"This is a very well-researched and well-written monograph on how the Shi a of South Lebanon negotiated a Lebanese Shi i identity for themselves amid two dominant ideologies - Libanism and Arabism - in both of which Shi a were marginalized . . .the book will be required reading for scholars generally interested in sectarian politics in the Middle East and scholars specifically interested in Lebanese Shi i history and politics because the rich account it offers is also helpful for positioning Shi i activism in Lebanon since the 1960s." - International Journal Middle East Studies

"This path- breaking contribution to the changing role of the Shi''i community in Lebanon brings it into the Lebanese picture in a way never done before. Based on extensive use of new private sources, it is a model of scholarship and enhances our understanding of an increasingly prominent community."

- Roger Owen, Professor of Middle East History, Harvard

"This book sheds new light on the history of the Shi`is of Jabal`Amil in their formative years and therefore it contributes significantly to the literature on Shi`is and Shi`ism in the Arab world." - Marius Deeb, Middle East Politics, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University"Chalabi masterfully brings this missing history to life ...required reading for any scholar or policy practitioner working on modern Lebanon." - Middle East Quarterly

"Tamara Chalabi has written an accessible but learned account of the Shiite community of Lebanon. In view of the important role of this community in recent history, this book is strongly recommended for all intelligent readers interested in the Middle East." - Roy Mottahedeh, Harvard University