Price £16.99
Format Paperback
Published September 2009
Length 560 pages
ISBN 9781905559145
ISBN 9781905559343 (ebook)
Click to order
Click to order
Once Upon A Country: A Palestinian Life
Sari Nusseibeh
Sari Nusseibeh's autobiography is the story of his country
Sari Nusseibeh's family history is inextricably interwoven with the city of Jerusalem, and his own life with the Palestinian nationalist struggle.
A dreamer by nature, he was always curious about what lay beyond the barbed wire of No Man's Land of divided East Jerusalem, and only too aware of the competing claims of the three great religions in his beloved Old City.
Reluctantly, he became involved in politics, managing to be termed "the smiling face of Palestinian terror" by some Israelis whilst also provoking Palestinian death threats - such were the angry responses to his independent thinking.
Through his deeply moving personal story, Nusseibeh reveals the terrible consequences of war, partition and terrorism. He also charts, from the inside, the life of the embattled Palestinian leadership under Arafat, with a penetrating analysis of the workings of the Palestinian Authority.
'Sari Nusseibeh's formidable achievement - his articulation of a liberal nationalism, his championship of nonviolence in the midst of savagery, his humane understanding of an inhumane predicament - leaves a drop of despair, because of how exceptional it is'
Leon Wieseltier, Sunday Book Review, The New York Times
“One of the best personal accounts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ever written . . . A fascinating and deeply intelligent memoir.”
Ethan Bronner, The New York Times
“There are villains and victims, patriots and fools, war and peace, betrayal and corruption, and an inevitable romance. . . . The book dramatizes recent history in Palestine as few others have done.”
Amos Elon, The New York Review of Books
“Terrific . . . highly recommended for those who want to appreciate the dilemma of the Palestinian democrat.”
Christopher Hitchens, Slate
“A deeply admirable book by a deeply admirable man.”
Leon Wieseltier, The New York Times Book Review
“Once Upon a Country is an often enthralling book, with a lucid unfolding of the issues and subtle analysis of the games played by both sides. . . . This complicated man--shrewd, idealist, pragmatic, dreamer, peaceful warrior---is very much worth knowing.”
Charles Matthews, San Francisco Chronicle
“Captivating . . . Once Upon a Country is a magnificent study of hope under siege.”
Robert Malley, The Washington Post
“A bighearted, admirable, and exceptionally interesting account of Nusseibeh's struggle for an equitable peace in a conflict in which compromise is often interpreted as treason. This is a rare book.”
Jeffrey Goldberg, Los Angeles Times
“Once Upon a Country is a subtle, sad, and humorous memoir that casts a fresh light on the Israeli-Palestinian tragedy and a vivid picture of Palestinian society as well.”
Amos Oz, author of A Tale of Love and Darkness
About Sari Nusseibeh
Sari Nusseibeh is a philosopher and the President of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. In 2002 he co-founded The People’s Voice, an Israeli-Palestinian grass-roots organisation which advocates peace between Israel and Palestine. He was the PLO's chief representative in Jerusalem in 2001-2.
