Hanf, a German social scientist, has produced a massive and original study of the Lebanese civil war. By thoroughly immersing himself in things Lebanese he has produced the book that finally does justice to the enigma and the tragedy of that war. Relying on an exceptionally wide sources (including survey research), Hanf brings all the pieces together and gives the reader a better feel for the conflict than even its many first-hand accounts. The book's thesis appears in its subtitle: the crucible of war forged the Lebanese into a people. Or, putting the same thought in social science jargon, "surveys have revealed that the majority of Lebanese have little difficulty in reconciling communal identity and national identity." Looking to the future, Hanf has a keen appreciation for the Syrian insistence on "unreserved recognition of Syrian ascendency in a formally independent Lebanon," an objective which Damascus finally attained in 1991-92. Should the death of Hafiz al-Asad lead to a struggle for power, the author expects Syrians may have to cut back on their current predominance, but "it is unlikely that any post-Assad government will voluntarily abandon Assad's Lebanon policy." In other words, Hanf advises the Lebanese to get used to living under the Syrian thumb. How ironic: the war that finally made the Lebanese a nation also ended their independence.

Middle East Quarterly, December 1994

'Collision Course' is a mix of reportage, history, and economic and political speculation. One of Bryce Harland's themes is the feeling of common cause by East Asian countries as they face a United States fresh from winning the Cold War and imbued with a renewed sense of manifest destiny. Yet, the book makes clear that common cause is increasingly unable to keep the region from fractionating as their parallel economies struggle for prominence in Western markets, and as America, with the backdrop of a declining Japan, continues to leverage her political and economic dominance to assert her social and political agendas. Harland's central thesis is simple, and to my mind, convincing. The domestic politics of the U.S. are as much a factor as the regional diaspora of the South Chinese in guiding the evolution of East Asian economic and political development. It has historically been the domestic attitudes of the Americans towards the migrant Chinese and Japanese in the U.S. that account for the alternating cycles of discriminatory and liberal trade policies on the region. He cites the yearly torment over Most Favored Nation (MFN) status renewal for China as an example of the schizophrenia that grips the American polity struggling with liberal attitudes towards human rights and conservative views on trade; laced with pressures to scapegoat during times of economic want.

'Collision Course' is an attempt to explicate the oft confusing and tumultuous relationship between the U.S. and East Asia through a historical lens, and to explore the future of that relationship as the forces of history subside with the end of the Communism. As with most world history, the region and its relationship with America has been shaped by two world wars, a number of regional conflicts, internal revolutions, and healthy dose of xenophobic nationalism. Indeed, the involvement of America in East Asia can be traced back to four significant events -- the gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry, the American occupation of Japan, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War. In all these cases, American materiel and capital have been instrumental in propelling the economies of the region toward modernization and urbanization. In the end, my sense is that the next collision contemplated by the author will be less of a clash between East and West as it will be between the nations of the region as they jostle for the political and economic access to the U.S.

The author goes to great lengths to show that East Asia is not a homogenous hegemony, but a collection of conflicting interests, cultures, rivalries and nationalistic tendencies that are historically at the razor's edge away from disintegrating into fractional fighting. This complex web of conflicts is largely bilateral, between Japan and China, China and the Europeans, Japan and the U.S., Japan and Southeast Asia, and America and China. Only recently, with the advent of Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) has East-West interactions been multilateral. Harland also makes the point that until the 1980s, the region has been held together by a shared sense of historical colonial victimization. However, as these countries matured, this is being overshadowed by more recent memories of Japan's expansion into Asia, and China's moves into Tibet, Mongolia, Burma, and Vietnam. To a lesser extent, recent memories of the Vietnam war, and role that the U.S. played to stop the spread of Communism in the region seems to carry more saliency with the current generation than the legacy of colonial expansionism a century ago. Today, even as the threat of Communism has diminished, an increase in intra-regional tensions has resulted. Keeping these tensions in check has been a period of double-digit economic growth, fuelled by American money to prop up local governments against the tied of Communism in the 1960s.

Mr. Harland manages to keep his promise to remain detached in his analysis, using a reporting style that is at the same time engaging and neutral in tone. The book does not pretend to explain the psychology behind the 'Collision', although it takes time to explore its socio-economic causes. For students of regional politics in East Asia and the U.S. there is nothing surprising in the book. Yet, it is the author's systematic treatment of the region's history, and his focus on economic and trade-related issues, that brings into relief the underlying reasons for today's headlines; usually obscured by 30-second sound bites on broadcast television.

'Collision Course' provides a clear road map for anyone to see why the Asian Currency Crisis of July 1997 was inevitable. Tight, opaque industrial networks, nationalistic mercantilism, and a suspicion of outsiders fuelled the lack of accountability and made possible the advent of money politics. The book hints of a warning for the future because unless East Asia breaks loose from its obsession with ridding itself of its colonial past, it cannot freely engage the U.S. without the latter resorting to the kind of forced diplomacy that characterized her first contact with the region....

I first read "The Coming of Rain" about twenty years ago, and have re-read it many times since. This book has everything - history, mystery, humor, romance, and some of the most memorable characters since "To Kill a Mockingbird." I have shared my copy with my friends and family, and everyone who has read it shares my delight. For years I have looked for other novels by this superb author, and now thanks to the Internet, I have found out about "After the War." I can hardly wait to read it, especially since Brian Ledbetter, the incredibly funny character from "The Coming of Rain," is also a character in "After the War.

This book tells a spellbinding tale of the Jewish community in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The sheer tapestry of the tale is bound to exhilerate old and young, and bring us back to the days of old.

If you want to understand the Middle East, the inner world of an extraordinary writer, this is among the #1 books to buy!

Like packing a laptop, this 650-page book covers every creature an East Coast nature lover could encounter, from starfish and sharks to rabbits and walruses. Very easy to identify your sighting with numerous color plates and vivid descriptions. Author, Collins, offers own observations and challenges the reader with unexpected wit and wisdom seldom found in nature books. 40 years old and shamefully out-of-print, if you find a copy, hold on to it!

It is impossible to read this book and to remain uninvolved in the impending need for government aide in East Timor. It is shocking to realize how reluctant the government is to become involved in stoping the holocost that is occuring. This book will educate you, then suggest ways that you can assist in the fight to save East Timor. The pictures are wonderful, and the author has done an excellent job in putting together this book. I look forward to reading other works by Sharon Scharfe.

Roman's Concise History of East and West Florida is invaluable for students of the early American landscape. Romans describes the topography, people, plants and animals of Alabama and Mississippi in the 18th Century. Highly recommended.

Choksy does a great job of researching the history of Zoroastrian Persia in its first two centuries under Arab rule. He thoroughly covers the subject of how a Zoroastrian nation was converted to Islam during those early centuries. A remarkable research and a classic.

This book which covers the main mid east arenas of conflict since World War 2 (Palestine/lebanon/the Gulf/ the Kurds/Iraq/Kuwait) is a very valuable background to the events of September 11th (2001). Usama bin Laden needs to be put into the context of Middle East disputes: especially Arab/Israel to understand his motivations. 'Conflicts' includes studies on Islamic fundamentalism, 'Holy Terror' and big power confrontation.
This is a timely publication. Slim and concise-good maps and bibliography. For both the scholar and the general reader. (...)