Against the Wall: The Art of Resistance in Palestine: Amazon.co.uk: William Parry: Books

Review

This is a remarkable and deeply human book documenting a vast and ultimately self-defeating act of injustice. Perhaps more importantly, it records a growing series of creative and flexible responses to that injustice an international unity of intent which steps outside the sterile and appalling logic of asymmetric warfare. It is an angry, funny, determined reminder that Nothing Lasts Forever. --A L Kennedy, writer and comedian

William Parry s Against the Wall is a singular achievement both a stunning photographic essay of how Israel s concrete wall has cut into Palestinian land and strangled whole communities and a powerful visual record of how local and international graffiti artists have battered it with their only weapons, paint and spray can. Thumbing through these pages, I could taste the occupation all over again. --Joe Sacco, Political cartoonist

The wall stands as a dreadful symbol of oppression. The spirit of resistance may be strong but Palestinians need international support. I hope this book makes that more likely. --Ken Loach

Review

The wall stands as a dreadful symbol of oppression. The spirit of resistance may be strong but Palestinians need international support. I hope this book makes that more likely. -- Ken Loach This book will help eventually pull down the wall. -- Damon Albarn A singular achievement -- both a stunning photographic essay of how Israel's concrete wall has cut into Palestinian land and strangled whole communities and a powerful visual record of how local and international graffiti artists have battered it with their only weapons, paint and spray cans. -- Joe Sacco, Political cartoonist This is a remarkable and deeply human book documenting a vast and ultimately self-defeating act of injustice. It records a growing series of creative and flexible responses to that injustice -- an international unity of intent which steps outside the sterile and appalling logic of asymmetric warfare. It is an angry, funny, determined reminder that "Nothing Lasts Forever. -- A L Kennedy, writer and comedian Documents Israel's monstrous wall both as a brute instrument of dispossession and as a bearer of resistance. The wall steals Palestinian land and threatens the viability of the lives lived in its shadow and it blooms with messages of solidarity from every corner of the earth. This is the largest protest banner the world has ever known. ...An outstanding example of cultural resistance. -- Ahdaf Soueif A marvellous expose of Palestinian 'Wall Art', evocative and compelling. Those who admired Belfast's resistance wall paintings will revel in this Palestinian version. -- Ghada Karmi, Research Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, and author of Married to Another Man: Israel's Dilemma in Palestine This book is very beautiful and very ugly. The Wall is very ugly, much of the art on it is very beautiful. This book helps to expose the ugly tyranny of oppression. There is beauty in the resistance of the Palestinian people. The annexation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank is ugly. That many Israelis are joining the resistance against their own government's policies is brave and beautiful. The ugliness of the Wall outweighs the beauty of the rest. This book seeks to redress the balance. -- Roger Waters

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Just Excellent 27 Nov 2010

By Pam Parsons

Format:Paperback

An excellent book in all ways. The photos of the graffiti on the Separation Wall are superb (many have captured different art works at their peak). The text sets the graffiti in context and gives a very human picture of life in Palestine in the Wall's shadow.
Buy it for any Banksy (or other graffiti artist) fan. They will love the art work, and also learn a lot about Palestine in the process.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Simply stunning 6 July 2010

By King Kong

This is a fantastic and moving book. I understand that this is the first book from the author and I hope it is not the last.

The writer introduces the reader to the fascinating graffiti surrounding the wall in the occupied Palestinian territory before expertly moving on to the many touching and terrible stories surrounding the people who have to live within the illegal shadow of the wall.

The book is humorous yet serious, thought provoking yet simple to read. Perhaps the best thing about the book is how well the writer portrays through photo and words the resilience and doggedness of the occupied Palestinians. Which the graffiti artists seem to have noticed as well.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

Eye-Opener! 18 Aug 2010

By Badger One

This is truly an exceptional piece of work and one which I highly recommended to any individual.

The saying goes `a picture speaks a thousand words', and it could not be more apt with regards to this piece of photojournalism. William Parry's book is a collection of images from the Wall which was first built by the Israelis in 2005 to divide Israel from Palestine and continues to grow to this day. The wall has become a Mecca for resistance art, with contributions from around the world journeying to Palestine to express their anger at its construction and illegality, using their talents to express their feelings. This book shows some of these provocative, intelligent, funny and heartfelt images (amongst them, the world's longest letter....literally) that are scattered all along the Wall, and shows Palestinian and World art united in a cause of condemnation.

Additionally, the book has images and stories of how the Wall has affected the everyday lives of ordinary Palestinians, and some of the struggles the Wall has caused to their lives.

This book is truly eye-opening.