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The Road to Martyrs' Square: A Journey into the World of the Suicide Bomber (Hardcover)

~ Anne Marie Oliver (Author), Paul F. Steinberg (Author) "When we first moved to Gaza in 1988, not long after the intifada had broken out, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin of the Islamic Resistance Movement-better known..." (more)
Key Phrases: West Bank, Gaza Strip, Dome of the Rock (more...)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. With the beginning of the first intifada in 1987, American scholars Oliver and Steinberg spent six years living in Gaza, collecting interviews and Palestinian political ephemera, much of it related to the multifaceted organization known as Hamas, which first carried out suicide bombings during that time. The pair characterize Hamas's ideology as schizophrenic; the book they have produced feels intentionally disorienting. Part one episodically traces Hamas's development through a political biography of its leader, Sheikh Yasin (who was killed by an Israeli missile last March). Oliver and Steinberg offer a tremendous amount of anecdotal texture, giving a chilling sense of what it was like to live in Gaza as it was engulfed by an Islamism that professes "not only not to be afraid of death, but to love it passionately." Part two offers an unprecedentedly extensive set of photos, translations and interpretations of Hamas graffiti; this section is horrifying and fascinating. Part three offers the most sustained and detailed views, in English, inside the preparation and deployment of suicide bombers, featuring extended exchanges with cell members and the families of the bombers themselves. Knowledgeable, colloquial, relatively nonpartisan and deeply skeptical and smart, this book offers an intensive look at one of the major forces in Palestinian society, one that is as unsettling as it is penetrating. (Jan.)
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Review

"A highly unusual and--its subject matter notwithstanding--thoroughly enjoyable book. . . . Riveting storytelling." -- Financial Times

"A strange, seductive hybrid– a work of sociology-memoir . . . captured in sparse prose refreshingly free of acadamese" -- LA Times

"A street-level view of how the conflict . . . exploded into a horrific cycle of violence epitomized by nihilism's grandmaster" -- The Oregonian

"An intense, street-level tour of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . . . [A] unique study" -- History Today

"Completely, refreshingly honest" -- The Winnipeg Free Press

"Meticulous . . . This unusual book has great value in explaining Islamic terrorism and the nature of conflict in the Occupied Territories." -- Library Journal

"Of much interest to students of the Middle East, and of the psychology of cults" -- Kirkus Reviews

"Remarkable . . . The book is valuable for its exhaustive documentation of the martyr cult's various uses of propaganda." -- The New York Review of Books

"Urgent and hypnotic" -- Tikkun

"[A] beautifully written yet disturbing book . . . written by authors who demonstrate great understanding of the Palestinians' internal and external struggles" -- Washington Times
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; illustrated edition edition (February 1, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0195116003
  • ISBN-13: 978-0195116007
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #958,198 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

A. M. Oliver
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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When we first moved to Gaza in 1988, not long after the intifada had broken out, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin of the Islamic Resistance Movement-better known by its acronym Hamas-was virtually unknown. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
West Bank, Gaza Strip, Dome of the Rock, Gaza City, Lord of the Worlds, Ahmad Yasin, Gharqad Tree, Muhammad Rushdi, Hamza Abu-Surur, Islamic Resistance Movement, Haim Nachmani, Islamic Jihad, Yasir Arafat, Muslim Brothers, Qassam Battalions, Shin Bet, Islamic Movement, Mahir Abu-Surur, End of the World, Khan Yunis, Muslim Brotherhood, Palestinian Authority, Prophet Muhammad, Saint Yasin, Sheikh Yasin
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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars The book in perspective, August 5, 2006
This review is from: The Road to Martyrs' Square: A Journey into the World of the Suicide Bomber (Paperback)
Oliver and Steinburg's book is an excellent look into the world of the Palestinian suicide bomber. Unlike some reviewers that disparage the political analysis missing from this book, I found the authors' insights quite accurate. The authors' aims were not to provide the historical context, nor to provide a critique of suicide terrorism in general (a la the comment concerning the Tamil Tigers above), but to give an experential portrayal of Palestine during the first intifada. Paradoxically, a couple reviewers bemoaned the book because it portrayed Palestinian suicide bombers as religious zealots and nuts, which makes one wonder if they actually read the book because one of the central themes of the book is the understanding of the suicide bomber as a rational actor.

