Late in 1983, a truck loaded with tons of dynamite was driven into military barracks where U.S. Marines, who were part of an international peacekeeping force in Beirut, lay sleeping. Olson tells the story of this terrorist attack by laying out in detail the complex history of the Middle East and the conflicts of the people who occupy it. Readers will begin to gain insight into why terrorists resort to such violence, and also why Americans and the United States are often targets for terrorism.