This work investigates the organizational evolution and strategic trajectory of the Palestinian National Movement from the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War to the 1993 Oslo Accords. Yezid Sayigh, a scholar with extensive expertise in Middle Eastern security and politics, utilizes a vast repository of primary source material to analyze the internal dynamics of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The book argues that the movement's reliance on armed struggle was inextricably linked to its internal political structure and its quest for statehood, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the complexities of Palestinian nationalism during this period.

Experts and historians widely recognize this text as the definitive account of the Palestinian National Movement due to its unparalleled access to primary source archives. Readers frequently note the academic density and meticulous detail of the prose, which serves as a foundational resource for scholars of Middle Eastern history and political science.