Book on Lebanese heroes released

Co-authored by Asma Freiha and Viviane Ghanem, the book, “Lebanese Imprints on the Twentieth Century”, was released at a cultural gathering held under the patronage of Dona Turk, Consul General of Lebanon in Dubai.

Speaking on the occasion of the book-release, Freiha said, “we are proud of our Lebanese roots. The first book we wrote in French was called “Les Libanais et la vie au Liban de L’independence a la guerre” (The Lebanese and life in Lebanon - from Independence to War). It was published by Dar Assayad in November 1992. We have now published this new book which took five years to research and write.”

The co-writer, Ghanem said the book featured the lives of some 86 extraordinary people seen through the prism of their family roots in Lebanese villages. “We followed the immigrants to their adopted countries, even if it meant globetrotting. Some of these individuals, armed with a sense of determination and a strong work ethic, have not only made a name for themselves internationally, but have also moulded the 20^th Century world in their unique ways,” Ghanem added.

The list of the people who feature in the book ranges from Callie Khoury, Oscar winner for best screenplay in the film “Thelma and Louise”, to actor Omar Sharif, and from the music and dance sensation Shakira to the installation artist Walid Raad.