Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

20 reviews

bergha1998's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

4.0

This is a heavy and important book. It was hard to see how many lies I’d been told as an American and just fully believed until October of 2023. I really liked the personal stories mixed in by the author; they did an excellent job of framing it in humanity better than if the whole book was just focused on the history. 

History, Warfare and Colonialism

“The surest way to eradicate a people’s right to their land is to deny their historical connection to it.”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Police brutality, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Child death, Death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gore, Grief, and War

amandakitz's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Rashid Khalidi's history of the occupation in Palestine demonstrates his skills as a scholar as well as the importance of proximity to the conflict to bypass propaganda. Israel and the U.S. had strengths not only in sheer military force in the region but in their PR and propaganda campaigns, turning the world against the Palestinian cause. Khalidi's work counters that narrative skillfully through personal experience, interviews, scholarship, and proximity to the conflict. 

Through the eyes of Khalidi, whose family, friends, and homeland in the Occupied Territories and in the diaspora were impacted severely by the Israeli occupation, we see an accounting of history from someone who has lived it. In his accounts of his father's and his own work in the UN and the contacts he had with the Fatah and the PLO, we see that he is not merely writing through personal experience as a Palestinian nor through pure scholarship as a leading historian in Palestinian Studies, but also as an advisor and envoy in peace talks with key leaders and politicians throughout the latter decades of the conflict. The personal, professional, and scholarly influences on his perspective form a well-rounded, clear picture of the situation and the factors at play.

Khalidi's writing style is far from dry and makes the complicated history of various Palestinian resistance groups and organizations easy to follow. The book was extremely well-organized, well-researched, and well-written, a masterclass in providing depth of scholarship without compromising accessibility. For those beginning the work of seeking the truth behind the propaganda, this is an excellent book I can easily recommend.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Genocide, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Violence, War, and Islamophobia

Crucial history of war necessarily contains descriptions of war, and crucial history of violent oppression and colonization necessarily contains descriptions of colonial violence, oppression, intentionally targeting civilians, and genocidal rhetoric, policies, and military campaigns. Engage with the understanding that, depending on your background, additional self-care and pacing may be required.

sydapel's review

challenging informative slow-paced

So glad I could make this my final book of 2023. I'm not saying that you need context or history to feel strongly about what's happening in Gaza right now, but the framework of how we've arrived at this deeply tragic moment is shown in excellent detail in this book. I admit that I was lost in many chapters (there's a lot of names and places that I couldn't keep straight), but I came away from it with more of a background on Palestine, it's people and their resistance to the Israeli occupation. I also want to briefly state that the author has done a very good job of noting the missteps that Palestinian leadership has taken since 1948, both as a result of their own ignorance and of their oppression. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Colonisation, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Deportation, Genocide, War, and Religious bigotry

zombiezami's review

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

A bit dry, but very important information. I like how the author included his own experiences and family history in the narrative.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Confinement, Classism, Xenophobia, Death, Murder, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Violence, Genocide, Police brutality, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Child death, Deportation, Grief, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Death of parent

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

krispyyk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

3.5

Great introduction to the history of Palestinian resistance with an emphasis on global engagement, policy, and media coverage. Mostly read like a history book, but the addition of direct experiences recounted by the author helped demonstrate the actual effects of policy and politics. I particularly appreciated the dialogue on the influence that US citizens have, it gives me hope that better days are coming for Palestinians with this new wave of American media attention

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, War, Violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Genocide, Death, Colonisation, and Murder

Moderate: Child death and Religious bigotry

blakeandbooks's review

informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Genocide, Torture, Murder, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, and Death

katharina90's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

An essential overview of a century's worth of Palestinian history. This book is educational and detailed, but not overly academic or dense. 

At times, the author includes his own first hand accounts and those from family members. This adds an illuminating personal touch.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, and War

Minor: Confinement and Torture

lizziaha's review

4.25

Essential reading!!! This was really my first foray into learning about the history of Palestine, and I think the onslaught of information made it hard for me to stay engaged at times. I might revisit once I’m more familiar with the subject matter. From the river to the sea 🇵🇸 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Deportation, Islamophobia, Murder, Religious bigotry, War, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and Grief

dithorba's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Absolutely required reading on the formation and history of Israel and it's continued colonization and subjugation of Palestine. 

From river to sea, Palestine will be free. 🇵🇸

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Colonisation, Religious bigotry, War, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia

babayagaofficial's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Outstanding. If you're short on time, even just the book's conclusion is a worthwhile and helpful primer on the Palestinian/Israeli situation.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Death, Genocide, and Violence

Minor: Confinement