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by Anne Irfan
From a leading scholar of Palestine-Israel, a brief, essential history of the besieged strip of land, revealing the long-term roots of Israel's destruction of Gaza.
The Gaza Strip is one of the most widely reported-on regions in the world―yet misinformation about its history and people abound. In this vital book, historian Anne Irfan explains Gaza's outsized political significance through six pivotal moments in its modern history, beginning with Israel's expulsion of the Palestinian people upon its establishment in 1948, when Gaza was truncated to the "strip" we know today. As she takes us through Israel's occupation of Gaza, the Palestinian national struggle and formation of the PLO, the first intifada, the creation of the PA, and the rise of Hamas, she tackles widespread historical ignorance and untangles contradicting narratives. Drawing on a decade of research, Irfan weaves in the voices of everyday Palestinians, from farmers and teachers to poets and activists. Written with remarkable clarity and compassion, A Short History of the Gaza Strip is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to understand Palestine today.
"Readers seeking context to the awful headlines from the region should seek out this thought-provoking book. Robust research underpins this judicious record of Palestinian life." ―Kirkus Reviews
"A timely and highly informative history of Gaza that is sure to dispel many of the misconceptions and misinformation circulating and currently widespread. It will remind readers of what was lost in the course of Israel's aggression as well as recognizing Gaza's resilience." —Raja Shehadeh, author of What Does Israel Fear from Palestine?
"In lean and unsparing prose, Anne Irfan exposes the history of occupation and oppression that explains the tragedy of Gaza from 1948 to the present day. A brilliant book that will inform debate and make clear to policymakers how Gaza's future must in no way resemble its recent past." —Eugene Rogan, author of The Damascus Events
"In this stunning book, Dr. Anne Irfan contextualizes the violence unfolding in Gaza today without losing sight of the humanity of Palestinians. In documenting six critical historical junctures that fomented the occupation and ensuing violence, she describes a cruel dynamic that both corrupts the Israeli soul and ruins the Palestinian people." — Nadya Hajj, author of Networked Refugees
This information about A Short History of the Gaza Strip was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Anne Irfan is lecturer in interdisciplinary race, gender, and postcolonial studies at University College London, focusing on Palestinian refugee rights. She is the author of Refuge and Resistance and has written for publications including the Washington Post, the Nation, and +972 Magazine. She lives in London.
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