The Heart of the Nation

Description

LebanonPostcard presents the book ‘The Heart of the Nation’ – Celebrating the honor sacrifice and loyalty of the Lebanese Armed Forces. Photographs by Jeremy Chivers MBE.

Hardcopy 33×24.3×3 cm – 255 pages – 2.5 kgs – Proceeds from the sale of this book will support LAF veterans and their families.

For more than 70 years the Lebanese Armed Forces have fought to serve and protect the diversity, prosperity, and way of life that all Lebanese hold dear. In the first authorized book of its kind, ‘Heart of the Nation’ gives a glimpse into the daily lives and duties of the men and women in uniform who work on the land, on the sea and in the air 24/7 and 365 days a year, to defend the republic and its constitution.

Acknowledgments

I am proudly grateful to General Joseph Aoun, Commander of the LAF. Firstly for his trust in allowing me to showcase the amazing organization that he leads. And secondly for his personal support and encouragement throughout the process of creating the images in this book.

I would also like to thank Brigadier General Halabi and his staff for facilitating my work, as well as Brigadier General (Pilot) Sleilati and Colonel Hakmeh. I am also indebted to Ronith Daher, the Commander’s Media Advisor, as well as Brigadier General Qonso and Colonel Abou Eid, at the Orientation Directorate. Special thanks go to Captain Houssein Mazloum, who, as the Liaison Officer for the project, was always smiling, always positive, and always made sure we ‘got the shot’.

My thanks also to Brigadier General (retd) Maroun Hitti, Brigadier General (Pilot) Edmond Homsi, Brigadier General (Pilot) Ziad Heikel, Brigadier General (retd) Pierre Salem, Admiral Sarkis, and Colonel Barakat. Thanks also to Captain Rody Zghondy, and also to General Richard Cripwell, General (retd) Sir Graeme Lamb, Lt Col Chris Gunning, and Lt Col (retd) Giles Taylor, and Al Harris for their guidance and comradeship over the years.

This book would also not have been possible without the amazing support of Bank Audi. My very hearty thanks go to Mr. Marc Audi, Jean Traboulsi, Carol Aoun and Raffy Karamanian, for supporting this project so enthusiastically. My thanks also to those who helped create this book, Professor Stuart Franklin (former President of Magnum Photos), Marie-Paul Hitti, Paul Hitti, Alex Chivers, Nadim Tewtel, Tom Fletcher, Rebecca Cox, Rita, and Imad Abu Rizk, and Gihad Achkar and his team at Anis Commercial Printing Press.

No book is a solo effort. Rather it is the collective work of many, and usually too many to mention by name. My sincerest thanks go to every soldier and officer who helped me create the images in this book. I am grateful for their time, their trust, their patience, and above all, their enthusiasm.

Proudly supported by Bank Audi