Lebanon

Anatomy of a Collapse

Sarah El-Richani editor Joelle M Abi-Rached editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

Published:5th Nov '26

Should be back in stock very soon

Lebanon cover

From leading experts on Lebanese politics and society, a comprehensive account of the country's descent into chaos since 2019.

‘A terrifying but essential dissection of how Lebanon manages to exude normality while in total freefall.’ — Kim Ghattas, author Black Wave

Lebanon is in freefall. Poverty is rising exponentially, healthcare is at breaking point, corruption is rampant, and educated professionals are leaving the country in droves. How did this happen?

Lebanon: Anatomy of a Collapse explores the unravelling of the Lebanese state. Bringing together industry experts and academics, this timely collection analyses the complex and interconnected crises that have driven Lebanon into the abyss, whether political or social, financial or legal. With a clear and compelling narrative, the contributors highlight the economic mismanagement, infrastructure devastation, and government, educational and media breakdowns that have left the country in ruins. From the financial collapse of 2019 to the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and from the latest Israel–Lebanon war to the disastrous repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis, this volume reveals the compounding effects of systemic failures, historical fractures and political ineptitude. It also examines the struggles of Lebanese society to maintain a semblance of institutional life and functionality, despite widespread disruption and chronic uncertainty.

This is an urgent and nuanced perspective on Lebanon’s tumultuous recent years, offering crucial insights for readers seeking to understand and learn from the calamitous implications of state failure. Can Lebanon recover from the traumas of its past?

  • Covers the financial collapse of 2019, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the latest developments in the Israel–Lebanon war, the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis, and more.
  • Contents: Economy, Microfinance, Infrastructure, Politics, the Syria Question, Security, Political Philosophy of the Collapse, Health, Education, Media, Artistic Scene, and the Judiciary.
  • Shows how Lebanon can learn from state failure and thrive
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‘A terrifying but essential dissection of how Lebanon manages to exude normality while in total freefall. This groundbreaking, incisive book is a sober warning to others about debt, unaccountable elites, war and impunity, a multiplicity of crises that can quickly turn existential.’

-- Kim Ghattas, journalist and author Black Wave and The Best Kind of American

‘An ambitious, analytically sharp and morally urgent volume that seeks to document, dissect and theorise Lebanon’s multifaceted collapse since 2019. An empirically grounded and conceptually rich account.’

-- Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University, and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Politics in Muslim Societies

‘A wide-ranging, multidisciplinary analysis of Lebanon’s economic, political and social collapse. Grounding analysis in lived experience, this book will become an important reference volume.’

-- Adeel Malik, Associate Professor of Development Economics, University of Oxford, and co-editor of Crony Capitalism in the Middle East

ISBN: 9781805265863

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

320 pages