Libya and Quaddafi

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up A straightforward account of Libya and Qaddafi's troubled relationship with the United States. The book opens with the 1986 bombing of military installations near Tripoli and Benghazi, outlining the reasons for the U.S. attack and world reaction to it. Subsequent chapters present Qaddafi's rise to power, the current situation in Libya, a brief history of the country, its role in post-war Africa, and the outlook for its future. While covering these topics, Lawson touches upon the difficult issues of conflict in the Middle East and state sponsored terrorism. He uses a crisp, journalistic style, packing every sentences with facts, opinions, and speculations, all clearly indicated. Unabashedly pro-American, Lawson does not flinch from presenting material unflattering to ``our side.'' He discusses the role of former CIA agents in Libya, considers whether Reagan overreacted to suspected assassination attempts, and points out that the U.S. was involved in similar efforts in Cuba, Venezuela, and Vietnam. This is a revised edition of the 1982 out-of-print title, and only the first chapter contains significant amounts of new material. Still, it gathers together recent information otherwise scattered in newspaper and magazine reports. It contains many more photographs, this time more strategically placed near the relevant text. The print is larger and easier to read. And, like its predecessor, the book includes an index, a list of further readings, and one very fine map.Ellen D. Warwick, Thompson School, Arlington, Mass.