When Yasser Arafat first appeared on the international stage following the 1967 Six-Day War, he was called a bloody terrorist. When the Israeli army drove him from Beirut in 1984, he was dismissed as a broken, marginalized figure. When the grass-roots Intifada broke out in the occupied territories in 1987, Arafat, from his outpost in Tunis, was able to portray himself as leader of the movement.

And when secret talks started between the Israelis and Palestinians in Oslo, it was widely held that only Arafat could negotiate a lasting peace and independence for his people. From guerrilla fighter to statesman to his present role as chief administrator over a fragile, fledgling country, Arafat has always remained just beyond the grasp of those who would define his nature or predict his next move.

1. Rubinstein approaches his subject as a detective might: going back to Arafat's birth and shadowy youth in Egypt, his life of ceaseless traveling, the meanings behind his trademark kaffiyeh and three-day beard, his vows of personal poverty, and his insistence on signing every check issued by the PLO. Through anecdote, analytic sifting, and thoughtful reflection, Rubinstein weaves a compelling portrait of Yasser Arafat, one that will be of interest to all who follow events in the Middle East.