This is a history examining both politics and Economy of a key Middle East society. It taps archival sources of the Ottomans and the USA, which have not been used before. This is the first comprehensive history of Lebanon in the modern period. It is entirely unique, as the last history of Lebanon was published over forty years ago. Written by a leading Lebanese scholar, and based on previously inaccessible archives, it is a fascinating and beautifully-written account of one of the world's most fabled countries. Starting with the formation of Ottoman Lebanon in the 16th century, Traboulsi covers the growth of Beirut as a capital for trade and culture through the 19th century. The main part of the book concentrates on Lebanon's development in the 20th century and the conflicts that led up to the major wars in the 1970s and 1980s. Lebanon in the 20th century has seen turbulent times, the results of which we still see today.