The Question of Palestine
A critical examination of Palestinian identity and history
Edward W Said author Saree Makdisi author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Fitzcarraldo Editions
Published:21st Nov '24
Should be back in stock very soon
This seminal work explores the Palestinian experience and its historical context, highlighting ongoing struggles for self-determination. The Question of Palestine remains a vital resource for understanding these issues.
This original and deeply thought-provoking book, first published in 1978, was the first to bring Palestine into serious discourse, a topic that remains critically relevant today. Edward Said, a prominent intellectual of the twentieth century, crafted The Question of Palestine as a foundational text that narrates the modern Palestinian experience in English. His work was groundbreaking, as it established that Palestine indeed has a rich history prior to colonization, challenging long-held misconceptions.
Said's ambitious project aimed to 'bring Palestine into history,' and it undeniably succeeded in shifting perspectives. However, despite this achievement, the quest for Palestinian self-determination continues to face significant obstacles. The insights that Said provided in The Question of Palestine are not only historically significant but also resonate with contemporary discussions surrounding identity, nationalism, and colonialism.
Informed by his own experiences of exile and the rigorous scholarship that characterized his earlier work, The Question of Palestine offers a poignant examination of the traumatic interactions between the Palestinian people and Zionism. Said's analysis remains as relevant and sharp today as it was upon its initial release in 1979, making this book an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the Palestinian narrative.
‘This reissue of The Question of Palestine only lends more weight and value to Edward Said’s work, to his vision and analysis, to the enduring need for his core principles of justice and empathy. Principles that have perhaps never been as severely tested as they are today. Passionate and patient, the book displays all the features that made Said a great thinker and a powerful advocate, whose absence continues to be felt.’
— Ahdaf Soueif, author of The Map of Love
‘In this seminal text, Edward W. Said stridently diagnoses western hypocrisy and makes the case for Palestinian liberation, paving the way for so many thinkers who came after him. I wish it were not so, but The Question of Palestine is just as relevant now as it was in 1979.’
— Isabella Hammad, author of Enter Ghost
‘Edward Said is among the truly important intellectuals of our century.’
— Nadine Gordimer
‘When Edward Said died in September 2003, after a decade-long battle against leukemia, he was probably the best-known intellectual in the world.... Over three decades, virtually single-handedly, he wedged open a conversation in America about Israel, Palestine and the Palestinians. In so doing he performed an inestimable public service at considerable personal risk.’
— Tony Judt
‘[A]rguably New York’s most famous public intellectual after Hannah Arendt and Susan Sontag, and America’s most prominent advocate for Palestinian rights.’
— Pankaj Mishra, New Yorker
ISBN: 9781804271353
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
376 pages