National Book Award Non Fiction Winner

From Beirut to Jerusalem

by Thomas L. Friedman

Summary

A reporter's account of the modern Middle East drawn from Friedman's years covering the Lebanese Civil War and the first Palestinian Intifada. He alternates between street-level reporting from Beirut and Jerusalem and broader analysis of sectarianism, nationalism, and American policy. The book became a standard introduction to the region's conflicts for a generation of general readers.

Historical Context & Significance

Friedman used his time as a foreign correspondent to explain the complex "tribalism" of the region to an American audience for the first time.