THE BIOGRAPHY OF YASIR ARAFAT IS BASED ON INTERVIEWS, RECOLLECTIONS AND ANECDOTES TOLD BY RELATIVES AND OTHERS WHO HAD KNOWN HIM BEFORE ARAFAT ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO). FEW DOCUMENTS OR OFFICIAL RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE. THE BOOK TRACES WHAT IS KNOWN OF ARAFAT'S BEGINNINGS, HIS FAMILY HISTORY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EXTENDED FAMILY SOLIDARITY AND FEUDS, EARLY SCHOOLING AND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, AND PARTICULARLY HIS GROWING PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVIST AND LATER GUERRILLA GROUPS INCLUDING THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD OR THE IKHWAN. LITTLE HAS BEEN KNOWN ABOUT ARAFAT'S EARLY PERSONAL LIFE, ALTHOUGH HE HAS BEEN MORE OPEN ABOUT HIS ACTIVITIES AFTER THE FOUNDING OF ISRAEL. THE BIOGRAPHY COVERS HIS ACTIVITIES DURING THE BRITISH MANDATE AND PARTITION, HIS PART IN THE 1967 ARAB-ISRAELI WAR AND HIS PART IN THE FOUNDING OF THE PLO. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE BOOK IS TO SHOW ARAFAT AS HE REALLY IS, TO ANALYZE ACTION AND MOTIVATION. TO THIS END, THE BIOGRAPHY RECOUNTS HIS HATRED FOR THE JEWS DISPLAYED IN PERSONAL DEALINGS WITH THEM, HIS GUERRILLA TRAINING, AND HIS PERSONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST ENEMIES OR OPPONENTS WITHIN HIS OWN GROUP. THE BOOK CONCLUDES WITH A BRIEF EVALUATION OF THE CONTRADICTORY REPORTS ABOUT THE REAL EXTENT OF ARAFAT'S POWER. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED. (RFC)