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From Beirut to Jerusalem  By  cover art

From Beirut to Jerusalem

By: Thomas L. Friedman
Narrated by: Thomas L. Friedman
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Publisher's summary

In From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas L. Friedman, a columnist for The New York Times and author of The Lexus and the Olive Tree, has drawn on his decade in the Middle East to produce the most trenchant, vivid, and thought-provoking book yet on the region.

No issue in international politics has been more hotly debated than the Arab-Israeli conflict. And no reporter has illuminated both the conflict and the rhythms of life in the Middle East with more immediacy and brilliance than Friedman, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. Whether it's extremism, terrorism, or fundamentalism on right and left, Friedman puts all the operative currents into perspective with an inimitable specificity and clarity.

©2006 Thomas L. Friedman (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers
  • Abridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"[Friedman's] writing is vastly descriptive, incredibly illuminating, very educational, and marvelously persuasive." (Library Journal)

What listeners say about From Beirut to Jerusalem

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

We are so blessed in America!

Wonderful read and very entertaining. I was amazed at what some people go through in their daily life. This book has a light and sometimes humorous tone, but also educates the average listener about a very complex part of the world that most of us will never understand. I really enjoyed this book and even listened to it twice just so my wife could hear it. I laughed out loud through many spots. He is a very engaging writer and it was read well. If you like other books by Friedman you will not be disappointed.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Impartial.

Impartial storytelling of a painful past that is defining a brutal present. My take on the book is that in the Lebanese section, it focused on the Palestinian refugees and the PLO rather than on the Lebanese citizens . Nice work overall.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Short Version

Loved the book so I bought the audible version to hear it again only to discover that this was a shortened version. There's nothing that I saw to indicate this except for reviews, which I didn't bother reading because I was familiar with the book. I wish Amazon would add something to indicate this going forward.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Timely

Thoughtful trip through the complex Arab Israeli conflict. The timeline is hard to follow at first but comes together in the 2nd half of the book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Mostly Jerusalem

I absolutely love Thomas Friedmans work, however, I felt that Jerusalem/Israel was very detailed and informative but was hoping to understand Lebanon's turmoil and civil war a little more. I felt some key information was missing (why the civil war? who were the key players? how the religion played a part in all of this, what happened in Sabra and Shatila?)
Thomas Friedman is such a brilliant journalist, I was just hoping for more political information about Beirut.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great introduction to these complexities countries

loved it, A great story and personal experiences. Recommend for anyone visiting or working there.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Helped me understand

This book helped me to understand the background of what is currently happening in Israel.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good insight into a troubling region

My son recommended this book to me. The material gives great insight into Lebanese and Isrealis, Muslims and militant Jews. The book is read by the author. His voice is high and soft which is in contrast to the context and words. I probably would have preferred unabridged version and stronger voice.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Insightful and peculiarly funny

Ton Friedman writes beautifully. The book is divided into two parts, one a description of the random horrors of Lebanon 40 years ago (it must be worse today) , the other an analysis of Israel’ s political paralysis and, despite its military might, culture of historical fear. Friedman has a great sense of humor. Funny anecdotes proliferate both parts of the book.



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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good info, personal experience makes it interesting

I did appreciate the knowledge gained in this book. He did experience firsthand a lot of the mindset of the time in Beirut and Israel, and how it affects the population. It didn’t get too deep into the story and background of the whole conflict but I’m glad I read it.

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