Published by the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA) in Jerusalem, Abdelaziz A. Ayyad’s study follows the development of Arab national consciousness in Palestine from the mid-nineteenth century to the eve of the Second World War.

Ayyad examines the Ottoman reforms, the cultural revival of the late nineteenth century, the rise of Arab nationalist societies, the impact of the First World War and the Balfour Declaration, and the emergence of a distinct Palestinian national movement under the British Mandate. The book ends with the Great Revolt of 1936–1939, showing how Palestinians organised politically against both British rule and Zionist colonisation.