With Hezbollah´s entry into the Lebanese government in 2009 and recent forceful intervention in the Syrian civil war, the potent Shi´i political and military organization continues to play an enormous role in the Middle East. Policymakers in the United States and Israel usually denounce it as a dangerous terrorist group and refuse to engage with it, yet even its adversaries need to contend with its durability and resilient popular support. Although Hezbollah´s popularity has declined in many quarters of the Arab world, the Shi´i group--a hybrid of militia, political party, and social services and public works provider--remains the most powerful player in Lebanon. Augustus Richard Norton´s Hezbollah stands as the most lucid, informed, and balanced analysis of the group yet written. This edition, with a new prologue and expanded afterword, analyzes recent momentous events--including Hezbollah´s political performance in Lebanon, inconsistent responses to the Arab Spring, and recent military support of the al-Asad regime in Syria. Hezbollah is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Middle East.