Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War

The author did show the cruelty of war and how ultimately the civilian are the ones who pay the price and suffer the most. He documented the atrocities committed by all actors in Lebanon (Lebaneses, Palestinians, regionals and international) . No one was spared. No guérilla, faction or army is ‘more humain’ than the other. In a war: all humans becomes savages and the real victims are the civilians. I wish the world has thousand more reporters like Robert so when we watch a war in the confort of our sofas we know that many many innocents are getting butchered.

I was ashamed that I didn't really know the details if the history of "recent" events of my country and I was referred to Fisk's book for its exhaustiveness.It goes over the history of Lebanon during the different events & war period of 1975-1990. Robert manages to put in so many facts, dates, and real-experience into this book that you feel like you were really going through these events.It's very long and needs some serious dedication. It's definitely not light. However, it's very insightful and feels very truthful. You get to see the rationale, to a certain extent, of all the different parties involved. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Lebanon's history or even history in general.

I just have started to read the book. So far it meets my expectations. A good background account on the past and present time of Lebanon and surroundings. Even though the book is a bit old already - maybe it should be updated as regards the last decade (until today, esp. concerning impacts of the Arab Spring and crisis in Syria). Anyway, I am going to use Pity the Nation as a sort of "Lonely Planet tourist/backpacking information source" for political and contemporary history of Lebanon when visiting the country.

I was shocked at the amount of history packed into this book by a man. This detailed look a the history and culture of Lebanon provides a window to the history of the entire middle east. It's as relevant as the day it was written and the first hand personal experiences of Fisk mixed with his tedious research create a mountain of facts that seldom leave the reader questions the source of his opinions.

If you read only one book in your life ,this is it. Truthful,detailed ,full of facts and dates to support the events. Having family living in Lebanon thru those years I was sick at times reading the horrible events they went through. Mr.Fisk is a master writer and historian I recommend this book very highly. Must read

well worth a read. a definitive history of the authors Time in Lebanon. worth reading if you have an interest in this topic

Some of the truth of the Leb. Great place hopefully to see peace again .

Written from direct experience and clearly from the heart, Robert Fisk weaves a web of connections from Auschwitz to South Lebanon.

