A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered

A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered
by Kamal Salibi

A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered
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Book Summary Information

Author: Kamal Salibi
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1990-10-12
ISBN: 0520071964
Number of pages: 254
Publisher: University of California Press

Book Reviews of A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered

Book Review: Excellent Book
Summary: 5 Stars

I originally purchased this book to help get an idea of how Lebanon arrived at where it is today, both politically and socially. Needless to say, in light of the other reviewers, the book succeeds at this masterfully. There is a depth of research and knowledge embedded in this text that I usually do not find in books of similar size; Salibi's writing is direct, to the point and easily accessible. The amount of information is staggering, but given the non-linear narrative used I had no problem keeping the groups, characters and ideas in order. Therefore, the book not only works as an excellent background text to modern Lebanon, but it will also continually work as a reference text, given its comprehensive index. The only issue to note that could be construed as negative to some readers is the lack of information regarding the civil war; Salibi has taken up the history prior to 1975 as the body of the book, which stages the following conflict brilliantly, but does not actually document it. Overall, it was an excellent read.

Summary of A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered

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, a famous Lebanese writer and scholar 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 order to develop and maintain a sense of political unity, it is necesary to distinuish fact from fiction and then build on what is real in the common experience of both groups.
Salibi offers a major reinterpretation of Lebanese history and provides remarkable insights into the dynamic of Lebanon's recent conflict. In so doing, he illuminates important facets of his country's present and future. This book also gives a masterly account of how the imagined communities that underlie modern nationalism are created and will be of interest to students of international affairs as well as Near Eastern scholars.

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