Andrew Rigby has done a great service in writing one of the most comprehensive and well-researched studies on the first Palestinian Intifada available. The author is frank in acknowledging both the failures and contradictions of the struggle as well as recognizing the transformative power of massive noncooperation in asserting the right of an oppressed people. By analyzing what succeeded, what failed, and why, this is a must-read for both those interested in Israel/Palestine as well as those who desire a fuller understanding of the power of unarmed civil resistance and the forces used against it. Stephen ZunesProfessor of Politics & Coordinator of Middle Eastern Studies University of San Francisco