I have always admired Thomas Friedman as an insightful writer of truth. Although a Jew his writing is impartial. He clearly states that he has friends both Israeli and Arab, and has been criticized by his American countrymen. I have often wondered why his opinions are not solicited by U.S. government officials, but perhaps no one wants to face the truth that on all sides of the Middle Eastern difficulties there are human beings whose opinions need to be heard and their concerns recognized.

In an spellbinding anecdotal presentation of the facts Mr. Friedman treats the reader with substance often lacking in the usual reporting that at best presents a few highlights of daily events.

Kenneth Ray Taylor author of Standup Comedian: The Secret and Beyond

This book is so amazing, just for the neutral opinion that the author has throughout all its chapters. Well of course, its been written as an eyes of an American, but none the less it is quite absorbing. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is intrigues by the complexity of the region.

This book brings back to life the question I always asked myself, 'how come Yaseer Arafat received the Noble peace prize' which proves the fact that' one persons terrorist is other persons freedom fighter!!!!'

Definitely read it, you will not be disappointed. The humor in the book all through is outstanding.

I read this book right before I moved to Israel when I was 24 years old in 1996. This book helped to greatly broaden my perspective and empathy for people on all sides of the Middle East conflicts. Its also the complete opposite of a dry read. Its packed with personal stories and anecdotes that deeply personalize the plights of people on all sides. I think if I hadn't read this book first, I would have landed in Israel considerably more ignorant, arrogant, and just plain dumb.

Without a doubt, the most informative, intelligent and unbiased writer on the Middle East. A must read for anyone interested in the past or the furure of the Region.

This book was recommended to me by a Friend, after 9/11, to help me understand the "thinking" in that area. Since then I have done a great deal of research but this was my "starter" book. I found it to be excellent in giving the true complexity of what has been and is now going on in that area

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a history lesson on the Civil War of the 80's in Lebanon and then, compare what happened then to what is happening now.

I find it fascinating to hear what the perceived solutions to the problems at the time were, what was done, and what has happened since.

Best intellectual book on the Middle East that exists. Friedman is an experienced, thoughtful genius. A must read.

Tom Friedman occupies a unique place in the American Foreign Policy establishment elite. Not since Walter Lippman has the voice of a journalist been more influential in Washington DC. "From Beirut to Jerusalem" was his first foray into full-length treatment on critical international issues -- and it is still his best. Moreover, although it was written two decades ago and during a very different time, it is still incredibly relevant to current events.

What makes Friedman's narrative so powerful is his liberal use of personal anecdotes from his time as a New York Times coorespondent in the Middle East in the early 1980s. The story crackles with life as Friedman reconstructs the events of the Lebanonese civil war and Palestinian intifada from a broad spectrum of perspectives, from ultra-ortodox rabbis to American Jewish peace activists, Yasir Arafat and Palestinian schoolchildren, Washington policymakers and enlisted Marines. Friedman's description of life as a journalist at Beirut's Commodore Hotel is especially noteworthy and, on occasion, hilarious.

At the core of Friedman's analysis is the contrast between American naivete and the almost primordial savagery of tribal relations endemic to the Middle East. Friedman uses "Hama Rules" (after Syrian president Hafez al-Assad's brutal 1982 repression of a nascent Muslim Brotherhood insurgency in the Syrian city of Hama) as short-hand for the nature of power politics that shaped the flow of events in the region during his time there. The common demoninator in group identification is religion (by sect and by clan) and the gravest sin is to show weakness to your enemies. Friedman argues that the Reagan administration completely failed to understand this fundamental nature to life in Lebanon in the early 1980s when they committed Marines to help bolster the newly elected Maronite Christian president Gemayel, who was, in fact, more the leader of the Phalangist militia than true representative leader of the polyglot country.

Interestingly, Friedman writes that Israeli leaders often make the same mistakes as the US about the region, although some Israelis, such as Ariel Sharon, understand Hama Rules and act accordingly. Friedman describes the Israeli army reaction to the kaleidoscopic factional environment they found in Lebanon after their 1982 invasion as quite similar to the US army experience upon entering Baghdad in 2003.

Indeed, comparisons to Iraq are what struck me most when reading this book. After reading "From Beirut to Lebanon," I was amazed how optimistic Friedman was about the Iraq invasion in early 2003. He was relatively supportive of the war -- a position most likely held out of a deep desire and hope that it would succeed in bringing democracy to the Middle East, a position he passionately promotes, rather than any reasoned belief that the mixed Iraqi population would welcome a new US-installed regime. The civil war in Lebanon in many ways mirrors the intense factionalism of warfare in Iraq where religious identification -- Maronite, Druse, Shiite -- defines the membership of warring militias and undermines any attempt to use a national army to provide stability and bolster a central regime.

