--- product_id: 1607673 title: "Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books)" price: "$58.83" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/1607673-pity-the-nation-the-abduction-of-lebanon-nation-books store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) **Price:** $58.83 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) - **How much does it cost?** $58.83 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1607673-pity-the-nation-the-abduction-of-lebanon-nation-books) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description With the Israeli-Palestinian crisis reaching wartime levels, where is the latest confrontation between these two old foes leading? Robert Fisk's explosive Pity the Nation recounts Sharon and Arafat's first deadly encounter in Lebanon in the early 1980s and explains why the Israel-Palestine relationship seems so intractable. A remarkable combination of war reporting and analysis by an author who has witnessed the carnage of Beirut for twenty-five years, Fisk, the first journalist to whom bin Laden announced his jihad against the U.S., is one of the world's most fearless and honored foreign correspondents. He spares no one in this saga of the civil war and subsequent Israeli invasion: the PLO, whose thuggish behavior alienated most Lebanese; the various Lebanese factions, whose appalling brutality spared no one; the Syrians, who supported first the Christians and then the Muslims in their attempt to control Lebanon; and the Israelis, who tried to install their own puppets and, with their 1982 invasion, committed massive war crimes of their own. It includes a moving finale that recounts the travails of Fisk's friend Terry Anderson who was kidnapped by Hezbollah and spent 2,454 days in captivity. Fully updated to include the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon and Ariel Sharon's electoral victory over Ehud Barak, this edition has sixty pages of new material and a new preface. "Robert Fisk's enormous book about Lebanon's desperate travails is one of the most distinguished in recent times." -- Edward Said Review: An Epic Read ... - This is the book that I've meant to read for years, but have only just got round to. Now I wish I hadn't waited so long. According to desertcart, 5 stars means you "Loved It". Well, "loved it" is not a phrase you can apply to a book like this. It is a horrific tale. But once you're through with it, you find that you've gained the beginnings of a solid "understanding" as to why the Lebanese tragedy unfolded the way it did. I will admit, for someone like myself who doesn't possess a very large knowledge base on the subject of Lebanon, Fisk's work was hard to get into. For openers, he doesn't cover his subject chronologically. In fact, he skips around in history quite a bit (for a reason, as he explains in his prologue). And the maps he provides are rudimentary at best. In fact, I eventually purchased a travel map of Lebanon so that I could better follow his reporting. It was pretty confusing at first, sorting through all the actors and the various factions that influenced the country in the 1900's. But suddenly, after about 4 or 5 chapters, I reached a point where I could not put the book down. I found myself pulled completely into Fisk's world. It is a hair-raising world, indeed. Interviews with Arafat. Interviews with the Gemayals. Interviews with Israeli soldiers. Interviews with Christian and Muslim inhabitants from all walks of life on both sides of the green line in Beirut. But the most striking passages are his on-the-scene accounts of atrocities large and small ... the horrific events that we don't want to know about but that we MUST know about if we are to have any hope at all of not repeating history in future. Afterwards, wanting more historical background, I found Kamal Salibi's work, "A House of Many Mansions", to be tremendously helpful in sorting out the various factions that influenced the region in the time period Fisk covers. Review: Well Written - Important well written book that remains relevant in explaining the situation in West Asia aka the Middle East. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #233,664 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #9 in Lebanon History #112 in International Diplomacy (Books) #257 in Middle Eastern Politics | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 97 Reviews | ## Images ![Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81QlC-gsobL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Epic Read ... *by P***K on May 26, 2014* This is the book that I've meant to read for years, but have only just got round to. Now I wish I hadn't waited so long. According to Amazon, 5 stars means you "Loved It". Well, "loved it" is not a phrase you can apply to a book like this. It is a horrific tale. But once you're through with it, you find that you've gained the beginnings of a solid "understanding" as to why the Lebanese tragedy unfolded the way it did. I will admit, for someone like myself who doesn't possess a very large knowledge base on the subject of Lebanon, Fisk's work was hard to get into. For openers, he doesn't cover his subject chronologically. In fact, he skips around in history quite a bit (for a reason, as he explains in his prologue). And the maps he provides are rudimentary at best. In fact, I eventually purchased a travel map of Lebanon so that I could better follow his reporting. It was pretty confusing at first, sorting through all the actors and the various factions that influenced the country in the 1900's. But suddenly, after about 4 or 5 chapters, I reached a point where I could not put the book down. I found myself pulled completely into Fisk's world. It is a hair-raising world, indeed. Interviews with Arafat. Interviews with the Gemayals. Interviews with Israeli soldiers. Interviews with Christian and Muslim inhabitants from all walks of life on both sides of the green line in Beirut. But the most striking passages are his on-the-scene accounts of atrocities large and small ... the horrific events that we don't want to know about but that we MUST know about if we are to have any hope at all of not repeating history in future. Afterwards, wanting more historical background, I found Kamal Salibi's work, "A House of Many Mansions", to be tremendously helpful in sorting out the various factions that influenced the region in the time period Fisk covers. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well Written *by J***G on July 18, 2025* Important well written book that remains relevant in explaining the situation in West Asia aka the Middle East. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellence in execution of reporting *by Q***9 on February 21, 2013* I lived in Damascus in the 70s and frequently visited my aunt and cousins in Eastern Beirut. I saw Beirut before and after the destruction. Although I left to the US in 1980 I kept getting the news from back home. Mr. Fisk has done a fantastic job sifting through what happened. The events, the locations, the actors....etc I tip my hat and bow humbly for a job well done. I could not put the book down. I read many books about Lebanon, but this is the one that broke the camel's back. As for all the "anti-Semitic" broken record cry babies i say "you can't hide the truth for ever" Shame on you as human beings that you witness such a suffering of other human beings and you make excuses justifying them. What does that make you? Not an animal...please do not insult them because they do not perform such heinous acts. As for Israel...well you shall live with that guilt till eternity...and I absolutely have no respect towards that nation. I hope that peace will prevail on earth. ## Frequently Bought Together - Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon (Nation Books) - The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East - Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/1607673-pity-the-nation-the-abduction-of-lebanon-nation-books](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1607673-pity-the-nation-the-abduction-of-lebanon-nation-books) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-23*