Lebanon The Story of an Unfinished Nation

Lebanon: The Story of an Unfinished Nation is a political and historical analysis of a country that was born with a promise but never completed its transformation into a sovereign, stable state. From the creation of Greater Lebanon in 1920 to the contemporary collapse of institutions, economy, and social trust, this book traces the structural reasons behind Lebanon's permanent crisis. Rather than offering nostalgia or ideological slogans, the book examines Lebanon through the lens of state formation, political sociology, and power structures. It explores how sectarian governance, foreign interventions, regional conflicts, and the persistence of armed power outside the state have systematically prevented the emergence of a unified national authority. The narrative follows key turning points in Lebanese history, including the civil war, post-war arrangements, and the long aftermath of compromise-based governance that replaced accountability with paralysis. It analyzes how the absence of a shared national identity, combined with fragmented loyalty and competing sovereignties, turned the state into a fragile framework incapable of protecting citizens or enforcing the rule of law. This book also confronts the myths that surrounded the Lebanese model for decades: coexistence without equality, neutrality without sovereignty, and democracy without a monopoly over legitimate force. It argues that Lebanon's failure is not accidental, but the result of unresolved contradictions embedded in its political architecture. Written in a clear, analytical style accessible to both general readers and those interested in Middle Eastern politics, Lebanon: The Story of an Unfinished Nation is an invitation to rethink what makes a state viable, what destroys it from within, and why no reform can succeed without redefining the meaning of citizenship, sovereignty, and the social contract.