Many of the details about the war in Lebanon or the intifada make the book feel outdated, but the central underpinnings of conflict and discord in the region so lucidly explained by Friedman will not change anytime soon. The reader gets a sense of division and pure hatred that divides the people of that troubled land and seem to guarantee that the "peace process" is a meaningless charade.

As of this writing, 168 reviewers have reviewed this book, so I will be brief. Thomas Friedman, for all his real acumen and gifts with language (both spoken and written) tends to be cute or trite too much for comfort. That said, this book suffers from precious little of this. It is definitely in the genre of "New Journalism" now quite old, where the reporter is part of the story, maybe even the story itself at times, but this does not detract from the boldness of this work in the form of its written style, which is free, easy, yet complex, handling each topic with a certain grace and style and formal beauty. Friedman brings a complex topic to a general audience without sacrificing nuance (in fact, this is his main thrust) to show both Lebanon and Israel as cultures of almost impossibly subtle nuance, where small difference of sects and creeds can be the difference between war and peace, bliss and pain

The writing wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't good either. Much of the book read as if it was filler and stories he heard from someone else. The author's account of his time in Beirut was not informative and rather bland. I have read other accounts that really go in depth into either the political, military or personal experiences of those on the ground, but this book did not add anything to what's been written. His analysis of the Beirut conflicts left much to be desired.

I remember a part of the book where Friedman writes about his time in the Commodore Hotel and how this hotel was the place to be for any journalist in Beirut, and then reading Robert Fisk's Pity the Nation where he talks about all the hack journalists hiding out in the Commodore writing their stories from second hand accounts instead of going out and reporting the story with their own accounts. I don't know if Fisk was right, but I thought his book was much better than Friedman's.

I did find his writing on Israel to be informative (still bland though). His analysis of the psychology of the Israeli people I found to be highly insightful, and it gave me a perspective which I had never seen before. The only way to understand the Israeli people is to try and understand how the Holocaust and being surrounded by hostile people has affected their national psyche. The Israeli perspective was the best thing I took away from this book, but not even this was able to redeem the work for me.

One of the reasons I like reading reporter's books is that they are usually well written, entertaining and written with a passion or flare that the academics usually lack. This book had none of that. I felt bored and found myself having to concentrate pretty hard to stay in touch with what I was reading. I would have been fine with the shoddy writing had the analysis or the history been better but it just wasn't. There are just many books out there that treat the subject with much more competency.

If you're looking for a good book to learn more about this topic, keep looking.

Tom Friedman is a master at using charming, funny and fascinating anecdotes to illustrate broad historic events and cultural phenomena. His grasp of history is profound, and his observations are always spot on. The events he describes in this book may, indeed, be limited to only a very small part of the planet, but the human dynamics involved are universal and have profound implications for us all.

As a journalist Mr Friedman is at its very best when he reports the historical facts, puts them in perspective and analyses them. And reporting the facts is what he does in the first part of this book, Beirut. This is the best part hands down. His analysis is profound, true, and it gives a singular and personal lighting of the civil war in Lebanon and the Israeli invasion.
However, Mr Friedman, as a sociologist, isn't nearly as good (or just maybe his analysis has lost its relevance in the 20-odd years since the book was first published). The Jerusalem part is far too convoluted and sometimes downright obscure in its multi-layered division of the Israeli society.
Also Mr Friedman is a very good writer with a wit all its own. But at times the metaphors he uses are too cute for their own good and the author spends far too much time (his and ours) justifying their pertinence. The book is an impressionist analysis, sort of a 600 pages op-ed supported by impressions, but short on statistical data.
Still a great and essential read.

If you read one book to try understand this little place with such big impact on the middle east and the world, read this one. Friedman lived in Beirut during its turbulent upheaval of occupation by both Palestinian insurgents and the Israeli forces. He aslo live in Jerusalem as the state was under siege from the factions all looking to destory Israel.

True journalistic integrity holds you captivated. After this book, you cannot hold anything less than sypathy and disgust for both sides, and understand that there may not have been another way it could play out. If there is any hope of this land settling down to a normal nation, it will be from someone who started with this insightful study, and moved to find solutions to its violent history.

I first started reading this book when the latest conflict between Israel & Hezbollah was going on in Lebanon (Aug 2006). For someone like me, who did not know much about Lebanon, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict, this book does a fine job of walking through the historical background as well as describing the (1980's) conditions on the ground. I think the author is objective for the most part trying to inform about all the sides of an issue/event, but at the same time also shares some of his personal observations on things, which makes this narrative more engrossing than just a collection of facts or opinions. It is also an excellent primer on the history of Israel and Palestine and the basis of the conflict. The updated text with an additional chapter describes what happened between 1990 and 1995 (there were significant changes in both the Israeli and Palestinian views of each other and major changes took place). I also liked the part where the author gives a series of possible solutions to taking the peace process forward. I guess it would be desirable if the author updates this book or comes with a follow up with what has happened in the last 10 years.

