In October of 1998 I was privileged to attend a conference at Villanova University entitled "Lebanon in the Twenty-first Century." Since I have conducted a course on American foreign policy in the public sector over the last 16 years, I welcomed this rare opportunity to focus on this troubled country.
Recently, the elements of that conference were assembled into a single volume, edited by Kail C. Ellis, who is dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University, and founder and former director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at Villanova.
This volume is comprised of articles written by several noted and dedicated authors including Ellis. One might call it a prismatic kind of study. Such an approach could lend an uneven quality to the book; however, its editor, Kail C. Ellis, has clearly brought consistency in tone and texture to the overall reach of the book.
Each section consists of an introduction as to what will be covered, an exploration of that specific material from appropriate perspectives, and conclusion/analysis. Since contributors have expertise in several different fields, the abundance of sources available in the footnotes could be targeted as the beginnings of tomorrow's research. This formula makes this volume appealing to the general public, students and teachers.
Ellis's essential mission is twofold: First, to prime the reader on the confluence of Lebanon's intricate web of history, politics and religion as it became increasingly entwined with the geopolitical reality of its sensitive location, "sandwiched," as Ellis puts it, between its powerful neighbors, Israel and Syria. One increasingly comes to understand that Lebanon is but a microcosm of the most multi-dimensional problem haunting the world currently: the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock. Lebanon's life as a nation, in the Ellis perspective, is virtually "on hold" until this nagging, seemingly insolvable problem is addressed with some degree of authority.
Secondly, in his preface, Ellis states that, "Works on contemporary Lebanon are hardly an anomaly." Understanding Lebanon's past and present is but a prelude to predicting its seemingly ominous future. Ellis wants more. It is here this book gathers its strength, its case, because its layered approach forces the reader to read, learn and analyze each sector of Lebanese society through the prism of several disciplines.
This representative litany of problems is offered with the realization that without further reading, such a list tends toward oversimplification.
One cannot even begin with the now decade-old recovery from its civil war (1975-1990). A more likely place are the problems inherent in the Palestinian refugee situation, for Lebanon is "home" to 400,000 Palestinians who began seeking refuge in Lebanon after the Israeli-Palestinian war (1948). Many still live in poverty in makeshift camps. Their presence directly affects Lebanon's unstable, tense political situation, its economy and fragile image. Here the indefinable Hizballah organization began operations.
And as if these "external" factors were not enough, there is the matter of Lebanon's aforementioned geostrategic position with its "neighbors" - Israel and Syria. Even considering that Israel has withdrawn from the southern border of Lebanon after a 22 year occupation, festering webs of distrust involving Hizballah continue to inflame the nerves of each country; Syria's 35,000 man army within Lebanese borders is another open wound.
Internally, here is a country where there are 18 different religious communities, primary among them Christian Maronites and Muslims. Despite tolerant "side-by-side" living under a traditional confessional political system which divided power among the religions, an updated version (under the Ta'if Agreement of 1989) altered this tenuous balance, becoming the catalyst for the exodus of thousands of Maronites. The Maronites' historical affinity towards Israel, furthermore, has continued to provoke any state of quiesence, given the ongoing presence of Palestinians. Overt lack of American involvement in this destructive relationship creates additional cracks in the fault line.
Factor these complexities together with the following: a $25 billion dollar debt burden; an education system struggling to recover its former status as the "cultural and educational center of the Middle East;" an environment and eco system suffering the scourges of overpopulated cities, and "a total breakdown of state authority." Beirut, once known for its superior banking and commerce, longs for a return to its former glamorous status as the "Switzerland of the Middle East."
Lacking, except for a one religious leader in particular willing to agitate for the sake of a breakthrough for his country's sake, is dynamic leadership. Lebanon's "traditional" government does not add up to stablility; rather it is laden with laws and ideas long outdistanced by time and purpose.
Why does our conscience press us to care? Asserting the need for America to exhibit some measure of their former interest, Ellis offers his prescription: "In order to fulfill the dreams of a future revival, Lebanon needs the assistance of all those who support the rule of law, human rights, and a just peace in the Middle East."
For those so inclined, even in international relations, prayer remains a wonderful natural resource.

If you are looking for a politically-skewed analysis of the Arab-Israeli conflict or an overly biased account of the war, this is not your book. I say overly biased because all author have an opinion that is expressed overtly or covertly in their writing.

Richard A. Gabriel, a well-respected professor of politics at St. Anselm College, former US Army intelligence officer, and consultant to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees as well as the Pentagon, has written what is probable the most objective and well-written account of the 1982 War in Lebanon between Israeli, Syrian, Lebanese, PLO, and other forces. He has written numerous books about military actions including several books that constructively criticized the American actions in Vietnam. Several of his books have since become requred reading for courses at military academies.

