With the Israeli-Palestinian crisis reaching wartime levels, where is the latest confrontation between these two old foes leading? Robert Fisk's ex...
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reviews
Sep 22, 2011
Ian
rated it: 
On one hand one of the most difficult books to read given the subject matter, brought out in all its rare highs and far-too-often lows, gruesome, painful lows; and yet on the other hand engaging, compelling and a deeply personal account.
I read this book to get an idea of what happened in Lebanon given my shameful ignorance of much of went on last century; the push was an upcoming trip to Lebanon.
Robert Fisk, and many other journalists, drivers, assistants and more he writ More...
I read this book to get an idea of what happened in Lebanon given my shameful ignorance of much of went on last century; the push was an upcoming trip to Lebanon.
Robert Fisk, and many other journalists, drivers, assistants and more he writ More...
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Nov 28, 2010
cscb
rated it:
this book is a lot like "the great war for civilisation" in that it is an episodic and sprawling journalistic account, not a self-contained history. what he does cover, fisk throws himself into with everything his considerable intellect and sensitivity can muster. the result is a highly intricate, yet understandable overview of the political factions and relationships involved in the conflicts of the 70s and 80s, amazing and deeply thoughtful accounts of warfare, events both spectacu
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Dec 31, 2008
Sarah
rated it:
This book was an astonishing read. It was assigned to me as research for a play I'm assistant-directing about the conflict in Lebanon and its effect on a family, but I found it to be eye-opening in a way that fiction could never be. Fisk's love for Lebanon as a country is as strong as his descriptions of the harrowing events surrounding war in Beirut and southern Lebanon. He deftly pins down the history of Western intervention and its horrifying effects on the country, so even someone who kno
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Sep 30, 2010
Kamil
rated it: 
An outstanding work of journalism, again produced by a very capable person.
It is a very enlightening and valuable piece of work for any one trying to take a glimpse into and understand the complexities of Lebanon's political calamity( with its deadly impact on anyone exposed to it) in depth and the Middle East at large.
The dizzying shifts of alliances of the various warring groups(within) and the external forces manipulating them did nothing but destroy its people and t More...
It is a very enlightening and valuable piece of work for any one trying to take a glimpse into and understand the complexities of Lebanon's political calamity( with its deadly impact on anyone exposed to it) in depth and the Middle East at large.
The dizzying shifts of alliances of the various warring groups(within) and the external forces manipulating them did nothing but destroy its people and t More...
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Mar 08, 2009
Michael
rated it:
Received this book at the end of December 2008. Finished shortly into 2009.
What can one say about the horrors of war. The horrors of civil-war. the complete failure of humanity. And the cancer that is power and control.
Once you read the chapter entitled, "Terrorist", you will realize, through Fisk accounts, that humanity is a grim spectacle.
A chilling remembrance to the victims of atrocities. Fisk gives the ghost of the deceased names, faces, feelings. Sad to say, a More...
What can one say about the horrors of war. The horrors of civil-war. the complete failure of humanity. And the cancer that is power and control.
Once you read the chapter entitled, "Terrorist", you will realize, through Fisk accounts, that humanity is a grim spectacle.
A chilling remembrance to the victims of atrocities. Fisk gives the ghost of the deceased names, faces, feelings. Sad to say, a More...
Jan 14, 2012
Bryan
rated it:
On October 23, 1983, two men nearly simultaneously detonated car bombs killing 241 American servicemen, of whom 220 were Marines and 58 French servicemen in one of the deadliest days in American combat history since World War 2. I have known of this for a large part of my life, but wanted to get an understanding of the particulars. Why were we there in the first place? Who was responsible for the bombing? If we were part of a multi-national force to protect the Lebanese from the Israelis and
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Aug 02, 2010
Zillah
rated it:
After finishing this book, l have a feeling that it will follow me for a long time, play with my thoughts, make me think and rethink another million times. It's not just a book about Lebanon; it's a book about disappointment, betrayal, people's tragedies, sadness, politics, and hope.
It took me ages to finish this one; partly because l didn't have much time in this period, partly because it reads like a 700 pages long newspaper article and requires a great deal of concentration, but it's no More...
It took me ages to finish this one; partly because l didn't have much time in this period, partly because it reads like a 700 pages long newspaper article and requires a great deal of concentration, but it's no More...
Nov 12, 2010
Steve
rated it:
Fisk has produced what should be generally regarded as one of the best pieces of journalism ever tansferred to the pages of literature. In attempting to comprehend how the Israeli nation could countenance atrocities committed in its name, Fisk opens this account by travelling to Auschwitz to ground any judgement on the genocide that engendered the diaspora which resulted in the founding of the Israeli state. Though suitably moved by the human tragedy of the holocaust, the author is objective eno
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Aug 19, 2009
Jesse
rated it:
This took me forever to read, partly because it is over 600 pages, and partly because of the density of the emotional and the historical details. It is basically an elegy for Robert Fisk's time reporting from Lebanon, which runs 20 years and spans the civil wars and Israeli and Syrian invasions. It is telling how many of Israel's policies from the Occupation got a tryout here, from white phosphorus weaponry, to the use of collaborators, to referring to all resistance as terrorism. Fisk does no
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Nov 13, 2011
Leo
rated it:
In 2005, I traveled briefly on vacation to the Middle East for the first time with the assistance of my close friend, a Norwegian who had lived sporadically in Palestine for over a decade. I was privileged to be in Israel and view the bucolic border it shared with Lebanon. From our vantage point near an Israeli kibbutz, one could clearly see the Hezbollah flags flying in the distance in the pastoral valley below. One year later this particular area would be set afire in what would later be de
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Apr 11, 2009
Marty
rated it:
Another excellent book by Fisk---an overview of the wars in Lebanon from 1976. Excellent analysis, detailed descriptions of the horror, esp Chatila massacre. Its hard to understand how Israel is allowed to destroy the lives of so many, in Lebanon and now Gaza, without impunity. As I was in Lebanon a few years before the wars, and had a job offer to work there in 1975, it was with luck that I chose Sri Lanka instead. But, the book is heart wretching.
