In From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas Friedman discusses in great detail his experiences as an American journalist covering the Lebanese Civil War. In discussing these experiences, he elaborates upon four main points, Life in Beirut during this period of unrest, the historical origins of this conflict, political attitude of those involved in the conflict, and America's involvement in this conflict.

Beirut, once the prosperous port town on the coast of Lebanon, it was widely known for its affluence and easy living. It was considered on par with Monaco for its luxuriousness. It had been a relatively peaceful city, although there had been a brief period of fighting in 1958, a backlash from the creation of Israel following World War II ( Lebanon Civil War 1958 1). However this skirmish was just a taste of what was to come.

Beginning in 1975, a sixteen year period of civil war began in Lebanon pitting Muslims...