Prof. Gabriel went out of his way to write an objective analysis of the combat, going so far as to interview PLO officials, IDF soldiers, and others. He also toured the battefields as they occurred as a guest of the IDF. Even more to his credit, he made a stipulation of his touring the front with the IDF that IDF miltary censors not be able to review his transcripts at all until after publishing. This means that he was able to effectively write whatever he wanted.

The book itself is brilliant. Within its' 242 pages are numerous analyses of various tactical and strategic conflicts of the 1982 War. He lists grievances and events of all sides into the war and yet hesitates to make value judgements about any of them short of miltary stance. While avoidings making the book a massive judgement of the political stance of any of the fighters, he doesn't hesitate to list political factors that the combatants considered at the time of the war.

One of the greatest treasures of having toured Lebanon and the conditions there is that he was able to disprove many of the false accounts that the media of the time forwarded to the public. Being a meticulous researcher also means that he always quotes sources and provides appropriate background. For instance, the PLO (through the Lebanese newspaper "An Nahar")claimed that Israeli forces killed 17,825 civilian noncombatants killed and wounded 30,103 civilians. Mr. Gabriel analyzed all of the data available from various sources (including interviews with village mayors and other on-the-site witnesses) and came up with a more likely figure of 4,000 to 5,000 killed and 12,000 to 14,000 wounded.

If you are looking for an account of the 1982 war that objectively evaluates military actions of the combatants then Prof. Richard A. Gabriel's "Operation Peace for Galilee - The Israeli-PLO War in Lebanon" is unparallelled. I highly recommend reading this book whether you are looking for more background on the Arab-Israeli conflict, are a military historian, a wargamer, or just someone interested in knowing more about the Middle-East.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

The Ottoman Kitchen makes for a delightful journey to this historic area. Having visited Greece and Turkey two years ago, the book immediately caught my attention.

The recipes are accompanied by an interesting overview of the area. One should not be too surprised that Turkey and its neighbouring countries offer cuisine that is similar in many ways. These countries' common past is the reason for this.

The author has adapted the recipes for a North American kitchen. There is no need to obtain what might be unobtainable ingredients in North America.

The book bought back many memories of this fascinating region. I have already tried my first recipe (Topkapi pilaf), and intend to try many more.

Not only is the book beautiful to behold ... the food contained therein is a true delight to savour!

This is war straight from the eyes of one who's been there. A gripping account. I am a former US Marine who grew up in Grenada, so I was impressed with the book's accuracy and vivid details. It took me back to the streets I used to play on as a kid. His account of Grenadian generocity towards the American troops reminded me of people I know. What I got from the book is that no one likes war, but someone has to do it. And the Recon Marines do it best. I highly recommend this book. I am reading it a second time, and it's just as good as the first. Five stars.

I suppose few North Americans are thinking about Lebanon's civil war these days, but this book is definately worth reading. It's set against the (recent) turmoil in Beirut--but is about much more than that. Its structure interweaves three stories taking place at three different times of at least 5 generations of a Lebanese family--those who emigrated and those who remained in their homeland. As the three narratives converge over the course of the novel, the reader is left with a rich sense of the impact of civil unrest on individuals, familes and the future of a country.

The author is a poet, and one can easily see this in her choice of language. This is a difficult (and sometime violent) topic, but an important exploration of unrest in a "third world" country.

Safe Passage tells the story of Mag Singer, a mother of seven boys. Mag admits that she is a detatched mother. She never wanted her boys, until they were born. But when her middle child, Percival, a marine and the most troubled of the seven is feared dead in the midst of a terrorist bombing, the family gathers together and suddenly Mag realizes how important her family really is.

Excellent objective perspectives on the Middle East and its players thru 1967.

Americans often romanticize their old world roots, never having visited the ground abroad it's very easy. Ms. Hachem comes from an old Lebanese family, with property, land and many relatives outside Beirut. Sometime after the end of the Lebanese civil war she returns to rebuild the family mansion. The book is an excellent weaving of personal and family history with the wider, and still very dangerous politics of Lebanon, Syria and Israel. The house was used as a headquarters by the Syrian Army during the civil war, a fact which probably saved it. All in all Ms. Hachem's book is a very illuminating, instructive and sometimes funny examination of the clash of American and Lebanese cultures amid the treacherous currents of Middle Eastern politics.

This book recounts the author's tour of duty as a journalist in Beirut and Jerusalem. Born a Jew in Minnesota, Freidler writes from an unbiased point-of-view. He balances respect and sympathy for the Palestinians with criticism of Israeli policy. The book is divided into three main parts: Beirut, Jerusalem, and Washington DC - where he waxes nostalgia about all he has seen and offers some excellent commentary.