If you read one book to try understand this little place with such big impact on the middle east and the world, read this one. Friedman lived in Beirut during its turbulent upheaval of occupation by both Palestinian insurgents and the Israeli forces. He aslo live in Jerusalem as the state was under siege from the factions all looking to destory Israel.

True journalistic integrity holds you captivated. After this book, you cannot hold anything less than sypathy and disgust for both sides, and understand that there may not have been another way it could play out. If there is any hope of this land settling down to a normal nation, it will be from someone who started with this insightful study, and moved to find solutions to its violent history.

I first started reading this book when the latest conflict between Israel & Hezbollah was going on in Lebanon (Aug 2006). For someone like me, who did not know much about Lebanon, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict, this book does a fine job of walking through the historical background as well as describing the (1980's) conditions on the ground. I think the author is objective for the most part trying to inform about all the sides of an issue/event, but at the same time also shares some of his personal observations on things, which makes this narrative more engrossing than just a collection of facts or opinions. It is also an excellent primer on the history of Israel and Palestine and the basis of the conflict. The updated text with an additional chapter describes what happened between 1990 and 1995 (there were significant changes in both the Israeli and Palestinian views of each other and major changes took place). I also liked the part where the author gives a series of possible solutions to taking the peace process forward. I guess it would be desirable if the author updates this book or comes with a follow up with what has happened in the last 10 years.

This book successfully illustrates the Middle Eastern conflict:

the first part of the book (Beirut) is about the Lebanese civil war.
Mr Friedman does a great job describing both the "mood" of the country and the Lebanese people in all their religions and political affiliations.

The second part is about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict before and after the Palestinian "Intifada",
with a peace solution suggested by the author at the end.

Through the book there's a lot of anecdotes told by the writer, these anecdotes make the book easier to read, illuminate the readers about people's mentality during war time and give them a "feel" about the Middle East.

I also recommend Mr Carter's book "Palestine : peace not apartheid" and Mr Fisk's books "Pity the nation: the abduction of Lebanon" - "The great war for civilization".

This is one of the most enlightening books I have read about the conflicts in the Middle East, and it is such an enjoyable read because of the stories Tom Friedman tells to illustrate the very complex problems that confront leaders and nations in trying to achieve a peaceful solution among and between so many different personalities and religious beliefs.

This is one of the most enlightening books I have read about the conflicts in the Middle East, and it is such an enjoyable read because of the stories Tom Friedman tells to illustrate the very complex problems that confront leaders and nations in trying to achieve a peaceful solution among and between so many different personalities and religious beliefs.

Don't get me wrong, I am truly a fan of Thomas Friedman. Although this book ends before Rabin's assassination by an ultra-Orthodox Jew who opposes the Oslo Accord. The above question and answer is the main reason that Palestinians have been ostracized from their birthplace. Yasir Arafat is highly criticized for not doing enough for his own people or for the western world. Never mind that he died of natural causes in Paris and that he lived in the slums of the West Bank. He never saw his wife or daughter because he was imprisoned among his people. Sadly, the Palestine/Israel issue has become a thorn in the side of the rose of our government. We don't forget the HOlocaust and that it helped bring about the Israeli state to the sympathy and empathy of the world. What happened to the Muslims and Christians who had lived in Palestine up until that point? They were displaced for the chosen people. After all these years, Arafat and Rabin are gone to a better place and Sharon is on his way there. Even with Sharon in a coma, things still look grim for both sides. Israel keeps bringing immigrants from Ethopia and Russia because they need to be a Jewish state. They are terrified of the Arabs and the Muslims themselves. Now, President Jimmy Carter says that the Palestinians are living in an apartheid state. Finally somebody with common sense, that's what it is when you separate people just because of their religions. Israel was supposed to be past that. I blame both sides because the Palestinians should know better and so should the Israelis. They know from personal experience the horror of inhumanity to mankind from the Holocaust and Anti-Semitism. I don't Friedman realized that it was Rabin who signed his death warrant with the Oslo Accords. Also, Shimon Peres who succeeded Rabin after his murder was not relected by the Israelis. Since then, they have had numerous prime ministers while Palestinians only had Arafat. Whether you liked him or not, most dislike him because he was such a pain in the side of Americans? Now, American Evangelical Christians are sending millions of dollars to Israel in supporting the country but they assume that Israel needs to remain a Jewish state until Jesus Christ returns to the Holy Land. They believe that the Israeli Jews will convert or be eternally damned. Their intentions are for themselves. The Palestinians from Amira Hass, a Israeli Jewish journalist who chooses to live in Gaza, are immediately suspected of being a suicide bomber intent on destruction. The Israeli Defense Force is not innocent either because nobody has stopped them from killing innocent Palestinian children, men, and women because it is assumed that they are guilty of something. The Palestinians living conditions are worse than the Israelis and they have to go to Israeli hospitals beause they don't have the facilities. The Palestinians and Israelis must live together rather than live apart. Remember separate but equal between blacks and whites in America, it's the same thing.

