As Arab Americans seek to claim their communal identity and rightful place in American society at a time of heightened tension between the United States and the Middle East; an understanding look back at more than one hundred years of the Arab-American community is especially timely. In this book; Elizabeth Boosahda; a third-generation Arab American; draws on over two hundred personal interviews; as well as photographs and historical documents that are contemporaneous with the first generation of Arab Americans (Syrians; Lebanese; Palestinians); both Christians and Muslims; who immigrated to the Americas between 1880 and 1915; and their descendants.Boosahda focuses on the Arab-American community in Worcester; Massachusetts; a major northeastern center for Arab immigration; and Worcester's links to and similarities with Arab-American communities throughout North and South America. Using the voices of Arab immigrants and their families; she explores their entire experience; from emigration at the turn of the twentieth century to the present-day lives of their descendants. This rich documentation sheds light on many aspects of Arab-American life; including the Arab entrepreneurial motivation and success; family life; education; religious and community organizations; and the role of women in initiating immigration and the economic success they achieved.
#980005 in Books 1992-11-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.54 x 1.02 x 6.34l; #File Name: 0029160014290 pages
Review
0 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Book without JacketBy E. H. VeenstraI choose this rating because the book is okay; but I was expecting it to arrive complete withdust jacket which was missing; petty!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Though Provoking; Insightful and Informative Work on Leadership in the Korean War!By Gilberto VillahermosaIn "Refighting the Last War" historian Clayton James; biographer of General Douglas MacArthur; reexamines the leadership of five key commanders in the Korean War:- President Harry Truman;- General Douglas MacArthur;- General Matthew Ridgway;- General Mark W. Clark;- Admiral C. Turner Joy.The author then examines six critial issues confronting these leaders in the Korean War:- Sending American troops to fight in Korea;- MacArthur's Obsession with Inchon (vice a breakout from the Pusan Perimeter by General Walton Walker's Eighth Army);- the Liberation of North Korea;- the Chinese Intervention;- Victory vs. settling for an Armistice as the strategic goal;- fighting a Total or Limited War in Korea.One would expect James; sympathetic to Douglas MacArthur; to skew this book in the General's favor. To his credit; the author does not; although he does marshal impressive evidence to support the assertion that MacArthur was indeed carrying out Harry Truman and the Joint's Chief's objectives in Korea. James clearly shows that MacArthur was out of touch with the Joint Chief's and the situation in Korea and bears a heavy responsibility for the significant reverses suffered by the unprepared American forces there.It is clear that American forces were needed in South Korea if that country were to be rescued from North Korean domination. James; however; argues that a breakout from the Pusan Perimeter by Eighth Army could have achieved the same effects as the landing at Inchon without most of the drawbacks. He goes on to question the wisdom of the liberation of North Korea as a strategic objective and shows that most of the senior commanders in the war believed the American and United Nation forces should have pursued victory rather than a armistice to end the war. Finally; he discuses the inability of the United States in the 1950s to pursue a total war in Asia against Communist China and perhaps even the Soviet Union.True; this book suffers from some drawbacks; most importantly the lack of Chinese or Soviet sources to provide a greater strategic perspective on the war. Still; James has utilized the sources available admirably and produced a thought provoking; insightful; and informative work that will cause the reader to reconsider the issue of strategic leadership in the Korean War.2 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Please; truth in advertisingBy Bryan Gibby"Refighting the Last War" is an interesting title; because it conjures up all the things that soldiers never want to be guilty of; looking back and doing things the "old way." I picked up this book expecting a lively criticism of how we may have missed the boat in the Cold War's first hot spot. My disappointment was compounded by my naivite. It is immediately apparent to the reader that the author is not attempting a fresh interpretation; but rather a recap of what has already been discussed; debated; and decided (sometimes erroneously as will be pointed out later).From the beginning it is clear that Korea is not fought like any war previous: the fact that the Sec State led us into conflict; the fact that Congress did not declare war; the President did not call up reserve forces or nationalize the economy for war mobilization; to say nothing of the air and naval restrictions imposed from the beginning of the conflict. Maybe MacArthur thought HE was refighting the last war; but that is a conclusion the reader will come to independent of the author's arguments.Most telling to me is that although the book is post-Soviet Union; there is no attempt to access archival material that many other authors have; and who have published some startling conclusions; that perhaps our interpretation of the war in the 50's was in fact correct. The author claims that there was a "gentleman's agreement" between the USSR; US; and PRC to limit the war; and that Stalin and Mao monitored US congressional hearings to take their cues on American strategy. No joke. Where is the evidence? No foot notes; no citations of archival material; no logical followup. The reader is expected to accept the statement and the implications that maybe the Reds weren't so awful after all.There are occaissional flashes of interest; particularly in discussing the issues surrounding the less known personalities such as Admiral Joy; and Generals Van Fleet and Clark. But if anything; all these individuals chaffed at not being able to "refight the last war"; that is to wage war as they saw fit.There are many statements and assertions that just don't do justice to the reader looking for a deeper story from Korea. There is a lot better scholarship and interpretion out there.
