Product Description

Winner of the 1989 National Book Award for nonfiction, this extraordinary bestseller is still the most incisive, thought-provoking book ever written about the Middle East. Thomas L. Friedman, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, and now the Foreign Affairs columnist on the op-ed page of the New York Times, drew on his ten years in the Middle East to write a book that The Wall Street Journal called "a sparkling intellectual guidebook... an engrossing journey not to be missed." Now with a new chapter that brings the ever-changing history of the conflict in the Middle East up to date, this seminal historical work reaffirms both its timeliness and its timelessness. "If you're only going to read one book on the Middle East, this is it." -- Seymour Hersh. "From Beirut To Jerusalem is the most intelligent and comprehensive account one is likely to read." -- New York Times Book Review.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45910 in Books
• Published on: 1990-08-01
• Released on: 1990-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 541 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"Friedman, who twice garnered the Pulitzer as a New York Times correspondent in Lebanon and Israel, further delineates the two countries in this provocative, absorbing memoir cum political and social analysis," commented PW. The work won the National Book Award.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
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. Friedman's credentials are impressive: he spent six years of journalistic service for the New York Times in Beirut and Jerusalem, has won two Pulitzer prizes, and is now the Times 's chief diplomatic correspondent. His writing is vastly descriptive, incredibly illuminating, very educational, and marvelously persuasive. His advice to U.S. diplomats is that since "Middle East diplomacy is a contact sport," they must bargain as grocers, or, in other words, realize that everything has a price and the sale can always be made with enough hard work. This title is highly recommended for all libraries. See also Sandra Mackey's Lebanon: Death of a Nation , reviewed below.
- Ed. -- David P. Snider, Casa Grande P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Friedman, the NEW YORK TIMES columnist now best known for his book on globalization, THE WORLD IS FLAT, was a correspondent in Lebanon and Israel in the tumultuous 1980s. This production is an abridgment of his book about those years, with the focus on his personal adventures rather than political analysis. Friedman tells compelling stories, but his narration is oddly detached. He relates how he watched a man being kidnapped, how his apartment was bombed, and a host of other harrowing events with the same glibness he uses to spin humorous anecdotes. It's not that he writes without compassion, only that one doesn't hear it in his voice. D.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

From Beirut to Jerusalem Review
The book was in very good condition and arrived promptly. I'm so pleased I may order additional copies.

From Beruit To Jerusalem
I am going to Beruit in August and I find the book fascinating. Sandy Tracey

From Beruit to Jerusalem
I now have such a better understanding of this area, geography, cultures, religions. A great read...very well written. A must read prior to travel in this part of the world.