A must read for anyone interested in the understanding the MidEast situation which has held centrestage ever since WW2.

Mr. Friedman proves once again that he has the right vocation in life as a reporter and author. His ability to describe the streets of Beirut and Jerusalem, the fighting, the horror, the daily life of the residents, the religious faction clashes is remarkable. Though the time I spent in Beirut and Jerusalem was years ago, Mr. Friedman's book makes it seem like yesterday.

His insight in his book to the many religious factions in Lebanon and Israel, which thrive through out the Middle East, should be read by those wanting to know why the war in Iraq has taken many lives and lasted this long. Mr. Freidman explains the complex structure of the Middle East as only a first-rate novelist can. The book should be a required read for any soldier, peace keeper, negotiator sent to the region. The book details why religious conviction in the Middle East is stronger than any known in the West and why the peace process is and will be a difficult one.

I had been looking for a book that would provide a clear and concise overview of the issues behind the conflict in the middle east and this book was perfect for that. There is a very good summary of key events in the creation of the state of Israel and after its creation. The description of life in Beruit and Jerusalem and the descriptions of the psychological make up of the people and factions there was especially helpful in understanding the intractable issues confronting the people in these lands. The book is dated now, but I think the part about Israel's experience in southern Lebanon has lots of similarities with America in Iraq today. This book was very well written, was very interesting and informative, and was an excellent beginning text on the middle east conflict.

Though well written , the glaring biases , innacuracies and ommissions in the book make it just another unreliable source in trying to exploire the reality behind the conflict in the Middle East.
He demonizes Lebanon's Christians , writing much about the massacre of Palestinians , PLO terrorist camps , Sabra and Shatilla in 1982 , but ignore the context of this. That the Christian Lebanese millitia were merely retaliating after years of suffering and mass murder at the hands of the PLO.
Friedman simply gives one sentence to the massacre of thousands of Christian Lebanese men , women and children , at Damour , by the PLO , on the direct orders of the modern day Hitler , Yasser Arafat (may his name be erased and forgotten).
He ignores the fact that the Palestinian terrorists and their Syrian allies had massacred over tens of thousands of Christian Lebanese , and that Christian Lebanese young men and women had been forcibly drained of blood for transfusion to Palestinian terrorists.

In his strong urge for instant dialogue between Israel and the PLO , he glosses over the crimes and terror of the PLO against Israel's civillian population and that the fact that goal of the PLO was always the complete destruction of Israel , and a second holocaust against Israel's Jews.

He also completely villifies Israel's Likud government of the time , showing a naked prejudice that discredits his work.

In short he dwells on the suffering of Palestinian Lebanese and ignores the suffering of Israelis and Christian Lebanese.

There is a lot out there that simply adds to prejudice and obfuscation of what is the reality behind the Arab-Israeli conflicts and the Lebanon conflict.
I gave it two stars because it at least tries to achieve some balance and is not at the rotten level of such despicable and venomous anti-Israel hatemongers as Noam Chomsky , Edwards Said , Norman Finkelstein , Lenny Brenner , Naomi Klein , Virginia Tilley and Robert Fisk.
Unlike the above Thomas Friedman , though misguided is motivated by something other than hatred. He at least has some sympathy for some Israelis unlike ther above who'se hatred of the Israeli people is pure racism.
Ignore this one and rather read Joan Peters , Samuel Katz , Benjamin Netanyahu , Yaacov Lozowick and others who will show you are a more accurate picture.

Though well written , the glaring biases , innacuracies and ommissions in the book make it just another unreliable source in trying to exploire the reality behind the conflict in the Middle East.
He demonizes Lebanon's Christians , writing much about the massacre of Palestinians , PLO terrorist camps , Sabra and Shatilla in 1982 , but ignore the context of this. That the Christian Lebanese millitia were merely retaliating after years of suffering and mass murder at the hands of the PLO.
Friedman simply gives one sentence to the massacre of thousands of Christian Lebanese men , women and children , at Damour , by the PLO , on the direct orders of the modern day Hitler , Yasser Arafat (may his name be erased and forgotten).
He ignores the fact that the Palestinian terrorits and their Syrian allies had massacred over tens of thosuands of Christian Lebanese , and that Christian Lebanese young men and women had been forcibly drained of blood for transfusion to Palestinian terrorists.

In his strong urge for instant dialogue between Israel and the PLO , he glosses over the crimes and terror of the PLO against Israel's civillian population and that the fact that goal of the PLO was always the complete destruction of Israel , and a second holocaust against Israel's Jews.

He also completely villifies Israel's Likud government of the time , showing a naked prejudice that discredits his work.

There is a lot out there that simply adds to prejudice and obfuscation of what is the reality behind the Arab-Israeli conflicts and the Lebanon conflict.
Ignore this one and rather read Joan Peters , Samuel Katz , Banjamin Netanyahu , Yaacov Lozowick and others who will show you are a more accurate picture.

