Palestine:Books and Book Reviews

Books about Palestine

• All That Remains:
  [ ISBN 0-88728-224-5, Ed Walid Khalidi, Hard cover, published by the Institute of Palestine Stdies]
  All that remains chronicles the destiny of some 420 Palestinian villages and towns that were cleansed and totally destroyed in most cases during the occupation of Palestine in 1948. The book is the best available resource about part of the Palestinian history that is being swept under the rug. Destroyed villages have been replaced with Israeli settlements. The book lists villages, towns and Hamlets according to province with location, some pre-occupation info, an account of what happened to the village and what remains out of it today. A must read for those interested. It also has a diverse and extensive bibliography at the end with a chronology of events since ancient times and more stats about settlements, land confiscations and more. Has Arabic names of villages and many b/w pictures from before and afer cleansing.
• Bitter Harvest (Palestine between 1914 - 1967):
  [Sami Hadawi, The New World Press, NY, 1967, no ISBN]
  This book covers, as the title specifies, modern history and politics. It offers a brief historical background with excerpts from some documents, a refutation of religious claims, an overview of Zionism and a detailed account since the British mandate in Palestine until occupation. Then it moves into description of UN resoluion(s) of the problem, Palestinians under Israeli rule and the massive refugees problem It also talks about US assistence and sponsorship of occupation morally, politically, financially and militarily. The it discusses the impact of occupation on the Arab world concluded by a personal opinion from an affected victim. The book also has illustrative maps and numerous references from all aspects of the conflict.
• Population, Settlement and Conflict: Israel and the West Bank:
  [ISBN 0 521 40804 0, David Newman, Cambridge Univ Press, 1991]
  A book in a series aimed at A-Level (British system) and undergraduates in geography. David Newman is in the dept of geography at Ben Gurion University (Israeli) and the book concentrates on some the points of conflict. The value of this book is that it offers insights from a non-Palestinian point of view with maps and stats of the pre- and post-occupation demographic developments, different Israeli policies to change the balance with maps and official stats. The book is only 64 pages but has an extensive, diverse, bibliography at the end.
• The Question of Palestine:
  [Edward Said, First Vintage Books, 1979, ISBN 0-394-74527-2]
  Most of you know Prof Edward Said, so probably the book needs no review. Here are quotes from old reviews: " Said logically and eloquently argues the plight of the 4 million (as of 1979!) scattered Muslim and Christian Arabs known as Palestinians who have been disenfranchised and deprived of their homeland, which is currently under Israeli control." [C. Lehmann-Haupt, NYT]. Anthony Lewis calls the book "A compelling call for identity and justice." The book was written after the Camp David treaty, which like Oslo, ignored the basic problems. The book discusses both history and politics. It starts with an intro to Palestine and the Palestinians, Palestine and the liberal West, the issue of representation and Palestinian rights. It then moves to discuss zionism from the standpoint of its victims, and moves on to the issue of self determination and finally discusses the post-Camp David era with bibliography and other references.
• Peace and its Discontents: (Book details and quick review (from cover) by Anne Alhadef Caron, with thanks and hope to see full review)
  [ISBN 0 679 76725 8, Prof Edward Said, Vintage, 1996, $12.00]
  Ever since Arafat and Rabin shook hands on the White House lawn, Israel and the Palestinian people have been engaged in what commentators persist in calling "the peace process." Yet Israel remains racked by violence and continuing land seizures, and Palestinians are more demoralized than ever before.
  Now in this probing and impassioned book, one of our foremost Palestinian- American intellectuals explains why the much-vaunted process has yet to produce peace - and is unlikely to as presently constituted.
• Politics of Dispossession: The Struggle for Palestinian Self-determination: (Book details and quick review (from cover) by Anne Alhadef Caron, with thanks and hope to see full review)
  [ ISBN 0 679 76145 4, Prof Edward Said, Vintage, 1995, $15.00 ]
  In Politic of Dispossession Said traces his people's stuggle for statehood through 25 years of exile, from the PLO's bloody 1970 exile from Jordan through the debacle fo the Gulf War and the ambiguous '91 peace accord with Israel. As frank as he is about his personal involvement in that struggle, Said is equally usparing in his demolition of Arab icons and American shibboleths.
• [Arabic] Mu'jam Buldaan FilasTiin (Palestinian Towns and Villages - Desk Reference):
  [Mu'jam Buldaan FilasTiin was published by Dar al-Ma'muun lit-turaath (Beirut and DimashQ) and is also distributed by dar an-Nawras in RafaH (Gaza). ] Compliled by Muhammad Shurraab from Khan Yuunus (Gazza) This is not as comprehensive as Bilaadunaa FilasTiin by Mustafaa Ad-Dabbagh or al-Mawsuu'ah al-FilasTiiniyyah. It actually relies on these two references in many cases, but it is concise and affordable.
  In just over 750 pages, the book starts with a chronology of Palestinian history then moves to outlining the history briefly (origin of the name, people, historical events with some emphasis on al-Quds), then it moves to highlights of Palestinian geography and ends the first part by listing the districts and counties during the Turkish time and British mandate (with names of thge 65 or so villages that were destroyed by the British). The basic part of the book is alphabetical listing of each and every town, city, village or Hamlet with some basic info (in most cases). It, of course, talks about the destroyed villages since 1948. The book ends with tables listing detroyed villages and settlements built on their ruins as well as settlement activity up to 1982.
  In some cases, there is little information about the village/town but overall, the book is a good portable reference.
• more ....

• Books from the Institute of Palestine Studies [link]
• Books about Palestine from Palestine Information Center.[link]