A passionate meditation on contemporary Arab identity.
Samir Kassir Books
Samir Kassir was a Lebanese professor of history and journalist, known for his ardent advocacy for secular democracy in the Middle East. His work delved into themes of freedom for Palestinians and democracy in Lebanon and Syria, alongside sharp criticism of the Syrian presence in Lebanon. Kassir's intellectual legacy is rooted in his passionate defense of secular principles and liberty. His profound engagement with history and politics shaped his distinctive voice.
Histoire de Beyrouth
- 820 pages
- 29 hours of reading
Widely praised as the definitive history of Beirut, this is the story of a city that has stood at the crossroads of Mediterranean civilization for more than four thousand years. The last major work completed by Samir Kassir before his tragic death in 2005, "Beirut" is a tour de force that takes the reader from the ancient to the modern world, offering a dazzling panorama of the city's Seleucid, Roman, Arab, Ottoman, and French incarnations. Kassir vividly describes Beirut's spectacular growth in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, concentrating on its emergence after the Second World War as a cosmopolitan capital until its near destruction during the devastating Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990. Generously illustrated and eloquently written, "Beirut" illuminates contemporary issues of modernity and democracy while at the same time memorably recreating the atmosphere of one of the world's most picturesque, dynamic, and resilient cities.
