There was a time when Lebanon was seen as the Switzerland of the Middle East: democratic, an island of economic stability and social progress--in short, a delightful land. But in fact since the days of its modern inception in 1920 and for centuries before, Lebanon has been a feudal country torn by religious, communal, and ethnic conflicts. This very readable book traces Lebanon's history and shows how it became a cauldron of hate and war in modern time. The significance of the influx of some 450,000 Palestinians between 1948 and 1972 and the Civil War and the foreign interventions of the 1970's are shown as the background of the more recent tragedies. But it is the war in 1982, in the context of the wider Arab-Israeli conflict, that is the main focus of the account. The 1982 military operations--the Southern Lebanon Israeli invasion, the fighting in the Bekaa Valley, and the siege of Beirut-- are described in highly readable factual detail and accompanied by maps that are indispensable for a full understanding of the military actions that took place. The Palestinian guerrilla operations against Israel, and the Israeli responses, are documented thoroughly as well as many little known incursions by the PLO. The roles of Major Haddad of the so-called "Free Lebanese Army", of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, and the Multi-national Peace Force are clarified. This in-depth study is objective, scholarly and complete; it is important reading for all persons interested in what took place in Lebanon and concerned as to how that conflict may affect the future of the Middle East.

Introduction -- List of Maps -- Part I - Lebanon and the Arab-Israeli Conflict -- Chapter I - Tragedy and Hope: the Origins of Turmoil in Lebanon -- Chapter II - The New States: Lebanon and Israel -- Chapter II - The Palestinians and the PLO in Lebanon -- Chapter IV - Civil War and Syrian Intervention in Lebanon , 1975-1976 -- Chapter V - From Jerusalem to Camp David -- Chapter VI - 1978. The Litani River Operation : The Second Israeli Incursion -- Chapter VII - The Case of Major Sa'ad Haddad -- Chapter Viii - The Resurgence of the PLO in South Lebanon -- Chapter IX - From Bekaa to Osirak to Cairo: Missiles --Part II - The Fifth Arab-Israeli War, June 1982 -- Chapter X - A Ceasefire Sets the Stage for War -- Chapter XI - Opposing Deployments, Forces and Plans -- Chapter XII - Israeli Assault on the PLO - Chapter XIII - The PLO Collapse -- Chapter XIV - Battle of the Bekaa Valley: The Onslaught -- Chapter XV -- Battle of the Bekaa Valley: Denouement --Chapter XVI -- Mop-up in the West: Advance on Beirut -- Chapter XVII -- Ceasefire and Consolidation - Chapter XVIII -- A Military Assessment -- Chapter XIX -- The Siege of Beirut -- Part III - The Lingering Crisis -- Chapter XX -- Journalism and the Conduct of War -- Chapter XXI - Enter the Multinational: Exit the PLO -- Chapter XXII Assassination and Massacre -- Chapter XXIII -- Renewal of Lebanon's Civil War -- Chapter XXIV - Legacies of Hatred -- Chapter XXV 00 Epilogue -- Appendix A - - Appendix B-- Glossary -- Selected Bibliography -- Index