Given the recent outbreak of violence in Lebanon, it is worth revisiting this bit of investigative journalism and history given to us by Mr. Friedman. We need to understand the history, the culture, the religion and the personal vendettas that converge in this region to really make sense of the continuing conflict. Once we have accomplished that, then maybe the UN can come in and help broker a lasting peace or, more likely, a lasting segregation.

It's hard to say anything good about this book that hasn't been said dozens of times already, but Tom Friedman has produced one of the most important books on the modern Middle East that exists today. From Beirut to Jerusalem is a wonderful mix of contemporary history and reporting from someone who clearly cares about the region. Friedman is remarkably fair in his approach and doesn't give a free pass to anyone, Jew or Arab.

The book's only real flaw is that at times it can feel like a bunch of little stories and anecdotes rather than a book with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Part of this is probably the book's length. At 571 pages, it's a long read even though Friedman is an excellent writer. Another reason for this is that the subject doesn't lend itself to quick and easy explanation. Nonetheless, anyone that wants to understand the Middle East today will be at a serious disadvantage if they don't read this book.

If understanding the modern Middle East is your goal, then you would do well to read From Beirut to Jerusalem. Even though the book only covers two countries directly, the content can be easily extended to the rest of the region. And even though the book was written a decade and a half before the summer 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah, it goes a long way in explaning that particular conflict.

Slightly depressing, but a great overview of why the Arabs, Palestinians, and Israelis act toward each other the way they do.

Consent & deny. Filling in the gaps with retro-fitted pleasure craft billbowas, frittering away the last vestiges of ceiling con-cavedness, somewhat fluid morants of militancy are left hanging by a chad. Helping the booze bound will be tantamount to a feeling of dis-servatude. Catfish?

This book addresses one of the age old issues in the middle east, but does so with an intimate and fairly unprejudiced, and at times, as odd as it seems, somewhat humourous view.

There is a brief summary at the front of the book that takes the reader through the last century's occurences so it is fairly easy to get your thoughts around this highly complex state of affairs.

Thomas's Friedman's style is straightforward, very easy to read, and I became engrossed immediately from his first hand account of what went on during the critical time of the Palestinian cause, and the Arab and Israeli involvement during the 1980's.

The book delves into the cultural and psychological make up of the region and provides key insights into this battle torn region.

Having spent the last year in the Near East, I found that reading this book gave me an incite that was most helpful to me and my collegues. While this book was written about the Isreal-Lebanon issue during the 1970's-1980's, though it just reared its ugly head once again in the last few months, it was as I said a great help to me to understand or at least better understand the arabic way of life and culture. With the world attention squarely on the Near East we all, weather American, European, or other cultures throughout the world, need to know and understand the Near Eastern mentality, culture, and to some extend how the Islamic Religion plays into the everyday life and politics of that area. With this book being written by a Jewish American and with Thomas Freidman's understanding of the Near East way of thinking gives the book a credibility others could only hope for. I recommend this book to anyone that is a student of the Near East, Politicians and Military Personnel, Religious Leaders, and anyone who wants a better understanding of the Near East in general.

This story tells a well articulated synopsis at a look inside the life of what goes on in the war torn Lebanon of the 1980s. It also includes enough historical detail to help the reader understand dynamics (of factions) about what has led Lebanon to become what it is today. I reccomend it to anyone with a modicum of intrest in Middle East politics.

For century's it has been back and forth and back and forth. When will it ever end. We have three great religions preaching peace but waging war.

Neither Jew nor Arab will like this book. Is it honest? Well, let the reader read and see. this book will make u think, scream, laugh and cry. It is so sad what is going on in these Holy lands. The Lord must be in tears and somewhat upset!

I've been staring at a copy of Thomas Friedman's 'From Beirut to Jerusalem' on my shelf for nearly a year now, meaning to read it but always drawn to something else. Finally, recent events demanded that I learn more and I finally pulled it down, dusted it off, and read it. I'm so glad I did, especially now.

The book is not the easiest read, since it delves into a lot of regional history and politics, which gets complex no matter what you do. Friedman's writing style, however, goes a long way towards making the text quite accessible for just about anyone, and his unique perspective on the events that he witnessed and covered in his role as a journalist keeps it interesting and always relevant.

What I really appreciated about the way Friedman presents his story is that it really is HIS story. He is obviously a man gifted with a keen sense of observation, and so he picks up on many details others might miss, such as the faces of Israeli soldiers or the opinions of Lebanese taxi drivers. But still, the story is told mainly through events he observed directly -- he just happened to be there for many of the events that shaped the Middle East as it is today. He tells it in both large and small terms, from some of the politicians he met and interviewed to discussions he had with neighbors and colleagues while living in the region. The result is that you get the broad spectrum of what was going on in the region, particularly in the 1980's, a critical decade of events.

