An acclaimed economist and lifelong Palestinian nationalist Yusif Sayigh (1916-2004) came of age at a time of immense political change in the Middle East. Born in al-Bassa, near Acre in northern Palestine, he was witness to the events that led to the loss of Palestine and his memoir therefore constitutes a vivid social history of the region, as well as a revealing firsthand account of the Palestinian national movement almost from its earliest inception. Family and everyday life, co-villagers, landscapes, pleasures, outings, schooling, and political figures recreate the vanished world of Sayigh's formative years in the Levant. An activist in Palestine, he was taken prisoner of war by the Israelis in 1948. Later, as an economist, he wrote extensively on Arab oil, economic development, and manpower, teaching for many years at the American University of Beirut and taking early retirement in 1974 to work as a consultant for a number of pan-Arab and international organizations. A single chapter on Palestinian politics provides insights into his later activist work and experiences of working as a consultant with the Palestine Liberation Organization to produce an economic plan for an eventual Palestinian state.This fascinating memoir by a pioneer and major figure of the Palestinian national movement is a welcome addition to the growing literature on Palestinian life during the first half of the twentieth century as well as an account of some of the most pressing political and economic issues to have faced the Arab world for the better part of the twentieth century.

A rare firsthand account by a prominent Palestinian economist of his youth and childhood in the mandate-era Levant and his life's devotion to the cause of Palestine .

About the Author
Rosemary Sayigh, the wife of Yusif Sayigh, is an oral historian and anthropologist and the author of Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, Too Many Enemies: The Palestinian Experience in Lebanon, and Voices: Palestinian Women Narrate Displacement. She is a currently visiting professor at the Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies at the American University of Beirut.

Reviews
"The power of this biography lies in its capacity to provide insight into Sayigh's life while narrating and meticulously elaborating the political, social, and economic history of the Palestinian people within a complex regional and global environment. For this captivating biography, which works to mend 'a fractured life,' we are grateful to Rosemary Sayigh."-Samia Al-Botmeh, Journal of Palestine Studies



Book Information
ISBN 9789774166716
Author Rosemary Sayigh
Format Hardback
Page Count 376
Imprint The American University in Cairo Press
Publisher The American University in Cairo Press
Weight(grams) 830g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 152mm * 28mm