FROM BEIRUT TO JERUSALEM

by Thomas L. Friedman ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1989

An insider's forthright account of the current Mideast situation, by the former New York Times bureau chief in both Beirut and Jerusalem, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner. This is perhaps the most important and convincing analysis to have appeared of the conflicts, complexities, and contradictions that have plagued the troubled area for the past 40 years. Friedman begins his narrative with a brief but cogent precis of the historical background to the current situation. His scholarship is apparent in the thoroughness and clarity with which he treats the convoluted material. When dealing with his Beirut experiences, Friedman draws telling psychological portraits of not only Yasir Arafat, but also of such figures as Kemal Jumblat, the Druse leader, and Amin Gemayel, the Lebanese President. And, as Friedman writes, ""Beirut was always. . .more interesting for its psychology than for its politics."" The author is especially effective when discussing the Reagan Administration's blunders in dealing with the Lebanese Christian-Muslim hierarchy. It is the ""Jerusalem"" section of the book, however, that will undoubtedly create the greatest stir. Friedman is scathing in his depiction of current Israeli politics. His scorn for both the Labor and Likud parties is apparent, and his analysis of Israeli policies in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is equally critical--and convincing. Moreover, the text is dotted with memorable anecdotes that personalize what could have been a dry-as-dust recital of facts and figures. When, for example, Friedman describes a Beirut hostess asking her guests, as a continuing artillery barrage threatens to put a damper on her party, ""Would you like to eat now or wait for the cease-fire?""he tells more about the Lebanese situation than can be found in pages of writing by a less adept and less insightful observer. Not to be missed.

Pub Date: July 1, 1989

ISBN: 0374158959

Page Count: -

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1989

Categories: NONFICTION