In this work, William Harris makes no attempt to hide his affection for Lebanon (his wife is a Shi'i Muslim, and his family frequently visits the country). However he seeks to present a relatively unbiased overview of Lebanon since 1920, from geography and land squabbles to political leaders and their manoeuvrings. He offers a balance between the wry asides of taxi drivers and floating local tales on the one hand and interviews with such luminaries as the chairman of the Palestine National Council on the other. It is only in his conclusion that the author really lets loose his anger about the troubles that he has studied, observed and recorded.