Account of war in the late-20th century both as historical document and as an eyewitness testament to human savagery. Written by one of Britain's foremost journalists, this book combines political analysis and war reporting: it is an epic account of the Lebanon conflict

Review from previous edition Robert Fisk is one of the outstanding reporters of this generation. As a war correspondent he is unrivalled. * Edward Mortimer, Financial Times *Overall Fisk makes enthralling reading, and his account of modern Lebanon stands out as the most interesting book on the war in recent years. * Amanda Mitchison, Sunday Correspondent *Robert Fisk's enormous book about Lebanon's desperate travails is one of the most distinguished in recent times, as well as one of the most anguished and hard-bitten ... Fisk's reportage has a power which one expects but so often does not get from journalists. His account of the 1982 Israeli invasion is the best that has been published. * Edward Said, Independent on Sunday *a truly tremendous book. * Time Out *a hugely and immensely moving book. * New Statesman and Society *a devastating witness to the failure of politics to guard mankind against itself. * Simon Jenkins, Sunday Times *the sheer accumulation of eye-witness reports has a sort of unstoppable power to convince. * Patrick Seale, Observer *Robert Fisk's poetically written Pity the Nation not only covers his experience of the war, but also digs for the heart of Lebanon. * Jeremy Atiyah, Sunday Telegraph *