Part analysis, part first-hand account, this assessment of Yasir Arafat’s ‎leadership of the Palestinian movement emphasizes the dual nature of his ‎persona: guerrilla fighter and political pragmatist. With anecdotes drawn ‎from his close association with Arafat dating back to the 1968 Battle of ‎Karameh, the author attempts to untangle the Palestinian leader’s mixed ‎legacy over his forty-year career, from leading guerrilla operations ‎against Israel, to entering into negotiations with it, to the Oslo period ‎including the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, and finally the ‎conduct of the al-Aqsa intifada.‎

Mamdouh Nofal, a political commentator and analyst, is a member of the Palestine ‎National Council and a former member of the PLO Military Council.