A talented journalist has written a fast-paced, engaging account of the events leading to the Israeli-PLO breakthrough of last year. Perry does not provide much deep analysis, but his recounting of the story does justice to the multiple strands that eventually led to Oslo. He has talked to many of the participants and has read widely. His account contains few surprises and is occasionally at odds with more authoritative versions, but on the whole this is a good story, well told. The Palestinians are given credit for breaking the logjam in 1987 with the intifada; Bush and Baker are praised for getting the parties to Madrid and then helping to unseat the Likud party in 1992; the Norwegians and Egyptians get high marks as well. But ultimately it was Arafat and Rabin who made the deal. Without them, there would have been no agreement.
