Killing Mr. Lebanon: The Assassination of Rafik Hariri and its impact on the Middle East - Softcover

Blanford, Nicholas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1845118545 ISBN 13: 9781845118549

Publisher: I.B.Tauris, 2008

Synopsis

As sectarian tensions mount in Lebanon following the 2006 summer war, one question threatens to ignite the Middle Eastern tinderbox. Who killed former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri as he drove along the seafront on that fateful day in 2005? With an international tribunal about to be set up, the issue could drag Syria, Hezbollah, Iran Israel and Hamas in to a regional war.In a much-acclaimed blend of investigative journalism, reportage and story-telling, Nicholas Blanford draws on his unrivalled sources in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere to piece together the politics, personalities and power-struggles leading up to the assassination. The paperback edition contains new interviews with key players who refused to speak at the time, casting some of the evidence in a dramatic new light. Full of intrigue, shady characters and suspense, "Killing Mr Lebanon" is the definitive account of how Beirut became once again the flashpoint of the Middle East.

About this title

About the Author

Nicholas Blanford has been a Beirut correspondent for over 10 years. In 1996 he began writing for The Times and The Lebanon Daily Star, breaking several major stories about Israel's occupation of South Lebanon. An expert on Hizbullah's military activities, he has spoken at international conferences on the subject, and written about it for the Jane's Information Group. Since 2001 he has written for The Christian Science Monitor and Time magazine. He reported from Iraq for the Christian Science Monitor from 2003-2004. He lives with his wife and two children in Beirut.

Review

*A rich piece of storytelling--Blanford provides the definitive account of the assassination of Hariri and Lebanon's subsequent 'Cedar Revolution'--dramatic events which are essential to understanding the Arab quest for freedom...Brilliant stuff.*--Time Magazine
*Nick Blanford, a veteran Beirut correspondent, reveals what led to the assassination of Rafik Hariri and how the murder altered the course of Lebanon's history and the balance of power in the Middle East. This is not only a real life thriller but a story with huge implications for the future of the region. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in Lebanon, Blanford is the man to tell it.*-- Richard Beeston, The Times *If you are going to read one book on Lebanon, this is the one. It is as gripping as a thriller, yet packed with sober insight and history. More than an excellent biography of Rafik Hariri, a man of oversized ambition and appetite, who dominated Lebanese politics for a quarter century and rebuilt Beirut, it is a tour de force of contemporary Lebanese politics. Blanford plumbs Lebanon’s relations with both Saudi Arabia and Syria, following the money and charting the tug of war between the regional powers. We come to understand why Hariri was murdered just as he led his country across the threshold of independence. Required reading for anyone interested in today’s Middle East.*--Joshua Landis, Syria Comment.com  *How the 2005 death of a former prime minister sparked a popular uprising, forced Syria to end its 30-year occupation of Lebanon, and upset power balances throughout the region.* --Financial Times *A brisk portrait of the man’s travails and legacy.* --New York Review of Books *Nicholas Blanford's book is a fascinating account of Hariri, a Lebanese Sunni who grew up in poverty but became one of the richest men in the world.*  --Daily Telegraph

About this edition

• Publisher: I.B.Tauris
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1845118545
• ISBN 13: 9781845118549
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 248