I also appreciated Friedman's fairness throughout the book. From his perspective on the Lebanese government to the Palestinian intifada to the Israeli occupation to the American involvement in the region, he deals with all of the players fairly, whether big or small, famous or unknown. That's not to say he doesn't have criticisms -- certainly, he has plenty to say about everyone...but one is never left with the feeling that he has been too harsh on one side and lenient on the other. Friedman's willingness to observe with an unbiased eye and ear is key to the strength of this book.

Even with the newer added chapters, dealing with the late 1980's and early 1990's, this book cannot be considered a "complete" history of the Middle East, or even of the events of the last 50 years. However, it is not meant to be that, I think. What Friedman has documented here is an excellent primer for anyone interested in learning more about how we got to where we are today in Lebanon and Israel and Palestine. The book is not an end in itself, but for someone who wants to learn more about the region that is in the news almost every day, this is an excellent place to start.

The only way to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past is to learn from them. As such, 'From Beirut to Jerusalem' should be required reading today.

Not in the "must read " class, but a good informative personal account of Thomas Freidman, the New York Times middle east journalist. The book contains his observances of the factional fighting that took place in Beirut and the larger Lebanon, Israel conflict in the 1980s. The book has interesting observances of these complicated situations. This is a good book for the 21st century where it appears Lebanon is again descending into chaos, and Israel has once again tried the tactic of invading southern Lebanon. Freidman does a good job making a chaotic situation interesting while providing new insights.

I have not yet completed From Beirut to Jerusalem, but I have been fascinated by every word. Mr. Friedman's intellectual approach to the every-day life, religions and politics of the Middle East is written in an easily understandable, conversational manner. He asks questions, finds a range of answers from varied sources, and shares his conclusions in a non-judgmental way. Mr. Friedman's in-depth study of the interplay of religions and politics in the Middle East has clarified many questions I had and has validated some of my thoughts. I better understand what is happening in the Middle East and am rethinking my own political views on today's events.

The book is primarily composed of anecdotes and the author's personal impressions of the people involved, both those who could be considered actors in the events and more ordinary types of people who tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy and survive the mayhem that was engulfing them. Though the book contains some interesting insights it is not as captivating as his columns. My final analysis is that while "From Beirut..." is worth reading, Thomas Friedman, superb columnist that he is, makes it clear that accomplishment as a foreign correspondent does not necessarily translate into a great author of the stature of say, a Mark Bowden.

I started reading this book about a year ago just out of interest and finished it up the other day. I must echo what other reviews have said in that this book is extremely pertinent to the issues of today in the region. The territorial fighting still goes on, the hatred still exists and the solutions are still few.
This book doesn't propose any "plan for peace," which is actually very refreshing. Other books on this topic are generally just the ranting of gasbags who have little comprehension of the history behind the conflict. The truth, as Friedman points out, is that the solution lies in the hearts and minds of the Palestinians and the Israelis. There is plenty of blame to go around, but no outside government--including the US--will ever be able to force peace on these people. Every president since the foundation of Israel has tried to gain peace in the Middle East, but it never works.
This book is not just history it's emotion as well; which makes it all the more entertaining. I recommend it highly.

I actually read New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's thoughtful and often provocative account of the Middle East situation about fifteen years ago, and it is certainly a testament to his journalistic skills that the book holds up so well today. Sadly it also shows how little the Middle East has changed in the intervening years in terms of the possibility of conflict resolution. Certainly with the current Israeli air strikes in Lebanon, the book has even greater relevance today for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the religious and historical foundation for the conflict.

What sets Friedman's book apart from others is the highly personal approach he takes with the history lessons he presents. The author begins his journey as a teenager watching the 1967 Six-Day War on TV, when the concept of Israel sparked a lifelong passion for him. However, like anyone else, the actions taken by Israel since then to defend its sovereignty have often been challenging to embrace. When Friedman later became a reporter in Beirut, an assignment that lasted nearly a decade, he shares how he coped with the ongoing violence and sought normalcy through whatever means he could. This also affected his reporter's ability to discern the facts in the stories he covered in the region, a challenging position at best, especially with the 1982 slaughter at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps as a flashpoint for his own inner turmoil. He makes palpable the rage he felt toward Israel for its accountability in the massacre.

Friedman clearly divides the book between the two cities of the title with the first part devoted to the ongoing civil war in Beirut among the Shiites, Druse, and Maronites. The second part focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a particular emphasis on Israel's occupation of Lebanon. This originated with the idea of flushing out the PLO, even as the various sects were battling among themselves. The net result has obviously not been liberation but a staggering quagmire of sociopolitical strife among groups all vying for power in the region.

With these types of revelations, the current air strikes begin to make strategic sense from a military standpoint since the Israelis strongly feel outright destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure is now the only option to snuff out the Hezbollah. It's rare that a seventeen-year old book, no matter how well documented and written and even with the addition of an updated chapter, can actually feel more prescient than it did before. Even as Friedman impressively shares with his increasingly accurate globalization forecast in "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century", he shows an even more immediate awareness of what may lie ahead for the Middle East.

