Civil and Uncivil Violence in Lebanon: A History of the Internationalization of Communal Conflict

Samir Khalaf

Paper, 224 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-12477-5
$26.50 / £15.50

May, 2002
Cloth, 224 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-12476-8
$43.50 / £25.50

"Khalaf has arguably contributed more fine studies on the history and sociology of modern Lebanon than has any other scholar alive." — Foreign Affairs

"Eminently readable, with an insider feel for detail and complexity." — International Affairs

"Civil and Uncivil Violence in Lebanon makes a major contribution to the study of democratic theory." — Bill S. Mikhail, Middle East Policy

"A book which offers a sustained and original reflection upon the character and dynamics of internal conflict in Lebanon." — Oxfam Developemental Resources Review

"Khalaf succeeds in crafting a narrative that is engaging, scholarly--and, perhaps most refreshing--hopeful" — Akram Fouad Khater, International Journal of Middle East Studies

"A fascinating history of conflict in Lebanon since the early nineteenth century." — Marius Deeb, Middel East Quarterly

"In contrast to many observers who stress either the preponderant role of internal or external variables, Samir Khalaf shows the interconnection between the two and persuasively argues that Lebanon’s entrapment in protracted social strife is largely a byproduct of the interplay between internal dislocations and external pressures. Civil and Uncivil Violence is an interpretive, interdisciplinary sociological essay, one of the most comprehensive volumes written recently on Lebanon. In this context, it serves as a useful text in both undergraduate and graduate courses." — Fawaz A. Gerges, Sarah Lawrence College

"A leading sociologist offers us the most intelligent and eminently useful interpretation of Lebanon's long history of communal conflict and foreign intervention. We learn not only why certain institutions and patterns of life broke down but also why others have persisted as long as they have, in spite of some of the most devastating civil conflict and dangerous external challenges ever experienced by a single country. For an examination of the prospects for restoring civility in Lebanon we can do no better than to read Samir Khalaf." — Philip S. Khoury, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Series

• History and Society of the Modern Middle East

About the Author

Samir Khalaf is professor of sociology and chair of the Center for Behavioral Research at the American University of Beirut. He is the author of many books, including Lebanon’s Predicament, published by Columbia.

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