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pp. 264. “The strife-torn three decades of British rule over Palestine, known as the Mandate, remain one of the great dramas in British imperial history, passionately controversial even now, fifty years after the last British High Commissioner left Jerusalem. British policies, promises, the mere presence of Britain in the Holy Land, are all still argued, deplored, or less frequently – admired. The thousands of British citizens who actually lived and worked in Palestine have, however, been overlooked; whatever their roles, most experienced the Mandate as an extraordinary, often transforming adventure. Here is their often poignant story, written largely in their own words, with honesty, humour and occasional bitterness, against a background of tragic and violent events. Their letters home, diaries, and memoirs vividly describe cultural affinities and misunderstandings, feelings for Arabs or Jews, accomplishments and mishaps, and reveal a strong sense of imperial mission coupled with a rueful awareness of human limitations. A notable chapter in British colonial history is brought to life in this powerful account of individual human lives in an unquiet land.”