… der seit 1976 vor Ort lebt. Erst als Korrespondent von The Times. Später dann für den Independent. In dem vorliegenden Buch beschreibt er erst die weiter zurückliegende Geschichte des Libanon bevor er die Ereignisse der letzten Jahrzehnte aus seiner persönlichen Perspektive beschreibt. Also das, was er selber erlebt hat.Beispiel: Die Entführung von Terry Anderson, dem Beiruter Bürochef von AP. Robert Fisk war am letzten Abend vor der Entführung mit Terry zusammen. Die Unterhaltung drehte sich um die Berufsrisiken eines Journalisten in Beirut. Fisky, you only drove away from those guys last year because you happen to be crazy and because you drive like a maniac anyway (583). Mit Fisky ist natürlich Robert Fisk gemeint. Anderson war der Meinung, dass man gegen die Waffen der Entführer ohnehin keine Chance habe. These guys have guns. You don't have a chance. You were just lucky last time. If they come, it's better to let them take you. (583) Richtig oder falsch? Sie kamen am nächsten Morgen. Terry Anderson sollte lange, sehr lange von der Bildfläche verschwinden. Weitere Geiseln folgten. Robert Fisk hatte zwar Glück, musste sein Leben aber völlig umstellen. Verkleidungen. Er vermied es auf den Balkon zu gehen. Wenn er abends ausser Haus essen ging, übernachtete er bei Freunden. I felt as though I was climbing down a long tunnel whose diameter was constantly shrinking until its walls pressed against my shoulders, so Robert Fisk über sein damaliges Leben (621). Irgendwie gelang es ihm daneben noch seine Arbeit zu tun. Sein Freund wurde hingegen nahezu sieben Jahre festgehalten bis er als letzter der amerikanischen Geiseln freikam. Bemerkenswert: Terry hatte in all den Jahren seinen Humor nicht verloren. I missed a lot of things. I don't understand what a CD player is and I missed out on Ninja Turtles (662).Beispiel: Qana, eine UN Basis, wo 560 libanesische Flüchtlinge Schutz gesucht hatten. Am 18. April 1996 wurde viele von ihnen getötet. Ein Amateurfilmer hatte das Massaker für die Ewigkeit festgehalten. Gut sichtbar: die israelische Drone. Absicht also, kein Zufall. Es war Robert Fisk, dem der Film zugespielt wurde, und es war sein Arbeitgeber, der Independent, der den Mut hatte, die Bilder in einem dreiseitigen Artikel zu veröffentlichen. Das Bemerkenswerte hier: die Aussage eines Überlebenden, der seine ganze Familie verloren hatte. You must not blame all jews. Es gibt Gute unter ihnen, die immer schon die Wahrheit gesagt haben, und es gibt welche in Amerika, die uns helfen. Eine erstaunlich differenzierte Sichtweise von jemanden, dem viel Leid zugefügt worden ist, und ein typisches Merkmal für den Erzählstil von Robert Fisk. Er zitiert nicht nur einfach Fakten und offizielle Aussagen, sondern er lässt die Betroffenen zu Wort kommen. Sehr bildhaft, sehr persönlich und sehr berührend.Daneben setzt er sich mit der Rolle der Medien, die über die Ereignisse im Nahen Osten berichten, auseinander. Wie unabhängig ist die Berichterstattung? Wie werden Journalisten beeinflusst?The Israelis deluged reporters with information and offers for assistance, while many Arab nations regarded Western journalists as spies, refusing to respond to the simplest of enquiries or to produce even the most junior of ministers for interviews. (407) In Kriegszeiten nahmen die Israelis die Journalisten mit an die Front im Gegensatz zu den arabischen Nachbarländern. Die Ereignisse im Libanon – erst in 1978 während der ersten israelischen Invasion, dann in 1982 – sollten dies jedoch ändern. Auf einmal hatten die Israelis kein Monopol auf die „Wahrheit“ mehr. Die alten Worthülsen funktionierten nicht mehr. In der Folge wurden diejenigen Reporter, die eine eigene Meinung vertraten, dämonisiert. Robert Fisk musste das selber erfahren. Der Preis für seine Unabhängigkeit. Er beschreibt das sehr anschaulich.And yet – there should always be an „and yet“ in reporting the Middle East. Robert Fisk hinterfragt die offizielle Rhetorik. Warum werden westliche Geiseln in der Presse als „Geiseln“ bezeichnet während die schiitischen Gefangenen im Südlibanon „Gefangene“ sind. Ähnlich der oben erwähnte Terry Anderson. Er war es, der seine Mitarbeiter in Beirut anwies, den Begriff Terrorist nicht zu verwenden. It is a pejorative out here (435), so Anderson. Die doppelten Standards in der Berichterstattung. Fisk lässt sich ausführlich darüber aus. Erinnert immer wieder daran. Hat mich an Gabriele Krone-Schmalz erinnert.Zum weiteren Inhalt des Buches:Einfach die Blick-ins-Buch-Funktion nutzen. Dort kann man das Inhaltsverzeichnis, Kartenmaterial, einen Teil des Textes, das Register und mehr sehen.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Der Titel des Buches stammt aus der Feder des libanesisch-maronitischen Dichters Khalil Gibran, veröffentlicht in THE GARDEN OF THE PROPHET, London, Heinemann, 1934:Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.Pity the nation that …. (gekürzt) ...Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Mein Fazit: Unbedingt lesenswert, wenn man mehr über den Libanon wissen will Ein Kapitel des Buches ist zwischen zeitlich in deutscher Sprache erschienen:  Sabra und Schatila: Ein Augenzeugenbericht. Libanon 1982 . Ansonsten wurde noch nichts übersetzt. Ich würde mir wünschen, dass sich dies ändert, damit noch mehr Leser erfahren, was Robert Fisk zu sagen hat. Sabra und Schatila: Ein Augenzeugenbericht. Libanon 1982

