Excellent portrayal of a fascinating and enigmatic figure who starred in a tumultuous period of Palestinian history. Sarah Irving combines biography with historical criticism to offer valuable insight into the character of Leila Khaled and her special allure as a revolutionary symbol.
NICHOLAS BLINKOE, novelist and co-editor of Peace Under Fire (2004)
The image of Leila Khaled went around the world after the hijacking of a passenger plane in 1969. The so-called "girl symbol of the Palestinian resistance", the young, determined woman in the traditional Palestinian headscarf and AK-47 in hand, stamped a whole time.
This personal sketch of Khaled, based on interviews with her and people who know her, offers a penetrating look at her life and the course of the Palestinian struggle. Sarah Irving examines the main events, from the dramatic hijackings to Khaled's involvement in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, her disagreement with the Oslo peace process and her ongoing activism.
Khaled's story highlights the tensions between armed and peaceful political struggle, the decline of the secular left and the rise of Hamas. Through her experiences, the role that women played in one of the most male-dominated movements is illuminated.
Sarah Erving is a writer. Her writings have been published in The Guardian, New Internationalist and Electronic Intifada. He has written the travel guide Bradt Guide to Palestine (2011) and, with Sarin Locke, the book Gaza: Beneath the Bombs (Pluto Press, 2010).
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