Under Siege is Rashid Khalidi's definitive, firsthand account of the 1982 Lebanon War and the complex negotiations and military maneuvers involved in evacuating the P.L.O. from Beirut. Khalidi lived with his family in Beirut during the siege and ensuing massacres. Accessing rare sources and conducting interviews with key military officials and diplomats, he tells his story from the perspective of those struggling to live amid the fighting. He draws a detailed portrait of the P.L.O. from within and shares insight into the local Lebanese environment, the military pressure experienced by the P.L.O. and Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, and the diplomatic efforts of the United States. Khalidi also examines Lebanese and inter-Arab politics and the military and diplomatic behavior of outside parties such as France and the Soviet Union.
