Steps Buried in Sand: A Comprehensive and Deep Reading of the Region's Conditions Over a Century

The article reviews the book 'Steps Buried in Sand' by Said Madiya, an intellectual biography spanning seven decades, beginning with the siege of 'Year of the Tail' in Halhul in 1938, and his experience with the Communist Party and underground work, leading to an analysis of political transformations in the region.

The article reviews the book 'Steps Buried in Sand: A Comprehensive and Deep Reading of the Region's Conditions Over a Century' by writer and thinker Said Madiya, published in its first edition in Ramallah in 2026. The book is an intellectual biography spanning seven decades, starting from the author's childhood in the town of Halhul, north of Hebron, where he experienced the siege of 'Year of the Tail' imposed by British forces in 1938. The author then moves to his experience with the Communist Party, where he engaged in underground work for over eight years, moving between Jordanian and Israeli prisons. The book addresses political transformations in the region, from the nationalist wave of the 1950s and 1960s to the globalization of neoliberalism and its impact on Arab societies. The book is characterized by the author's self-criticism and principled intellectual and political stances, and was praised by writer Mahmoud Shukair.