The book examines
the country’s past since 2005, when a mass movement rose up against Syrian
dominance in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. The authors examine the changes that these events brought to Lebanon,
be they lasting or ephemeral, and the challenges they represent for the
Lebanese state. The book traces the sectarian tensions which have escalated
since 2005 and produced polarization between two political blocs. In
addition, those blocs had maintained external linkages with USA and Iran
which consequently resulted in a complex political scene as illustrated in
the book.

Are Knudsen is a Senior
Researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Bergen, Norway

Michael Young
is the Opinion Editor of The Daily Star newspaper in Beirut, where
he writes a weekly column. He is also author of "The Ghosts of Martyrs
Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle"

Sari Hanafi is
Professor of Sociology and Chair, Department of Sociology, Anthropology &
Media Studies, AUB

Nasser Yassin is Assistant Professor
at the Faculty of Health Sciences, and IFI Research Director of Policy
and Governance in Palestinian Refugee Camps, AUB