Mar 01, 2009
Ameena
rated it:
The story of the Lebanese civil war is tragic, depressing, hopeful and insightful. I learned so much about Lebanon, the Lebanese, and the broader Middle East from reading this book by the famed reporter Robert Fisk. If you have any interest in current affairs or gaining an understanding of the complexity of Lebanon and the Middle East - this is a must-read!
Feb 20, 2008
Samuel
rated it: 
Fisk can be pretty ponderous at times - this very long book could have been cut by at least a quarter - but this is still an incredibly important history of the Lebanese Civil War, told from the perspective of one of a very few western reporters who stayed in Beirut for the duration of it. One of the most enlightening chapters is "Pandora's Box," which talks about the manipulation of language in wartime - he is particularly concerned with, and amply documents, how the word "terror
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Nov 30, 2010
Dennis
rated it: 
Too many names I couldn't pronounce, a bouncing timeline I couldn't keep straight, a number of political parties and foreign nations influencing policy defeated me after 150 pages. Written by a journalist who spent eleven years in Beirut during the seventies, this book was way too hard to follow. Perhaps a fitting tribute to Lebanon's confused and violent history of the last fifty years.
Jan 23, 2009
Jarir
rated it:
Great book about Lebanon and the more recent wars that broke out over the nation during the 80's between different factions, the US and Israel.
Jul 09, 2009
Steven
rated it:
This one is massive, but it's unusually engaging for a work of nonfiction. Fisk knows well the political and cultural terrain of the Near East.
Jan 27, 2010
Hena
rated it:
Fisk shows that war is a game of chess, and Lebanon was the chessboard for 15 years (and in some ways, still is.) The many political and military factions who fight against each other and continually shift their alliances, are the chess pieces and the land of Lebanon is the chessboard. "Pity the Nation" demonstrates that war is ultimately a game, with fatal consequences for the uninvolved civilians who are the spectators of the horrendous chess match.
Read this book if yo More...
Read this book if yo More...
Apr 26, 2010
Javad
rated it:
So sad. I wept and thought how could human beings be so cruel to do such things to eachother.
Mar 27, 2011
Jean
rated it:
An amazing writer--a real page turner. Tremendously absorbing and clear. Magisterial!
Apr 21, 2008
Shane
rated it:
I only read the first half of this book, then I had to give it back to the guy I borrowed it from. I still want to track it down and read the rest. As far as I can tell, this is the decisive book on the Lebanon wars (excluding the July war, of course). Fisk is a great writer and tells the story well. The main problem with the book is keeping the chronology straight in your head, because he jumps around a lot.
Jan 06, 2008
Megan
rated it: 
A mediocre history of the Lebanese conflict during the '80s, that feels as though Fisk is preying upon the horrors that were visited upon Lebanon just for shock value. Overall I was not impressed and probably would not re-read this book, even for the historical content or as a reference for academic work. Fisk's scholarship was overshadowed by his need to constantly sensationalize these tragedies.
Nov 23, 2010
Nour
rated it:
This is your guide to the horrors of the Lebanese war and an eye-opener to everything they don't teach you at your history class. The truth is I didn't want to finish this book and I'm not sure I'll like what I'll read next! Fisky's credibility as a witness is matched only by his insight into the Lebanese psyche. Excellent. Disturbing. And deeply moving. You cannot afford not to read this!
Nov 30, 2008
Dave
rated it:
Fisk proves once again that, remarkably, he is never rendered speechless by the atrocities he describes in vivid detail. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Pity the Nation's narrative could likely have been rendered in half the pages. He weaves a detailed historical tapestry, with an unending stream of personal anecdotes (true to Fisk), that is worth the reader's time.
Jan 02, 2010
Michelle
rated it:
Despite the occasional poor style, this book should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the Middle East, particularly the tangled relationship between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.
Dec 17, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
I read this book immediately after returning from the Lebanon Conflict. I was appalled and traumatized by what I read - and to be honest - about what I saw even though it was not as bad as the civil war. I had to put it down because I was so filled with fury and the stupid egotistical men who wage wars and destroy the lives of men, women, and children.
Jul 17, 2010
Daniel
rated it:
Wonderful, extensive look at a troubled place by a man who saw, understood, felt what was happening. Fisk is a true journalist, writing about a place with a critical, yet compassionate eye. A heart-breaking thriller, this reads like a tragic French novel where everyone dies at the end but you can always see the beauty of the setting.
Dec 29, 2009
Icky
rated it:
Amazing history of recent times in Lebanon. Fisk is unrelenting in his judgment and though demonized by some heavy Zionists he actually seems fairly critical of anyone who wields power in that area (a good place for any journalist to start). Unfortunately, there is no part two to catch us up on the last 20 years!
Jul 29, 2008
Eric
rated it:
Simply the greatest unbiased history book written. Ever. This book explains why the entire Middle Eastern conflict is so complex and impossible to resolve.
Fisk is hated by all sides after writing this book, which is the greatest compliment an unbiased author could ever receive.
Fisk is hated by all sides after writing this book, which is the greatest compliment an unbiased author could ever receive.
