A History of Modern Lebanon

Writing for general and specialist readers, Traboulsi (history, Lebanese American University, Beirut) offers a history of Lebanon from the 16th century onwards, with special focus on the wars of the 1970s-80s. Although the treatment is chronological, the author emphasizes three themes that make the country unique: its political system of sectarianism, its liberal economic system, and its problematic relationship with the rest of the Arab world due to its large Christian population and Western influence. Unlike previous works on Lebanon, this history emphasizes internal political, economic, and social factors that have affected the country. The book includes a chronology and glossary, plus b&w maps. This second edition is revised and contains a new chapter. It is distributed in the US by Palgrave Macmillan. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)