. Nubar Hovsepian has done a wonderful job gathering together some very good essays, but more than that the editor deserves even more credit for organizing this material in such a flawless manner. Usually what I don't like about Readers such as this one is that many times the contributions will be too disparate tackling different issues and jumping from one topic to the next creating a lack of continuity within the entire work, or the focus will become to narrow in which the different topics will overlap constantly giving the reader the feeling that they are essentially reading the same article over and over again but written by different people. This book does neither which makes for an easy flow from one essay to the next. Each one covers a topic distinct but related to the broader topic where it has been placed. This makes the book not only highly enlightening but a joy to read in its own right.

The book is broken down into six parts covering the Lebanon war from a variety of angles, and while some contributions shine brighter than others I found everyone to be valuable. I must also credit this book for introducing me to some very talented scholars. Lara Deeb's contribution really stood out for me. Her article on Hizballah and its history within Lebanon was excellent. She is a superb writer and a meticulous scholar. I am eager to read some of her other works.

Kirsten Scheid's account was a stellar contribution as well. Her account of her war experience during this conflict really gives the reader the human perspective of what the war was like for those on the ground. Her accounts written during the fighting are filled with a dark humor that emphasizes the ironic. It is a humanizing account that shows the coping mechanisms that individuals develop to deal with harrowing situations. After writing a particular passage that was egging on the Israelis, castigating them for being late on bombing her area, she ends with, "I like writing that. It makes me feel like I'm in control. Ha!". This to me was a poignant moment. The need to feel control, and also the need to feel a part of the resistance is overwhelming. The absolute powerlessness of her situation and the knowledge of immanent, arbitrary death from above begets this need to defy, and in that defiance regain some control no matter how fleeting or intangible that control really is. Her entire contribution was profound, but that moment really stuck in my mind.

As for criticism there was an article by Elias Khoury in part three that seemed out of place. It was almost too literary and over-written for the format. It stands in stark contrast to the gritty realism and raw emotion within that section. It broke the feel and the flow of part three. I felt similarly about Bishara's contribution as well.

All in all this is a very strong work that is filled with powerful emotions and scholarly arguments. The book does a great job in melding the emotional and scholarly into a cohesive and profound work. From Sara Roy's emotional "A Jewish Plea" to Richard Falk and Asli Bali's detailed "International Law at the Vanishing Point" this book is elucidating and powerful. In one book the reader is offered history, humanity and scholarly assessment of the affects of this conflict. The editor has put together a terrific collection that I highly recommend.

I very much enjoyed this book that contains la creme of several studies and articles on the 2006 war in Lebanon. Not only the capable and authoritative role of Dr. Khalidi but the inclusion of several scholarly accounts, articles, tables, and studies that provide a full spectrum of information. You will find economic, political, humanitarian, and military details that give a good picture of what happened. And no, this is not an anti-Israeli diatribe; respectable Israeli scholars will appreciate it too and will use it. Policy makers in the Middle East ought to benefit from such books.

This is an excellent book about a war that changed the Middle East forever. Although we are living in what is referred to as "the information age", most people living outside the Middle East had no idea about the events that led to this war. Most people tend to think that this war started when Hezzbollah captured two Israeli soldiers. Through a series of well written articles, this book shows that this was not the case at all. This war was well planned, but terribly executed by the Israeli army. For those that claim that the book is biased, in a war where 1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed because two soldiers were captured, the only way to be "objective" is to ignore the facts. Israel's response was disproportinate and cruel. The book tells you why using numbers, facts and quotes.

I have personally found this book a very pro-Hizballah one...

This organisation may not be a terrorist group as the US and Israel claim it is but from the other side nobody can present it as a Robin Hood of the poor Lebanese - since recent events in Lebanon have shown that even when the State wants to take the lead, Hizballah does not allow them to do so - ...

However, I have to admit that it is about a really interesting book that induces readers to another aspect of the 2006 war, lived through the eyes of the ones who had actually been there and not watched it on Tv as we did.

I would personally recommend this book, still to readers who already have a certain idea and perception of Lebanese contemporary history and reality.

While this book does indeed provide a variety of insights by different scholars, I found it to be biased towards Hizbollah and Lebanon. I am neither pro-Israel or Lebanon but expect an editor to provide a balanced look at the causes of the war, the fighting from both sides and a critical look at the results of the war. Rather than get this, the editor cherry picks articles which focus on the history of Lebanon (the strong suit of the book in my opinion), the evil assaults by Israel and the heroic efforts of the terrorist organization, Hizbollah.

I bought this book hoping to better understand the causes of the 2006 war and a discussion of the tactics used and the results of the fighting upon each society. As far as I could tell, there is nary a mention of the suffering within Israel or an objective look at the decades of terrorist tactics used by Hizbollah. I'd prefer something with more objectivity rather than a slanted look clearly in Lebanon's (read Hizbollah) favor. Even the title should be an indicator. Its the war "On" Lebanon, versus the war in Lebanon.

This book does provide a good historical background of Lebanon, how it got to where it is today and some very touching personal stories of people within Lebanon during the fighting. However, what is missing is the opposite view from within Israel, of the Israeli soldier fighting and the effects on the region as a whole.

Look elsewhere for a fair and balanced look at the 2006 conflict.