There have been any number of books that have worked hard at interpreting the melange called the Middle East. This one, however, makes a difference because it's so well written and captures the psychological mannerisms of the people of Lebanon and Israel--the first step to understanding some of the mysterious "why" that seems to elude the American public and government.

What is so complicated to figure out?

The answer has been waiting to be discovered in the Middle East for centuries, same as it has been waiting to be discovered in even the USA!

As in

No Jesus, No Peace

Know Jesus, Know Peace

Until then, write all the books you want, read all the books you want, have all the discussions you want, and in addition, until everyone stops bickering over denominations, nothing is going to change.

This account of the author's time in the middle east in the 80's has suddenly become very timely again due to the recent hostilities in the region. A sad turn of events, but a very fine piece of prose to satisfy the curiosity of hungry minds.

Good analysis of situation, but lacking the passion of the various point of view.

First of all, let me say that I find Thomas Friedman to be an excellent writer of prose - what he writes is always compelling and easy to read. That's the good news.

The bad news, for this book at least, is that it's way off-kilter, totally unbalanced against the Israeli side.

And here's the root of the problem, in my opinion: Living in Beirut, Mr. Friedman had it really, really good. He lived like an Ottoman-period pasha in a nice villa with servants and a cook, a nanny, quite a high life for a nice, middle-class Jewish boy from Minneaplois. It didn't hurt that in his daily life there, he was treated with respect, deference, and hospitality that are often hallmarks of polite Arab society.

Once Mr. Friedman got to Israel, boy did things change. Now he was treated as just another schmuck on the street - a little apartment in Jerusalem, no nanny, cook, servants, and rude, pushy Israelis wherever he went.

Don't take my word for it - it's all right in this book.

The point is, this very smart and capable guy was taken in by the graciousness of life in Beirut (outside of when your life was in danger) and turned off by his less-than-haimish everyday relationship with Israelis. By the way, I understand that Yassir Arafat was a very gracious host when he wasn't intent of killing you (ditto for Saddam Hussein, Hafez al-Assad, Quadaffi - see a pattern here?).

Add to all this the fact that Mr. Friedman's conclusions in FBTJ have now been overtaken by events, it's not clear to me that this book provides any real value for a reader interested in understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict.

For a much better understanding of the region during this time (early to mid-1980's), I by far recommend "Double Vision: How America's Press Distorts Our View of the Middle East" by Ze'ev Chafetz, if you can still find it.

Otherwise, if you are a fan of Mr. Friedman's writing *style* (and I am,) you might want to read FBTJ just for the heck of it - but take his "facts" and conclusions with a big grain of salt.

That ignore buffoon of a writer what can I say he said it himself he lived in west Beirut and worked with a group of pro Palestinian pro-arab people that buffoon blames every thing on the big bad Christians I fought in the war what that says is all wrong he doesn't even know the difference between the phalangist and the Lebanese forces... he spend half a chapter blabbing about the sabra and shatila massacre but oh so innocently forgets the mountain massacre committed by his friends for stupid ignorant who want to write about the war let him get his facts straight the phalangist lost the mountain war because the Israeli army cut of its supply because they where pissed of at the Christians because they did not full implement the 17 of may accord for people who want to know what happened in the war I advise u to ignore this and the other idiot Robert fisk

This was my first educational view at the Middle East and I couldn't stop reading it. I am senior in high school and beyond the usual news stories and brief mentions in school, I was unaware of what had made the Middle East what it is today and who was who. This book may have been written in the 80s but I feel that it brings an understanding about the situation today and why it is so, finally now I can somewhat understand what and who they are talking about on the news. Leaders may have changed but the concept of what Friedman is talking about seems to stay the same and issues today seem to make more sense. Thomas Friedman is a great writer and is the perfect person to analyze the situation, as he adds pieces of personal touch that can only come from having lived there and grasping what few people can. This book is full of points that go beyond the Middle East and make one wonder about different issues and states in the world, no matter how far away they are from the situation of the Middle East.

This book is an analysis of the factors underlying both the Lebanese civil war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Friedman wrote the book after living in Beirut for five years and then Israel for five years as Middle East correspondent for UPI and the New York Times. Thus, the first half of the book covers his experiences in Lebanon and the second half, Israel.

Friedman arrived in Lebanon in 1979, where the civil war had already been going on for four years. Among other battles, he was there for the Israeli invasion and subsequent withdrawal, and for the bombing of the U.S. embassy and Marine headquarters. In this book, he writes about his personal experiences and challenges covering the war. He also explains the major political and military factions in the war, laying out, for instance how the U.S. military forces came to be hoodwinked into actively supporting one warring faction against others when they had ostensibly been brought in as peacekeeping observers.

