Arafat, First American Edition: A Political Biography [Paperback]

Alan Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1989

"This will be the definitive biography of Yasser Arafat for many years." —Rashid Khalidi

"Alan Hart has written the best informed, most detailed account of Arafat that I have seen." —Michael C. Hudson

"I have written the book as a good and true friend of the Palestinians and the Jews. Together in peace and partnership the two peoples, who come from the same melting pot, could change and develop the region for the better and, by doing so, give hope and inspiration to the whole world." —Alan Hart, from the Introduction

"There is much important material here on the Palestinians, the PLO, political machinations, strong beliefs... Very informed... Hart has done a service in creating this vivid picture." —The Book Reader

"This is, however, more than a sympathetic, semi-authorized biography. It constitutes a detailed running history of the PLO and the course of inter-Arab relations and the Arab-Israeli conflict from the mid-1960s to the present.... it has inestimable value in telling how Arafat and his colleagues saw [these events]... " —Foreign Affairs

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (March 22, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253205166
• ISBN-13: 978-0253205162
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,668,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An unbias history of the complexities Arafat faced., September 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arafat, First American Edition: A Political Biography (Paperback)

Hart does an excellent job at describing the difficult task Arafat faced as the leader of the PLO. Through many interviews it seems Hart has brought both perspective views together and concluded that there is more to Arafat than the media has shown. He has described the many factions within the PLO which Arafat had risked his life to challenge. Hart shows the real Arafat, a moderate, not an extremist as he has been portrayed in the past.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alan Hart does a terrific job of showing us the real Arafat., March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arafat, First American Edition: A Political Biography (Paperback)

Contrary to popular belief, Yasser Arafat is not the wild and psychotic terrorist as depicted by the media. Alan Hart does a spectacular job of telling the true story of Arafat's life and how he has been the lone man in reviving Palestinian identity. For those who want to hear the actual facts of the Middle East crisis, this book is a must!

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Terrorists or Freedom Fighters: Yasser Arafat and the P.L.O, January 2, 2002

By 

Harold Y. Grooms (Prattville, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arafat, a political biography (Hardcover)

From his earliest beginnings as a student leader in Cairo, to his current position as Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (P.L.O.), Yasser Arafat is unquestionably the heart and soul of Palestinian nationalism. Author Alan Hart paints an almost heart-rending portrait of Arafat, whom he describes as a selfless leader who has devoted his life to his people and his cause. Hart's central thesis is that Israel is well aware that the P.L.O. is willing, and has been for some time, to establish peace on the basis of UN Resolutions 242 and 338. Israel has rejected this initiative because it will require them to withdraw to the borders it occupied before 1967 and allow the establishment of a Palestinian mini-state. In Arafat's own words:

". . . when it (Zionism) is destroyed, . . . our two peoples (Jews and Palestinians) can live together in real peace. That is the day our dream of a Democratic State of Palestine will come true."

Quite a statement from a man who once boasted that he would, "drive the Jews into the sea!" Has he changed? Hart says he has. Israel, understandably, is not so sure.

Hart provides insight to the inner workings of both the P.L.O. and Arab regimes, who give lip-service to the Palestinian cause, but have sought to "play the Palestinian card" for their own, ignoble purposes. His analysis of their reasons for doing so provides interesting reading. He also says Arab regimes, the Mossad, and the CIA have used dissident P.L.O. factions to wreck Arafat inspired peace initiatives. The analysis is intriguing but not totally convincing.

While reading I was struck by the similarity between Arafat and Israeli terrorist turned politician, Menachem Begin. Both are/were dedicated nationalists who stop/stopped at nothing to achieve their goal. Ironically, the goal is/was the same: establish a homeland for their displaced, disenfranchised peoples on the same real estate. Both have committed immoral acts in the name of a higher morality. Both have blood on their hands!

Hart's work is obviously biased toward Arafat and the P.L.O. Readers should compare it with Begin's book, "The Revolt: Story of the Irgun," to learn how successful terrorists play first the terrorism and then the political card to achieve their ends. Is the P.L.O. sincere in its stated desire for peace? If so, can Arafat control dissident Palestinian elements that are currently conducting suicide attacks throughout Israel? We can only hope so. Only when this problem is solved will the people of the world feel safe boarding commercial airliners again and will Americans be able to resume feeding instead of bombing the Afghanistans of the world.