Robert Fisk's extensive account of the Lebanese civil war is an amazing mosaic of events and stories that in its entirety paint a pretty good picture of the horrors that took place from 1976 to 1996. Mr Fisk has an almost unparalleled ability to be on the spot as events are either unfolding or have just happened.Pity the Nation is the story of a journalist working in pretty dire conditions and a first account witness statement to the atrocities of civil war, Israeli invasion, more Israeli invasion and involvement by Syria, France, USA, Italy and many other countries that have somehow seemed to get involved in the destiny of Lebanon.Fisk, along with Norwegian journalist Karsten Tveit, were the first to enter Sabra and Shatila after the massacre and recounts in graphic detail the sheer horror of the systematic extermination by the Christian Lebanese Forces and under the watchful eye of the occupying Israeli Defence Force. Fisk also found himself passing through Hama in Syria in 1982 when President Assad's forces killed between 10,000 and 25.000 civilians in an attempt to oust Muslim Brotherhood influence on Syrian politics. Lastly, he worked with Terry Andersson who was later to be kidnapped and held hostage for over 5 years. It is these stories, along with many more, that combine to give a full and fairly clear picture of war and politics in the Levant over a 20 year period.Unfortunately the book does not work as a historical account and there are a number of omissions in the book that would need to be included for it to work. More attention would need to be given to the bombing of the US Embassy (such as motive and speculation / evidence as to who was involved), the kidnappings would need to be elaborated and especially the kidnapping of Terry Waite, which I think is dealt with very superficially. Fisk never pretends that Pity the Nation is a historical description of war in Lebanon.Fisk is a brave man (you would have to be to have lived in Lebanon through the war) and has made himself controversial by writing the book. There is a multitude of very critical reviews by people who in one way or another find it difficult to deal with the very gory and almost unbelievable facts of the conflict. I, for one, believe Fisk's account to be reasonably truthful and precise, as he does not seem to be pushing any one sided agenda. But judge for yourself and be prepared for some stomach churning stuff . Anyone who went through what he did and was prepared to put it on paper afterwards deserves much more than a 5 Star Rating on Amazon!

This is an essential book to understand the recent history of Lebanon. There are no good and bad, but as it says in the book they are all bad in some aspect, their reading in addition to broadening the knowledge of that part of the Middle East, produces sadness because the solution is very far if it exists. Fisk often introduces his feelings and personal stories, which is very interesting because with great value he wants to always be on the front line and see everything with his own eyes. In his reading we see a great compassion for those who suffer and an interest in reaching the ultimate consequences of his research that is commendable.It may be an appreciation of mine but logically devotes a lot of space to the suffering of the Palestinians, which is fair, but the suffering of Christians may not be as highlighted as it would deserve, in the long term Christians will be expelled from their lands if they do not had been yet.In short, an essential book and made with great knowledge in the field and above all, impartial.I don't knew Mr Fisk after this book I try to read everything he writes.

Great journalistic memories of Lebanon’s destructive war and totally riveting account of the disgusting accounts of its downfallA tribute to Robert Fisk and his bravery for telling his stories of an almost forgotten page in a recent war of the different factions fighting within the region

Fisk combines horrifying and amazing accounts of direct experience, first rate investigations and careful compilation of evidence, with succinct introspection, consideration and humility of perspective.Ranging from personal heart-warming narratives of journalistic comradery and the absurd clash between our messy reality and clean pronouncements from global actors, to fearless and meticulous documentation of war crimes and erudite political analysis in the broader context of history. Less tangential and more focused than Fisk's "The Great War for Civilization", Pity the Nation is of value to any reader interested in journalism, modern politics/history or Lebanon itself.I laughed and I cried. Mostly cried.