San Antonio College Library

Today Lebanon is one of the world's most divided countries. But paradoxically the faction-ridden Lebanese, both Christians and Muslims, have never shown a keener consciousness of common identity. How can this be? In the light of modern scholarship, Salibi examines the historical myths on which his country's warring communities have based their conflicting visions of the Lebanese nation. He shows that Lebanon cannot afford this divisiveness, that in...

The complex history of Lebanese Shi'ites has traditionally been portrayed as rooted in religious and sectarian forces. The Abisaabs uncover a more nuanced account in which colonialism, the modern state, social class, and provincial politics profoundly shaped Shi'i society. The authors trace the sociopolitical, economic, and intellectual transformation of the Shi'ites of Lebanon from 1920 during the French colonial period until the late twentieth century....

The book covers mainly the Israeli point of view, but its scope is wide and provides insight into the intricate workings and components of the Lebanese-Israeli-Palestinian interactions, as well as the internal aspects of Lebanese and Israeli politics relevant to the issues discussed. The book provides a most interesting and readable coverage of the Israeli military operation, and the behind the scenes planning and intrigue of this operation. Notable...

Hezbollah lifts the shroud of secrecy covering the Shiite Muslim organization that has been synonymous with terror since it first made global headlines with the 1983 suicide bombing that killed 241 U.S. Marines in Beirut. For the first time, Hezbollah has allowed an outsider to talk to its fighters, leaders, and strategists, and to question them about the motives and operations behind some of the most destructive terrorist attacks in recent history....

"Since 1945, over 200 intrastate conflicts have taken place in countries that achieved independence from colonial rule after the Second World War. The course and quality of national development in these countries has been affected profoundly by the eruption of such conflicts, as well as by other related factors, such as the nature of domestic political institutions, the quality of governance and geopolitics in the developing world." "The case of Lebanon...

For the late Fuad I. Khuri, a distinguished career as an anthropologist began not because of typical concerns like accessibility, money, or status, but because the very idea of an occupation that baffled his countrymen made them-and him-laugh. "When I tell them that 'anthropology' is my profession ... they think I am either speaking a strange language or referring to a new medicine." This profound appreciation for humor, especially in the contradictions...