A vitally important part of this section is Friedman's description of Hama Rules, in which he chronicles the horrific attack in 1982 by Syrian government forces on one of their own major cities, where entire neighborhoods were flattened into parking lots without bothering to first remove the inhabitants. Friedman points out that the massacre in Hama is just one example of the extreme brutality found in the Middle Eastern approach to conflicts. According to Friedman, "the best way to understand what happened in Hama is to understand that politics in the Middle East is a combination of three different political traditions...: tribe-like politics (adherence to certain intense primordial or kin-group forms of allegiance, letting others know that if they violated you in any way, you would make them pay),...authoritarianism,...and the modern nation-state.

Friedman's analysis of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon sent chills down my spine. Friedman writes "instead of entering Lebanon with a real knowledge and understanding of the society and its actors, Israel simply burst in with tanks, artillery, and planes in one hand a fistful of myths in the other-myths about the nature of Lebanon as a country, about the character of Israel's Lebanese...allies, and about Israel's own power to reshape the Middle East." An interview with Avraham Burg, an Israeli paratroop officer who served in Lebanon summed up the situation "We knew it was some kind of complicated Middle East Belfast. Okay, so they had lots of tribes. It meant nothing. We didn't know about the differences between Sunnis and Shiites. And then, all of a sudden, we went in." Fast forward 20 years, replace "Israel" with "US" and "Lebanon" with "Iraq," and we have a startlingly accurate portrayal of the second Gulf War. Too bad our illustrious leaders didn't take the time to read this book before going ahead with their invasion plans.

In the second part of the book, Friedman explains both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to their conflict, although being Jewish himself, he focuses on the Israeli side. He notes that the reason why Zionists are so tied to keeping the occupied territories is their religious significance-they want to walk in the lands of their religious texts. This is why they could never be satisfied with resettlement elsewhere, not even South Florida. In their struggle to regain land and autonomy, the Palestinians have been hampered by being scattered and factionalized, and dependent on their need to earn a livelihood in Israel.

Towards the end of the book, Friedman includes several chapters that seem addressed more towards American Jews and Israelis, in which he analyses the relationship between these distinct communities, the role of the media in the Palestinian conflicts, and possible approaches to peace. I found his metaphor for explaining the difficulty of creating a lasting peace in the region very compelling: it's as if the Israelis and Palestinians are consulting with a fertility specialist. What the specialist has to constantly keep in mind is that no amount of intervention will work until both parties show a sincere interest in getting pregnant and maintaining the pregnancy.

I first encountered Friedman's writing following 9/11 when his Times column was regularly reprinted in the Gulf News in the UAE. I had been living in the Middle East myself for four years, and was amazed that someone with a New York byline could have such insight about the attitudes of the people on the ground in the Middle East, and how Middle Eastern politics really works. This book should be an essential text for anyone interested in contemporary world politics, especially those desiring to take an active leadership role.

Friedman, as usual, is full of fresh insight and vivid analysis. A must-read for anyone interested in the modern Middle East.

this is a nice personal account of the authors time in beruit and jerusalem as a new york times war coorespondent. i wouldnt make this your only read of the area since it is, like i said, mainly a personal account BUT i would make it one of your firsts since the writing is very conversational and easily digestible. i couldnt put it down!

This is a superb look at the Arab-Israeli conflict, Lebanon, and the Middle East, despite being a bit dated. As foreign correspondent for the New York Times, author Thomas Friedman has spent years reporting from Beirut, Jerusalem, and other hotspots in the Middle East. Friedman is a skilled journalist who seems neither pro-Palestinian nor pro-Israeli, and he provides the type of in-depth and balanced reporting one seldom finds on the subject. I particularly liked his coverage of the tragedy that has befallen Lebanon since the 1970's, and his examination of Israeli politics. As Friedman shows, in addition to discord between Palestinians and Jews, there are also many internal conflicts between Arabs, and between Israeli's (some of whom are Arabs). The author does more, however, than merely cover politics. He also looks at the psychology of ordinary people in the arena, be they Muslims, Christians, Jews, Arabs, etc. This stellar book dates from the late 1980's, and obviously cannot cover everything. Still, it remains a super source for understanding conflict in the Middle East.

FROM BEIRUT TO JERUSALEM won the 1989 National Book Award for non-fiction. Author Thomas Friedman also has two Pulitzer Prizes, and at this writing one can occasionally view him on PBS-TV's "News Hour" and other programs. This is journalistic writing at its finest.

Before Friedman became known for a string of topsellers on a wide array of topics, he was a topnotch NY Times correspondent in the Middle East. His knowledge of the region -- in this case Israel and Beirut in particular -- are hard-won. Rarely will you read such insightful and illuminating writing about such a complex and polarized topic. Friedman has all the qualities of great journalists -- fair, nonpartisan, tough, a perceptive reader of people and a great storyteller.