For some unknown reason, as a kid growing up in South Texas and Wyoming I was fascinated by the Middle East and particularly what was happening in Lebanon. The factions fighting, the city caught in the middle, the history and culture on the line, not to mention the complexity of the regional religious values. I was hooked on Lebanon from the window of my bedroom and from my imagination. Eli Reed had a similar feeling. But in his case he took action. Eli went to Beirut, stayed longer than he thought he would but returned with material enough to make a book. City of Regrets. I bought his book in 1997 and have looked at it hundreds of times. Simple, strong, personal, and reflective of what happens when someone commits to a story. His partner on this was Faoud Ajami and the pair deserve credit for creating this historical document.