Civil war in Lebanon, 1975-92 /

O'Ballance discusses the origins, development, and the regional consequences of the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1992. He contends that the civil war in Lebanon was caused by the conflict over the distribution of power, which favored Christians. Lebanon is the only Arab state with a nominal Christian majority and has suffered periods of civil war, internal infighting, and invasions. The power struggle also invited "the predators" (Palestinians, Syrians, Iranians, and Israelis), who attempted to use the Lebanese strife for their own political interests. The book relates the story of a turbulent civil war and dissects the dynamics of Christian-Muslim confrontations and the politics of the peace settlement. Despite this 16-year long struggle, Lebanon has survived, though shattered and bankrupt. While this detailed journalistic account is not intended to provide a theoretical statement on Lebanese civil war, its lucid writing style, unencumbered by jargon, makes it appealing to a wide audience. Undergraduates, graduates, and faculty. M. Dorraj; Texas Christian University