New review: Yusif Sayigh memoirs
The Electronic Intifada, 7th June 2016
Yusif Sayigh’s life story, narrated and edited by his wife Rosemary (herself an eminent anthropologist and activist), is a significant addition to this list.
Its importance stems from two things.
Firstly, it is a wonderfully frank account of Yusif’s long and eventful life, from 1916 to 2004. One wonders if the fact that it was recorded by his wife, rather than written as a formal biography, inspired such openness on subjects ranging from sex (and the accompanying guilt) to Yusif’s tempestuous relationship with Yasser Arafat.
The full article is here.
Sarah Irving 
Great review. I agree, the stories of ‘ordinary’ Palestinian people through the 20th century enriches and provides immense value to our contested history. My Grandmother grew up in Al-Bassa around the same time as Yusif Sayigh and witnessed the British massacre during the 1936-39 civil war. Events like these need to be recorded and remembered.
Jamiel Sabbagh
Well put Jamiel Sabbagh
I totally agree with Jamiel Sabbagh, sharing these stories and historical events is important. Personal accounts such as this make history that people find hard to connect with more accessible and relatable.
Yes Jamiel and further to your point I think stories such as this are important reminders that history is made by ordinary people. As a student and teacher of history I would like to see more memoirs read in school and university history subjects.