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I have always loved books. If you think about it, the sheer quantity and quality of books available in the world today is a relatively recent phenomenon in human history. One hundred years ago, learning was the priviledged domain of the elitist academic community and therefore the rich. Today, the availablity of well written books on just about any subject you are interested in has opened access to a world full of skills. In 1995, I taught myself the basics of website design from a book. I went on to design Web pages over the following few years. I made mistakes but I persevered, with the book at my side as a reference. The doors which that one book opened for me have been innumerable. With the advent of online commerce and the rapid spread of the Internet, Web-based companies like Amazon.com have made purchasing books a painless experience. You can search by partial titles, subject, or author names, get recommendations of similar books with a single click of the mouse, have instant access to reviews by literary writers or other people like yourself who have just read the book, and get it delivered to your home in a couple of days. All that said, I decided early in 1999 to join Amazon.com's associate program. Books, CDs, and videos purchased here are available at the regular Amazon.com prices, but result in a 5-15 percent commission which helps me to pay for the Web hosting fees of all the information on this website. Online shopping is safe, with orders sent by encrypted form directly to Amazon, and prices are often cheaper than store prices. In this bookstore on nigelparry.com you get the additional guarantee that I have read all the books offered here and only list those I found to be exceptional. If you have friends who are interested in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, any of the books listed here would make excellent gifts for them. As time goes on, I will be adding other subject sections. You can also find other books, CDs, and videos through the search box at the top right of the page. Enjoy, and let me know how you find these recommendations. Nigel Parry |
 "Perceptions of Palestine: Their Influence on US Middle East Policy" by Kathleen Christison, Hardback, 1999. Although the history of America's "special relationship" with Israel is by no means a unexplored topic for authors, Kathleen Christison's Perceptions of Palestine: Their influence on U.S. Middle East Policy breaks new ground by its sheer scope of analysis, tracing 130 years of formulation of American perceptions of the Middle East, and their ultimate manifestation in U.S. government policy. "In the Middle East," writes Christison at the beginning of her book, "terminology shapes reality; it becomes a way of seeing reality, and, finally, it is reality." This single line, perhaps better than any other, encapsulates the political landscape mapped by Christison's book, a well-referenced 293-page investigation of the sources of the US mindset that has shaped Middle East policies through twelve key presidencies from Wilson to Clinton. Perceptions on Palestine analyses the state of knowledge of the president and key policymakers in each administration and the preconceptions with which they entered office, by examining - where available - their writings and the writings of those who most closely influenced them; by exploring coexistent popular attitudes towards the Middle East in the media, films, and literature; and by looking at how each administration was influenced by the prevailing conventional wisdom. I would unhesitatingly recommend this book as a standard text for anyone wishing to understand the reason for the prolonged nature of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.  "They Dare to Speak Out : People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby" by Paul Findley, Paperback 2nd revised edition (August 1989). One of the most devastating accounts of the reach of Israel's lobby in the US, this book by former Republican Congressman Paul Findley offers extensive examples of McCarthyite tactics and the reality of "one dollar, one vote" democracy. The fact that it was written 10 years ago does not make the book out-of-date in the slightest. Hillary Clinton's 2 July 1999 letter to the Orthodox Union, an organisation that represents about 750 orthodox Jewish synagogues across the United States, in which she stated "I personally consider Jerusalem the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel", demonstrates that the book remains very timely. If you have never read about Israel's lobby in the US, you will be shocked at the numerous and disturbing anecdotes Findley reprints from fellow Congressmen, lobbyists, and others. This book is as hard-hitting as it gets, a gripping read to boot, and an excellent collection of real life examples of the pressures faced by U.S. politicians touched on in Christison's book above. |
"Palestine Book 1: 'A Nation Occupied'" by Joe Sacco, Paperback (March 1993). Joe Sacco's book reminds me of my first trip to the occupied Palestinian territories in 1989 a couple of years before Sacco's first visit from 1991-1992. His book faithfully represents the contradictions and striking images of the conflict, and being a graphic novel/comic book renders them powerfully. I couldn't think of a better medium to explain the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to someone than this book, which stands out as an honest account of one man's attempts to make sense of it all, as well as a premiere work of art. Particularly chilling is the account of a Palestinian father's torture experience. Both books cover a wide variety of other topics, including refugees, Israeli attitudes, life inside prison, and more, introducing these issues (along with the atmosphere of a visit to Palestine) through Sacco's walk through the West Bank and Gaza, talking to people there. [continues below]  "Palestine Book 2: 'In the Gaza Strip'" by Joe Sacco, Paperback (March 1996). Sacco's second book opens up more of the conflict, this time in the setting of Gaza, but should be considered as indivisible from the first book, as both represent the complete collection of "Palestine" comics which were originally published as individual issues. In both books, powerfully-told stories are laced with well-researched facts, all couched in Sacco's humanity and disbelief at the people he meets and the events he sees. The visual imagery is almost photographically faithful too the actual landscapes and cityscapes of Palestine, and the accounts such as his taxi ride to Nablus will elicit delighted cries of recognition and laughter from those who have visited the country. Both books are a 'must have' that you will definitely not be disappointed with if you're buying them for yourself, and which should be considered a necessary part of your standard tools to explain the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict to others, in other words a great gift. In the absense of a Palestinian "Cry Freedom", these two books are the next best thing. "The Arabs" (Penguin History) by Peter Mansfield, Paperback 3rd New edition (October 1992). I had the opportunity to meet Peter Mansfield a few times when I worked in London between 1993 and 1994, a softly-spoken and dignified man who had made it his life's work to learn about and understand the Arab World and its relationship with the colonial powers. Sadly, Mansfield has since passed away, but this book remains as a beautiful epitaph that is as close to a definitive but digestible history of the Arab people as I've read. Recommended for those who want to understand the big picture before getting into the detail. |