The first part traces the beginnings of the Palestinian movement and parallels some of the other Mid-East conflicts that would forge the PLO of today. We see America's innocence/ignorance of the local politics that cumulates into the killing of the 200+ Marines on a peacekeeping mission.

The second part juxtaposes the creation of the Jewish state against their Arab neighbors. While struggling to be a unique nation, they fall into the trip falls of the region. The author demonstrates that if you want to live in this neighborhood, you play by the "Hamas rules."

The second to last chapter is where the book really takes off. The author presents his solutions for peace (written in 1989) in the region. The last chapter (added in 1994) comments on the truce reached under the Clinton Administration. The

Though written before the recent assassinations and the current political upheaval, the book is a chilling look at what started this mess and what would derail any attempts at peace. A bit long-winded at times, the book is well written. From his own apartment building blowing up to rocks through his windshield, we see the daily struggle Jew and Arab faces. I recommend this book for anyone looking to better understand this war that rages in our daily headlines.

I only recently read Tom Friedman's book. It must be remembered that the last chapter (update) was written in 1994. Unfortunately, so much has occurred between 1994 and the present in terms of the Mideast conflict that Friedman's book is dated. Since the writing of this volume we have seen the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, the breakdown of peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians when PLO Chairman Arafat declined Prime Minister Barak's offer of most of the occupied territories in return for an end to the conflict, and the election of hawkish Ariel Sharon as the newest Israeli Prime Minister.

Despite the fact it is dated, Friedman has written a wonderful and useful book. His chapters on life in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War is both horrifying and surrealistic. Friedman was finally able to explain to me why our marines in Lebanon became a target for bombs in the early 1980's that killed 240 of them. The answer is that we made the mistake of siding with Christian forces against Islamic militias when we would should have remained neutral.

Friedman explains the strange position of Syria in the conflict. Syria desires peace, but does not want to make a formal treaty with Israeli that would recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state. Friedman recounts little known acts of brutality by the Syrian dictator Assad (now deceased). When certain elements in the country opposed his regime, Assad sent tanks into a city called Hama and utterly destroyed it killing over 10,000 people.

Friedman explains that many Arab states are simply the result of arbitrary lines drawn in the desert by the British and French at the end of World War I. Such artificial boundaries impeded the formation of real countries and split up tribes and families in the process. As a result, many of these countries are not cohesive societies.

Friedman is pessimistic about peace in the Middleast and after viewing the events of the last year or two this seems strangely prophetic. He does say, though, that the chance exists and that USA can help move the process forward through a combination of diplomacy, behind the scenes pressure, and a willingness to bargain.

Its a terrific book. Its well written and achieves the difficult task of holding the attention of people while simultaneously explaining the complicated dynamics of the Middleast conflict.

Friedman not only 'gets' the Middle East, but also has the ability to express his understanding of it to the reader. This book was my first foray into the Middle East, other than a few brief surveys of the region in relationship to WWII. Since reading it, I have also read several other books about the Middle East. However, I continue to come back to the passages that I underlined and the notes that I wrote while reading this book.

Friedman does more than merely describe historical events. He invites the reader (both the well-versed and the not-so-well-versed in Middle Eastern history) to increase his depth of understanding with his thoughtful use of examples and illustrations.

One of the most compelling aspects of Friedman's writing, in my opinion, is that he is passionate about his work. He writes with energy and enthusiasm. If you would like to broaden your understanding of the world in which we live, then I highly recommend this book.

This is undoubtedly one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It is not a chronological or day to day catalog of how one man survived an ordeal which most of us could only imagine (being held hostage in Lebanon for five? years because some terrorists mistook him for an Englishman, when he was actually Irish), but rather a look at how his inner resources helped him survive, and helps the reader understand what a resourceful and mentally strong will it takes to do so. This is a cut above, and frankly, a book that has not been far from my thoughts since I finished it...

This is perhaps the most moving piece of literature I have ever read. In Brian's journey we are forced to take a look at our own journeys through life. I remember when he was a hostage and everyday the local newspaper in Belfast would publish how many days he had been missing. As those numbers crept upward we despaired but his sisters were ever hopeful and forced us to keep him always in our minds. His account of his captivity is so inspiring. It is wonderful to see how his sense of humor and love of the written word kept him going. More recently I have read his accounts of his visit to Chile with John McCarthy. Here is a man with a real gift for using words to describe torrents of emotion and who's use of poetry illuminates the soul. If you read only one book in your life read this one!

An Evil Cradling, by Brian Keenan is by far the most depressing yet utterly incapsulating book I have ever read in my life. It has been put on the Irish Educational Sylabus and I was told to read it by my teacher. Keenan's ability to describe the smallest things is what makes the book so utterly irresistible.

Eoin Blacklock