Decent, but not unbias
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Overall this is a decent assessment of the developments and successes/failures of Hezbollah as a political organisation. That said, there IS clear sympathy with the cause as a theme throughout the book and for that reason it does lose something. Simply acting as a counter of the often dramacised coverage in the Media is not enough to consider a work "unbiased". Nevertheless, for anyone who is looking to sink their teeth into the broader topic of Hezbollah, it is worth a read and would be useful for certain lines of academic writing.
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Outstanding !!
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After following the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon, I decided to read up on Hezbollah rather than relying on the 'Hollywood style' news reports that seemed to dominate the airwaves. Jaber presents a unbiased view of the whole Lebanese situation, and doesn't demonize Hezbollah as terrorist organisation, but rather as a party struggling to free Lebanon from its invaders, and restore decency for the Lebanese people. I for one, now view the Party of God in a much more positive light.
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Good history of Hezbollah
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Well written, concise and to the point, this book describes well where the violence of Hezbollah comes from. Published in 97 it obviously needs updating but frankly I found it too depressing, as the violence is just going to breed more violence and how we're going to get out of this, Allah (God/Jehovah etc) only knows. The solutions are not obvious, but the book does give you more of an understanding of what's gone on.
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A balanced view of the situation.
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It was always my believe that an unbias judgement of any topic starts from listening to the views of all involved. It is ,therefore, important to read about Hezbollah from a different point of view rather than Western ideals. Jaber 's book has provided me with a clear understanding of WHY Hezbollah started, WHY does it have support of Shi'ih people of Lebanon, Iran (and the un-offical support of most Arab Courtires!) This balanced view is essential and believe to be of great value to historian, Jouranlists, and students researching in this field.
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Jaber's book needs better balance and deeper analysis
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Hezbollah: Born with a Vengeance opens with a description of the beginning of Israel's Operation Peace for Galilee. Hala Jaber describes the Israeli tanks rolling toward a UN checkpoint with the dramatics one would usually reserve for the Soviets' knock-out punch which ended the Prague Spring in 1968. Unfortunately, much of the book is tainted with Jaber's failure to provide the reader with a straight-forward analysis of Hezbollah and its relationship with Israel. Thankfully, her book is not an outraged monograph on Islamic fundamentalist terrorism; however, the rose-colored glasses through which she views Hezbollah should make the reader wary. This book is useful primarily for its detailed summary of Hezbollah's evolution since 1982 and its thorough examination of the ties it maintains with Iran and Syria. The most disappointing aspect of this book is that Jaber gives little attention to the guerrilla tactics that have made Hezbollah such a threat to Israel. In the paltry five pages that she devotes to it, she simply regurgitates what those involved have told her. Not only is this section hampered by her understanding of guerrilla warfare, it is limited in its scope by the fact that she does not include any analysis. Overall, Hezbollah provides the reader with an understanding of Hezbollah's history, organization, and purpose; however, readers must do their own research if they seek a deeper understanding of the true Hezbollah.
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