A Young Palestinian's Diary, 1941-1945: The Life of Sami 'Amr (Jamal and Rania Daniel Series in Contemporary History, Politics, Culture, and Religion of the Levant)

Writing in his late teens and early twenties, Sami'Amr gave his diary an apt subtitle: "The Battle of Life", encapsulating both the political climate of Palestine in the waning years of the British Mandate as well as the contrasting joys and troubles of family life. Now translated from the Arabic, Sami's diary represents a rare artefact of turbulent change in the Middle East. Written over four years, these ruminations of a young man from Hebron brim with revelations about daily life against a backdrop of tremendous transition. Describing the public and the private, the modern and the traditional, Sami muses on relationships, his station in life, and other universal experiences while sharing numerous details about a pivotal moment in Palestine's modern history. Making these never-before-published reflections available in translation, Kimberly Katz also provides illuminating context for Sami's words, laying out biographical details of Sami, who kept his diary private for close to sixty years. One of a limited number of Palestinian diaries available to English-language readers, the diary of Sami'Amr bridges significant chasms in our understanding of Middle Eastern, and particularly Palestinian, history. Writing in his late teens and early twenties, S x101;m x12B; 'Amr gave his diary an apt subtitle: The Battle of Life, encapsulating both the political climate of Palestine in the waning years of the British Mandate as well as the contrasting joys and troubles of family life. Now translated from the Arabic, S x101;m x12B;'s diary represents a rare artifact of turbulent change in the Middle East. Written over four years, these ruminations of a young man from Hebron brim with revelations about daily life against a backdrop of tremendous transition. Describing the public and the private, the modern and the traditional, S x101;m x12B; muses on relationships, his station in life, and other universal experiences while sharing numerous details about a pivotal moment in Palestine's modern history. Making these never-before-published reflections available in translation, Kimberly Katz also provides illuminating context for S x101;m x12B;'s words, laying out biographical details of S x101;m x12B;, who kept his diary private for close to sixty years. One of a limited number of Palestinian diaries available to English-language readers, the diary of S x101;m x12B; 'Amr bridges significant chasms in our understanding of Middle Eastern, and particularly Palestinian, history. -- Back cover Writing in his late teens and early twenties, Sāmī ‘Amr gave his diary an apt subtitle: The Battle of Life, encapsulating both the political climate of Palestine in the waning years of the British Mandate as well as the contrasting joys and troubles of family life. Now translated from the Arabic, Sāmī's diary represents a rare artifact of turbulent change in the Middle East. Written over four years, these ruminations of a young man from Hebron brim with revelations about daily life against a backdrop of tremendous transition. Describing the public and the private, the modern and the traditional, Sāmī muses on relationships, his station in life, and other universal experiences while sharing numerous details about a pivotal moment in Palestine's modern history. Making these never-before-published reflections available in translation, Kimberly Katz also provides illuminating context for Sāmī's words, laying out biographical details of Sāmī, who kept his diary private for close to sixty years. One of a limited number of Palestinian diaries available to English-language readers, the diary of Sāmī ‘Amr bridges significant chasms in our understanding of Middle Eastern, and particularly Palestinian, history. Contents......Page 10 Foreword: Away from Dura (or Life in the Margins) by Salim Tamari......Page 12 Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 16 Note on Translation, Transcription, and Usage......Page 22 Part One: History and Historiography of the Diary......Page 28 The Diarist and His Times......Page 30 Historiography and Themes of the Diary......Page 62 Conclusion: To Write or Not to Write......Page 93 Part Two: Translation of the Diary of Sami 'Amr......Page 96 Appendix One: Genealogy of the 'Amr Family......Page 182 Appendix Two: People Mentioned in the Diary......Page 184 Bibliography......Page 188 Index......Page 196 Foreword: Away from Dūrā (or Life in the margins) / by Salim Tamari pt. 1. History and historiography of the diary The diarist and his times Historiography and themes of the diary Conclusion: To write or not to write pt. 2. Translation of the diary of Sāmī ʻAmr Appendix 1: Genealogy of the ʻAmr family Appendix 2: People mentioned in the diary. Writing in his late teens and early twenties, Sami'Amr gave his diary an apt subtitle: "The Battle of Life", encapsulating both the political climate of Palestine in the waning years of the British Mandate as well as the contrasting joys and troubles of family life. This translation presents an artefact of turbulent change in the Middle East.