This detailed analysis follows the rise and evolution of Hezbollah from an Islamic resistance movement to its role as a governing force in Lebanon, exploring the group's impact on the security and power dynamics in the Middle East.
This is the first book of its kind to offer a comprehensive study of Hezbollah, providing an overview of the organization’s key personalities, events, and structures over the past three decades. Inspired by the latest terrorism research and contemporary developments in the Middle East, the book reflects upon Hezbollah’s religious foundations and its present role as a player in Middle East relations.
Chapters place Hezbollah within the Middle East security environment, analyzing the rise of the Party of God within the context of Iranian-inspired Shi’a activism, examining the ideological underpinnings of the movement, and addressing its dominant political position post Arab Spring. This authoritative volume introduces the party’s full range of activities, including resistance, propaganda, organized crime, and educational facilities. The content highlights Hezbollah’s role as a social welfare provider—specifically, the types of aid given, the source of financing for the endeavor, and the challenge this role presents to the Lebanese state.
Features
- Features maps, organizational charts, and a timeline of events
- Traces Hezbollah's journey from a resistance organization to its current position of power within Lebanese politics
- Presents summaries of major attacks and biographies of prominent members
- Discusses Iranian-inspired Shi'a activism and financing activities
- Includes an overview of the leaders, support, recruiting strategies, and attacks
James Worrall, PhD, is a lecturer in international relations and Middle East studies at the School of Politics and International Studies at the University of Leeds. He specializes in Levantine and gulf politics, counterinsurgency, and the role of international organizations in the Middle East. His other works include Statebuilding and Counterinsurgency in Oman: Political, Military and Diplomatic Relations at the End of Empire and International Institutions of the Middle East: The GCC, Arab League and Arab Maghreb Union. He holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Leeds.
Simon Mabon, PhD, is a lecturer in international relations in the Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion at the University of Lancaster; director of the Richardson Institute, and a research associate at the Foreign Policy Centre in London. He works on the nexus of sovereignty, religion, and political violence. His published works include Saudi Arabia and Iran: Soft Power Rivalry in the Middle East and Terrorism and Political Violence. He holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Leeds.
Gordon Clubb, PhD, is a lecturer in international security at the University of Leeds. His other books include the coedited Terrorism and Political Violence.
Reviews
"This book is extremely rich with facts, history, and contemporary insight, but although it promises to be both academic and accessible, it is more the former. One is tempted to read it with a highlighter, not a bookmark. . . . If you want to understand the rise and evolution of Hezbollah from an Islamic resistance movement to its role as a governing force in Lebanon, this is a good place to start."—New York Journal of Books, November 23, 2015
"[A] brief, compact, comprehensive guide. . . . .Recommended. General readers, lower-division undergraduates."—Choice, May 2, 2016
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