- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: Harvard University Press (14 April 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0674081056
- ISBN-13: 978-0674081055
- Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.3 x 4.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,971,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you're looking for a book that affirms a stereotypical view of the causes of the war in Lebanon, then this is not for you.
Unlike other "authors" who claim that the conflict in Lebanon was sectarian in which the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) was reluctantly caught up, Professor el Khazen contends otherwise. In this heavily researched work, Professor el Khazen pulls no punches and does not follow the trend of simplifying the conflict. The arrival of the PLO in Lebanon; its militant activity in trying to turn Lebanon into a 'confrontation state'; its interference in internal Lebanese politics, as well as attempts to internationalize their plight, signalled the beginning of a downward spiral towards conflict in Lebanon. He writes: 'PLO armed presence has fundamentally derailed the course of Lebanese politics and has deeply disrupted sectarian relations.'
Professor el Khazen looks at the political situation in Lebanon prior to the appearance of the PLO on the scene and finds that the political system in Lebanon was working and adapting to the needs of the Lebanese. Where it was found to be deficient it was reformed. Thus he concludes that the political system was not the cause of the conflict; it was the best formula for its time and would undoubtedly have continued to change if not for the conflict. He also looks at the economic situation in Lebanon prior to the arrival of the PLO and even after its arrival. Here he concludes that economic data demonstrates that the gap between rich and poor in Lebanon was not wide, in fact it faired well compared to some developed countries. Moreover, Lebanon's economic performance was matching that of many western developed states. Again economics was not the cause of conflict.
He does not negate the role of the Lebanese in the conflict, but argues that the PLO and other international players that came along with it, succeeded in disrupting the system and playing on sectarian fears and aspiration in order to achieve their goal...
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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10 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Academic but partial analysis of Lebanon
30 Nov 2007
Format:Hardcover
This book by Professor Farid Khazen is a good read and is well-researched. However, it is an attempt to articulate in academic mantle the Right Wing view in the Lebanon War that the Palestinians were largely responsible for the decay of the Lebanese state, supported by radical Arab states and the Soviet Union. Prof Khazen moves then to a meticulous refutation of Lefitst views of the war, denying that sectarian divisions led to the war or that there were legitimate social and economic grievances among the Lebanese (as the leftists were syaing). Despite the length of Prof Khazen's book, I don't find it satisfying as an account of what happened in Lebanon in the period 1967-1976, nor does it cover adequatley the destructive role played by the Lebanese elites in these tragic years.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A good reference book
23 Dec 2000
Format:Hardcover
A good reference book -- but only if you really need the details, otherwise this is deffinitely a biased account of the war. The problem is not in what Mr. El Khazen says, but in what he leaves out. If this is your first book about the Lebanese war, then you are much better off with any of Kamal Salibi's books on Lebanon.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Comprehensive and Insightful
22 Dec 2001
Format:Hardcover
This is a far more insightful and comprehensive work than several books on Lebanon I have read in recent years. Although I take issue with some of the author's arguments, the book is a solid academic work not only on the war but also on Lebanese society and politics. It is also based on new data and research material. The book is highly recommended for specialists on Lebanese and Arab politics.
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