This book traces the social, economic and political development of Syria and Lebanon from the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire to the present day. Written by a number of specialists and prominent scholars, it offers a comparative study by means of concentration on major turning-points in the modern history of both countries. The book opens with the eighteenth century and ends with an analysis of the Syrian-Lebanese co-operation treaty. It constitutes a solid addition to the literature of both Lebanon and Syria, two countries with a shared historical experience encompassing their common Ottoman backgrounds, the French mandate and their struggle for independence. Based on new research data and offering original approaches, it should be read by all those interested in the modern history, politics and economics of the Near East