Killing Mr. Lebanon: The Assassination of Rafik Hariri and its impact on the Middle East
"A rich piece of storytelling--Blanford provides the definitive account of the assassination of Hariri and Lebanon's subsequent 'Cedar Revolution'--dramatic events which are essential to understanding the Arab quest for freedom...Brilliant stuff."--Time Magazine"Nick Blanford, a veteran Beirut correspondent, reveals what led to the assassination of Rafik Hariri and how the murder altered the course of Lebanon's history and the balance of power in the Middle East. This is not only a real life thriller but a story with huge implications for the future of the region. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in Lebanon, Blanford is the man to tell it."-- Richard Beeston,The Times "If you are going to read one book on Lebanon, this is the one. It is as gripping as a thriller, yet packed with sober insight and history. More than an excellent biography of Rafik Hariri, a man of oversized ambition and appetite, who dominated Lebanese politics for a quarter century and rebuilt Beirut, it is atour de forceof contemporary Lebanese politics. Blanford plumbs Lebanon’s relations with both Saudi Arabia and Syria, following the money and charting the tug of war between the regional powers. We come to understand why Hariri was murdered just as he led his country across the threshold of independence. Required reading for anyone interested in today’s Middle East."--Joshua Landis, Syria Comment.com "How the 2005 death of a former prime minister sparked a popular uprising, forced Syria to end its 30-year occupation of Lebanon, and upset power balances throughout the region." --Financial Times "A brisk portrait of the man’s travails and legacy."--New York Review of Books "Nicholas Blanford's book is a fascinating account of Hariri, a Lebanese Sunni who grew up in poverty but became one of the richest men in the world."  --Daily Telegraph