Author:Joe Sacco
A powerful graphic novel, capturing the heart of day-to-day life in occupied Palestine.
In late 1991 and early 1992, at the time of the first Intifada, Joe Sacco spent two months with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, travelling and taking notes.
Upon returning to the United States he started writing and drawing Palestine, which combines the techniques of eyewitness reportage with the medium of comic-book storytelling to explore this complex, emotionally weighty situation. He captures the heart of the Palestinian experience in image after unforgettable image, with great insight and remarkable humour.
The nine-issue comics series won a l996 American Book Award. It is now published for the first time in one volume, befitting its status as one of the great classics of graphic non-fiction.
‘The bar is set extremely high when it comes to graphic books and the Middle East: one thinks of Joe Sacco's Palestine' Guy Delise
‘Palestineis utterly compelling, and as affecting as the work of any war photographer or poet’ Varsity
A political and aesthetic work of extraordinary originality, quite unlike any other in the long, often turgid and hopelessly twisted debates that have occupied Palestinians, Israelis, and their respective supporters... With the exception of one or two novelists and poets, no one has ever rendered this terrible state of affairs better than Joe Sacco
—— Edward SaidThe bar is set extremely high when it comes to graphic books and the Middle East: one thinks of Joe Sacco's Palestine
—— ObserverPalestine is a unique take on the Isreali/Palestinian conflict… The illustrator/reporter provides a unique perspective: there is an intimacy to Sacco’s interviews that cannot be translated into photography and text. His drawings make his subjects relatable to in a way that I think is difficult to achieve with a photograph.
—— Bleeding CoolPalestine is utterly compelling, and as affecting as the work of any war photographer or poet.
—— Annie Forbes , VarsityThis is a memorable household, seemingly passed over by history yet given their rightful place on these pages – and recommended by us as well worth meeting.
—— thebookbag.co.ukSuperstar in the making…as affecting as Raymond Briggs, as beady as Posy Simmonds, a truly fantastic debut… I cherished Winterhart’s drawings. These Bagnolds are well-observed to the point of cruelty, and yet his affection for them is never in doubt.
—— Rachel Cooke , ObserverRemarkable…beautifully observed and balanced. It’s thought-provoking, entertaining and real without being sycophantic… You should make time for this book..
—— Forbidden Planet BlogIf like me you’re new to graphic novels then trust me when I say this is the perfect starting point, and if you’re a regular graphic novel reader then please give this little volume a chance. It may be small but it has so much heart inside that you’ll never quite be able to leave it behind.
—— bookmonkeyscribblesHeartfelt and often heartbreaking.
—— Dog Eared DiscsThe First World War is often described as a literary war, but it was also the first great photographic war. This book is an extraordinary collection of photographs from the archives of the Imperial War Museums. Depicted are the machines of destruction, the battlefields, the trenches, the beaches but above all the soldiers. Nothing reveals the face of war quite so vividly as the faces of the warriors.
—— Ben Macintyre , The TimesA mini-masterpiece.
—— Independent on SundayHis silence first mirrors and then amplifies our own horrified stupefaction – and his inky crosshatching speaks for itself, sorrow and rage in every dogged line.
—— Rachel Cooke , ObserverUnlike anything you've ever seen before...renders the destruction on an epic scale but each of the thousands of soldiers is depicted with humanity and detail.
—— MetroUnfolds in breathtaking detail… Haunting and beautifully rendered.
—— Sunday TimesOne of the finest pictographic achievements in recent years… A vivid portrait of courage and honour which will astound you.
—— Haverhill EchoThe "comic book journalist" has gone into a new realm with this, a book that folds out into a single piece, 24ft wide, wordless pen and ink drawing of soldiers leaving the trenches.
—— Shane Hegarty , Irish Times[Sacco’s] ability to cram in detail is extraordinary. And it is the details that linger.
—— The EconomistWhen stretched to its 24ft length in the Saga Magazine office, we pored over it for ages. We predict you will want to do the same.
—— Saga MagazineAbout Joe Sacco’s The Great War, one can write only essays or short, ecstatic sentences... A beautiful accordion-book, it unfolds on the Western Front, with all its monotony and misery: simple, but intricate; wordless, but vocal; brutal, but beautiful. A masterpiece of quietly affecting numbers, the thousands of lines, dots, and crosses that demarcate the thousands of lives, deaths, and crises.
—— Reggie Chamberlain-King , QuietusThe detail in this work is phenomenal, capturing the aloof generals, death in the trenches, and the wounded... [Sacco] makes visceral one of the bloodiest days in history.
—— Socialist ReviewWordless and brilliant.
—— Donal O'Donoghue , RTE GuideSometimes words and photographs are not enough… [An] astounding book.
—— Michael Hodges , Mail on SundayA unique and unforgettable experience.
—— Matthew Turner , Ask MenA meticulous visual depiction.
—— Observer