The Bookseller of Beirut

As anywhere, Lebanon’s independent bookstores have slowly been eaten up by big, bland chains. Set in the once thriving district of Hamra, Esquire stands out as a slightly dusty, but proud, pillar of independence. Today its income comes largely from newspapers, magazines and books on Lebanon’s modern history. Yet what makes Esquire so charming is the treasure trove of racy paperback novels from the seventies. Monocle’s Robert Bound reports.