This book puts Palestinian suicide bombing into the context of Palestine, which is why the understanding of the religious theme becomes incredibly important in contrast to secular groups such as the Tamils, which are motivated purely by politics. A major failure in the understanding of terrorism comes from secular scholars who don't or can't understand religious motivations because those of us in the West no longer regard it as important, though to believe this of the rest of the world is a severe misunderstanding of contemporary social realities and ends up projecting one cultures assumptions onto a completely different one with different mores and values. The primary reason given by suicide bombers for their actions is revenge, but understanding the religious background in the Palestinian context is very important to understand some of the justifications behind their actions. Of course, both religion and politics will remain factors that provide the background for understanding suicide bombing, while the primary factors motivating these individuals will always be personal experiences of oppression and/or abuse (in their eyes).

This book gives one an inside look into the world of the Palestinian terrorist and does not claim to provide ultimate causes, a look at Palestine outside the world of religious terrorism, in-depth analyses of all factors, or a look at suicide bombing in general. For students of terrorism this is an intriguing glimpse into a particular social reality of Palestine - that of the world of those who fight as religious terrorists. It's extensive, and forever irrecoverable, collection of intifada media, as well as an in-depth look at the language of the intifada make this book worth the time it takes to understand the insider worldviews, dialogues between believers, and images it records.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, January 14, 2005
By Abda L. Quillian (Savannah, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book provides unique insight into a mindset few can ever know.
The reader is treated to a visual chronology of intifada graffiti that
until now has remained an undocumented form of communication. The
story of seemingly "random" markings on walls evolved into the unedited
story of the intifada, beyond any censorship. The book also shows how
religious zeal and political activism eventually became so interwoven
that they produced a culture in which one's value is directly
proportioned to the death and destruction one facilitates. The price
of martyrdom is not only one's death, but also the maximizing of the
body count. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Scary stuff but very real, May 3, 2008
By Flynn Flannery (Provo, Utah) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Road to Martyrs' Square: A Journey into the World of the Suicide Bomber (Paperback)
This book is pretty much a fairly straight reporting of Palestinian cultural influences that produce what we read about in the news. Children growing up steeped in hatred and the sick machismo of the Palestinian Arab Muslim male. It's very sad and insurmountable problem that the Israeli's and the rest of the world face, basically an ignorant violent culture that isn't going away.
The book documents this in an objective way. I gave it 4 of 5 stars because I believe it recorded the authors experiences truthfully. It is however somewhat overwhelming in the pure hate that you are constantly being bombarded with, and with no end in sight. This makes the book a bit depressing.
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 		 Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars The conclusions are fundamentally flawed and misleading!
As one reviewer so eloquently pointed out, Anne Marie Oliver and Paul Steinberg show a complete disregard for political and social factors in their extremely superficial and... Read more
Published on May 15, 2006 by Srebrenica Forever

1.0 out of 5 stars Partisan Misrepresentations
This book is one of the most obnoxious partisan screeds I have come across in a long history of reading about this region. Read more
Published on July 24, 2005 by A Reader

4.0 out of 5 stars A scary look at suicide bombers
This book shows how Arab society in the Levant has supported a culture of death and destruction. It shows the elements of the incitement and manipulation that create this... Read more
Published on January 17, 2005 by Jill Malter

5.0 out of 5 stars Facinating book
Great book! I was captivated from cover to cover. It's great to read a gritty, realistic view of the beginings of the intifada.
Published on January 16, 2005 by Jeff Lowenstien

5.0 out of 5 stars A Passport into the Middle East Conflict
This book is phenomenal! I have to say I never had any interest in traveling to the Middle East given all the unrest and turmoil that seems never ending. Read more
Published on January 16, 2005 by Emma Poroli

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