Oren Barak is Senior Lecturer of Political Science and International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

• Table of ContentsList of MapsList of TablesAcknowledgmentsNote on TransliterationIntroduction1. An Integrative Approach to the Military in Divided Societies2. The Army and Intersectoral Relations in Lebanon3. The Army and State Formation in Lebanon4. The Army in Politics: From Mediator to Arbiter to Holder of the Balance5. The Army In and Out of Politics: The "Duality in Power" and Its Opponents6. The Gathering Storm: Regional Tensions and Their Impact on Lebanon and Its Army7. The Army in the Civil War of 1975–90: Intervention and Paralysis8. The Army in the Throes of Reconstruction9. The Army Remains the Solution?10. The Ta'if Agreement and the End of the Civil War11. Resuscitation of the Army and the Restoration of State Authority in Lebanon12. From Syria's Withdrawal from Lebanon to the War between Israel and HizbullahConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

"…a definitive history and analysis of the LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces]." — Review of Middle East Studies"…Barak's work is a valuable reference for both policy analysts and historians of modern Lebanese history." — Digest of Middle East Studies"This is one of the few major efforts devoted to not only the structure of the Lebanese military, but also its social and ethnic composition and its role within the country's polity … the book is meticulously researched … The manner in which Barak weaves the contribution of the Lebanese military into the complexities of civil war and intersectoral relations is worthy of praise." — CHOICE