Arafat - in the Eyes of the Be [Hardcover]

John Wallach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1997

FROM THE HISTORIC 1993 HANDSHAKE ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN TO THE CURRENT TURMOIL IN THE STREETS, YASSER ARAFAT HAS HELD THE KEY TO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WHO IS THIS MAN AND WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF HIS POWER? IN THIS UPDATING OF THEIR GROUNDBREAKING STUDY ARAFAT: IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER THE WALLACHS EXAMINE ARAFAT FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES WHO KNOW HIM BEST. THE RESULT IS A SIGNIFICANT EXPLORATION OF A LEADER WHO HAS NOT ONLY SURVIVED BUT HAS ATTAINED THE STATUS OF A WORLD LEADER. OF PHOTOS.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author interviewed members of Arafat's family, childhood friends and leaders who have dealt with him as ally and adversary. (Among the latter: Jordan's King Hussein, Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres of Israel, Secretary of State James Baker.) They also talked at length with Arafat himself at his Tunis headquarters. The resulting important biography of the Palestinian leader includes a more complete description of the PLO government structure (a state-in-waiting now recognized by 130 countries) than can be found elsewhere. The Wallachs ( Still Small Voices ) offer new information about Arafat's childhood, his student years and his career as an engineer, as well as details of the pivotal 1968 PLO victory over the Israelis at the battle of Karameh. The book reveals how Arafat has remained head of the Palestinian liberation movement for 20 years despite intense rivalries and feuds with King Hussein and Syria's President Assad. The authors also analyze Arafat's recent surprise shift to a more moderate position. Though Israel considers him as implacable a foe as ever, the Wallachs are convinced that he "wants a peaceful solution, a reconciliation of territory for peace." Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Not since Alan Hart's Arafat: Terrorist or Peacemaker ( LJ 11/15/85) has there been a more comprehensive biography of the man who is close to the heart of any permanent resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Wallachs, authors of the acclaimed Middle East study Still Small Voices ( LJ 3/15/89), have interviewed critical players such as King Hussein of Jordan, United States Secretary of State James Baker, Syria's President Hafez al-Assad, and Israeli Prime Ministers Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir. The Wallachs reveal Arafat to be a man who leads by spartan example and holds Palestinian sovereignty inviolate. The last chapter, dealing with links between the CIA and the PLO, was withheld from public review until final publication; notwithstanding that, this is highly recommended for all size and types of libraries and collections.
- David P. Snider, Casa Grande P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 540 pages
• Publisher: Citadel; Rev Upd Su edition (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155972403X
• ISBN-13: 978-1559724036
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,814,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Review of Arafat's Life, July 22, 2001

By 

"mksmks" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arafat (Hardcover)

I recommend this book to anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of Yasser Arafat's life and role in both the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the internal politics of the Arab world. Based on an series of interviews conducted by the authors as well as primary documents (many of which are provided in translation at the end of the book, a useful bonus), this book chronicles the life of Arafat from his early days in Cairo and Jerusalem up to about 1990, and throws in a basic history of the Arab-Israeli conflict to boot. This book is at its best and most readable when it relays the personal reminscences of Arafat, his aides, and his rivals in the Arab world, who provide a perspective upon the major events of the Arab-Israeli conflict that you cannot find elsewhere. Also to its credit, as other reviewers have mentioned, this book provides a great amount of information on the various Palestinian factions comprising and outside of the PLO, and the characters behind each one of them (although it manages to largely ignore certain major players, such as Abu Nidal).

This book does, however, have several major flaws which relegate to secondary status in a library of books on the Middle East. Firstly, the book is a bit too biased towards Arafat, much like Patrick Seale's "Assad", which fawns upon the late Syrian dictator. One can excuse the affection they display for Arafat, however, as it was probably necessary in order to gain such impressive access to the Chairman and his inner circle. Still, one would have liked to see the comments of Arafat and his associates treated with greater critical analysis and balance. Furthermore, the authors' prose and organization leaves much to be desired. They lack the compelling narrative voice of a Thomas Friedman, Edward Said, or Bernard Lewis, resulting in a text that often comes across as very dry and stilted, particularly in historical background passages. They organize the book episodically rather than chronologically, which could result in great confusion regarding the timeline of events for someone not already very familiar with modern Middle Eastern history. Finally, this book tries to do far too much in a single volume. It begins as a very personal account of Arafat's life, yet at times abandons the story of Arafat entirely and becomes a generic history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is as though the authors wrote several separate books, took a few chapters from each, and threws the pages together. The result is a disjointed, often haphazard history of the Arab-Israeli conflict with slightly more emphasis on Yasser Arafat than is usual in such works.

In sum, this book has merit and provides certain insights and primary information not to be found elsewhere. It is not suitable as an introduction to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but should be read only after one has already acquired a basic familiarity with the subject matter. It is otherwise a useful addition to the library of the serious student of Middle Eastern history.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing book about a difficult and misunderstood man, December 11, 1999

By 

Noah H-D - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arafat In the Eyes of the Beholder (Hardcover)

The Wallach's have done a wonderful job in describing the life and works of Yasser Arafat, perhaps the most misunderstood person of the 1900s. In order to understand the present situation in Palestine/Israel, one has to read this book. It gives incredible insight into the workings of the PLO, the backstabbing of the USA, and the bind that the Palestinians are in. The Wallachs do an amazing job of giving an even-handed account of Arafat, portraying him as a powerful, competent leader, but not shying away from his weaknesses and mistakes.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, December 8, 2000

By 

S. Bowman (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arafat (Hardcover)

Although a bit dated, the book gives a good synopsis about Arafat's life as well as the history of the PLO. Learned quite about Araft. The list of people they interviewed is quite impressive; those people they did interview make the book what it is. Very easy to read and engrossing as well.