A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time (Second Edition, Revised and Updated) (v. 1) by Howard M. Sachar Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time (Second Edition, Revised and Updated) (v. 1)
Book Review: An Extremely Comprehensive and Fairly Balanced History
Summary: 5 Stars
An exhaustive volume covering from the first aliyah in the 1880s through the murder of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. Sachar adopts a moderate to liberal Israeli stance, admiring early Maipai and Labor leaders Ben-Gurion, Peres, and Rabin. On the other hand, he is unremittingly critical of Likud leadership as well as the influence of the Orthodox and charedim in Israeli society.Readers should keep in mind that this tome is a history of Israel, and not of the conflict with the Arab States and Palestinians; while it does an excellent job revealing Israeli ideology regarding the conflict, it spends far less time discussing Arab thinking and motivation. Even so, it does not mince words in criticism of Israeli militarism, particularly that of current prime minister Ariel Sharon. An outstanding, extremely readable history of the Jewish state.
Book Review: Outstanding!
Summary: 5 Stars
A big, thick book that I could not put down. A history of Israel from its inception till today. You find out how Israel came to be, how the PLO was started; Why Israel has to fight for its life. Why there will never be peace in this part of the world until the Arab influence is irradicated. Learn of Jewish desporia influence in this part of the world, Jewish government and how it works. Worth every penny. Buy it!Book Review: Not unhappy.
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book based upon its reviews and wish to comment. I agree with all that previous reviewers have presented. It is an excellent book that did answer my questions about Israel and its problems today, and why there is so much dissension in this area. It is a thick book, well written and complete.
A buy recommend.
Jimmy
Book Review: An excellent (if somewhat biased) examination of Israel
Summary: 4 Stars
To be precise, this is not "a history of Israel;" it is, rather, a history of the Jewish people during their attempts to found, and then maintain, the State of Israel. This is an important distinction, because certain aspects of Israeli history are not covered, or are covered only in brief. The Christian community in Israel, for instance, is almost completely ignored. The Arab population is only mentioned when the conflicts between Jew and Arab are too great to ignore. There is an essential bias, therefore, that Israel should be a Jewish state, and that some of the lesser atrocities committed by the Jews to establish and hold the State are justified because they upheld that aim. That is a perfectly valid opinion, of course, and a reasonably moderate one as opinions go. It means, though, that a few of the darker moments in early Jewish history, such as the forced resettlement of several Arab cities, are air-brushed. Later on, the Jews treatment of the Arab population is viewed in a more critical light. This is a huge tome, clearly and entertainingly written, and is invaluable for anyone who wants a broad background in Jewish history.Book Review: The most definitive account on the subject available
Summary: 5 Stars
For those seeking to understand Israeli history there is no better place to turn. While numerous books deal with the Arab-Israeli conflict, few deal with the internal development of Israel. This book explains the processes that led to the rise of Zionism, the building of the pre-state infrastructure, and the growth of the Israeli republic. But foreign affairs are not in the least overlooked, and occupy a great deal of space. In this latest version, Sachar has corrected some of his earlier errors, and deals with the Arabs and Palestinians in a more even-handed manner. While not the easiest book to read, or most concise, it is still the best book available for those seeking to understand Israel, inside and out.