This is an interesting book which describes the Phoenician expansion into the Western Mediterranean from the eighth to sixth centuries B.C. The focus is the Iberian Phoenician settlements on either side of the Pillars of Hercules with Gadir (Cadiz) as the main attraction. As the written record of the Phoenicians themselves did not survive, this work relies primarily on archaeological information and the small body of sources written by the Phoenicians' neighboring cultures (the Greek Homer's epic poetry, the Jewish Old Testament, etc.).

There is much discussion about the social, political, and economic reasons for the Phoenician expansion westward. In addition, the form which this expansion took - from informal trade to outright colonization is explored. A large part of the book is devoted to the competing historical theories regarding this expansion in which the author is obviously well-grounded.

Who engaged in the trade and expansion- the palace, the temple, or independent merchants? How was it organized? What were the ships like? What were the commodities traded? How were Phoenician relations with the indigenous peoples handled? All these questions are answered.

There is obviously comparison between the original Phoenician settlements in the West and those of her daughter colony Carthage which succeeded them. The emphasis in this work is on the Phoenician period rather than the following Punic period of settlement. This is done to give the Phoenicians' initial accomplishments in the West due credit rather than have them overshadowed by Carthage.

With the book's emphasis on the Iberian peninsula, the Phoenician enclaves in the central Mediterranean such as on Malta, Sicily, and Sardinia do not get much attention. I would have enjoyed more comparison between the Phoenician settlements and the subsequent Greek colonies in the West as well.

An interesting read on a little-known but highly-influential ancient people. And don't forget to thank them for this alphabet while you're at it.

In their day the Phoenicians were the quintessential mariners and explorers, planting colonies throughout the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and more controversially elsewhere along Africa's coasts and probably in the Far East along the monsoon trade route.

This survey work of what is known today about the Phoenicians is the first one in years I believe. Like many maritime peoples, the Phoenicians were often conquered and, given their extensive use of papyrus, their archives have not survived. Since ancient times and to the present day various historians with axes to grind have badmouthed these people.

This isn't the most riveting text I've ever read.

See also Lionel Casson's "The Ancient Mariners", "Travel In The Ancient World", and "Everyday life in ancient Rome", Michael Grant's "The Etruscans" (out of print), and Barry Fell's "America B.C.", as well as websites that show up in a search for the phrase "The Periplus".

Well written explanation of Amal's (the Shia's) struggles during the lebanese civil war. A must read if you are interested in the current history of lebanon.

First of all,one has to admit,that this book contains a huge variaty of concise and interesting backgrond information on prewar Lebanon, especially focused on socioeconomic data. Interpretation of these data by the author then seems very dated and from a clearly far left/ socialistic view point.The blame of Lebanon`s crisis is put merely to the "capitalist West" and its "undercover agents",the local Beirut based bourgeoisie.The view-point should rather be focused on the unability of lebanese (and arab in general) society to adapt to the challenges and demands of an ever changing modern world.One can adapt to new trends even as a weak multicultural and very capitalistic country,as my own one,Switzerland, demonstrates since 150 years,without turmoil and civil war.Capitalist economic policies create uneven wealth distribution all over the world-but ethnic/sectarian strive is no locical consequence of it,(i.e.Switzerland)as the civil wars in the former(communist!)Ex-Yugoslavia show us.Furthermore there has been insurrection already in the year 1958,at a time the laissez-faire economy of Lebanon has not created such huge social disparities,as they seem to have appeared in the early 70`s.So in short,even after the study of this book,the real reasons for the 1975-1990 civil war remain a mystery.

I travelled to Syria and Jordan this November, armed with my first Footprint guide book, and I'm now a convert. It is especially good in giving out well written historical background and cultural titbids that just make the trip so much more rewarding. Lonely Planet and Rough Guides are sooooo shallow by comparison.

You are ordinary women; married, with children; concerned with the welfare of a recently widowed mother; hard working members of a community with its own troubles. Suddenly, your brother, the family's only son, is kidnapped while in a foreign country. What do you do? Whom do you call? Where do you go first??? These were the realities of the older and younger sisters of Brian Keenan, a teacher at the American University in Beirut, who was taken hostage in 1986. For more than four years his sisters, Brenda and Elaine, worked to gain their brother's freedom and in doing so they took on a world far beyond their familiar Belfast streets. This is a story of real feminists; women who just do what has to be done when called upon to act. They do not grace the covers of magazines and it takes a reporter to pull from them their story. Even then, they keep close much of the inner turmoil that had to be overcome to achieve their goal. This book brings a new dimension to Keenan's "An Evil Cradling." It reveals the commendable strength of the rest of the family.

During a Politics of Developing Areas class I stumbled across this book while researching my paper on Lebanon. The book itself provided helpful insights into the Lebanese legal system in simple plain terms that everyone can benefit from. While I would not claim that the book is a riveting read, it cannot be beat as a reference tool for anyone interested in Lebanon. The book also contained excerpts of Lebanese history that explain the existance of some laws in the country.

despite some truth lacking details, this book represents a thourough look on this awful war..with so many forgotten incidents,it reminds us of so many tiny details that caused the big fire....really good for those looking for the truth....a must read

Darwish is first and foremost an eloquent poet. He uses a very surreal language in this book as a way to define a chaotic time. The time cannot be defined though, and this is the reason for the ambiguous writing. Darwish uses several allusions to coffee, water, and soccer to keep his readers grounded and also to take their minds off of the bombings in Beirut. Ultimately the book is a meditation on death, and has several thought provoking sections. Darwish is an excellent writer, as evidenced in the array of scenes he paints in the book. You will laugh, become depressed, think very very deeply, and be completely enthralled with the text. If you like poetry, surreal atmosphere, or middle eastern literature, this book is a must. It is also a valuable first hand experience of the situation in Beirut in 1982.

This is a well researched and balanced account of the social and economic changes that accompanied the huge transformation of Beirut from a small town to a metropolis in the span of less than 100 years. The book is easy to read and adds quite a bit to what we know about lebanon in the 19th century.

This is a detailed history of the ruling sheikhs and events in 19th century Lebanon. Mishaqa is very open about the religious divisions and problems of the times. He gives his own views of the various domestic and foreign players, but is also respectful of and tells, from his own perspective, the rationale of others. The book is very, very detailed in parts, and can be difficult to wade through, but many of the small stories give real insight as to what happened, for example in the civil strife of 1860 and in Lebanese domestic politics in the 1840's. Overall, Mishaqa comes across as remarkably modern and open-minded for a person of his time. I really loved the book, as I'm interested in Lebanese history, and am also a distant relative of Mishaqa through one of his brothers.