A History of Zionism: From the French Revolution to the Establishment of the State of Israel by Walter Laqueur Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A History of Zionism: From the French Revolution to the Establishment of the State of Israel
Book Review: a total fabrication of history
Summary: 1 Stars
I wouldn't waste my time with this propaganda written by an ardent zionist who masqurades colonial conquest as a liberation movement! Unless of course, you believe Algeria belongs to the French, Vietnam to the Americans and the Congo to the belgians!
A more balance account of the subject is "The Hidden History of Zionism" by Ralph Schoenman or "The Myths of Zionism" by John Rose or " Original Sins" by Beit Hallahmi.
Book Review: Somewhat old in its orientation and sources, but...
Summary: 3 Stars
A History of Zionism is still a well written, thoroughly researched book. Laqueur explores the roots of Zionism in the French Revolution right through to the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. One of the great strengths of the work is that Laqueur explains in detail the political factions and in-fighting in the Zionist congresses, exposing the reader to men who have been all but forgotten to history. On the negative side, the work places too far an emphasis on Zionist activity in the Diaspora, and not enough in Palestine. Laqueur's work also suffers from the use of old sources (the youngest from the 1960s). His work is not informed by the more recent writings of the so-called post-Zionist school of historiography. When Laqueur quotes Ben Gurion, for instance, it is from official sources, and does not plumb the depths of Ben Gurion's complex and sometimes doubled sided motivations. The work also treats Zionism like a faltering child, which right up until the establishment of the State of Israel was about to keel over. This may or may not be true, but this overall stance informs the book deeply, and for a reader that does not agree with this, it can be a fatal flaw.Book Review: Best book
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books anyone can read on the history of Zionism. It is also very well written -making it a pleasure to read. One can really understand the very serious problems which faced the Jews in Europe and Russia in the 19th century -and some of the questions they were dealing with enable one to understand some of the tensions which still exist in Israel.Book Review: Dishonest leftist assimilationist view
Summary: 2 Stars
This is a very poor excuse from history from someone who falsely claims to be writing an objective account.
The Zionist idea does not start with the French Revolution but has it's roots in 2000 years of exile from the Roman destruction of the temple and forced exile of the Jews from their homeland.
There where movements from then on for a return of the Jews to the Land of Israel as well as various migrations throughout the Third exile (70 BCE (AD) to 1948).
The author never really takes off his sneering demeanour about the Zionist movement or his leftist assimilationist world view, from what is clearly a left wing assimilationist standpoint.
Furthermore he downplays the fact that 99 % of Arabs who claim to be "Palestinian" are descendants from migrants who immigrated into the Holy Land after 1800 (most of them during the 1917-1948 British Mandate).
An objective study actually reveals that the Arabs have no legitimate claim on the Land of Israel whatsoever, and any study that tells us otherwise is simply dishonest, whether it claims balance or not.
and his account of the War of Independence is simply nonsensical.
you cannot compare the Arab aggressors actions in any way to those of the Jews defending their return to their ancient homeland.This is a very poor excuse from history from someone who falsely claims to be writing an objective account.
The Zionist idea does not start with the French Revolution but has it's roots in 2000 years of exile from the Roman destruction of the temple and forced exile of the Jews from their homeland.
There where movements from then on for a return of the Jews to the Land of Israel as well as various migrations throughout the Third exile (70 BCE (AD) to 1948).
The author never really takes off his sneering demeanour about the Zionist movement or his leftist assimilationist world view, from what is clearly a left wing assimilationist standpoint.
Furthermore he downplays the fact that 99 % of Arabs who claim to be "Palestinian" are descendants from migrants who immigrated into the Holy Land after 1800 (most of them during the 1917-1948 British Mandate).
An objective study actually reveals that the Arabs have no legitimate claim on the Land of Israel whatsoever, and any study that tells us otherwise is simply dishonest, whether it claims balance or not.
and his account of the War of Independence is simply nonsensical.
you cannot compare the Arab aggressors actions in any way to those of the Jews defending their return to their ancient homeland.
Book Review: Exactly what I was looking for
Summary: 5 Stars
When I came upon this book I was searching for a definitive history of Zionism. I had read current histories on Israel and the Middle East, but I didn't have a deep understanding of where Zionism came from nor its philosophical impetus. I was looking for a book that would give me an unbiased account of where and why Zionism came to be, and in this one book I found it.
Mr. Laqueur gives a detailed and clinical look into this phenomenon from its inauspicious beginnings to its improbable statehood and the many twists and turns in between. How he was able to go through and gather so much information on a movement that was so spread out and splintered between many different ideologies and theories is beyond me. He has assembled a wealth of information and presented it fairly and evenly.
Zionism is a movement unprecedented in history and the affects of this movement are still being felt today. It seems that everyone has an opinion about Zionism, but it is important to have a deep understanding of where this movement came from before one can have an accurate picture of where it is now and why it has become what is. The more people understand about that past the more clearly they will see the present. This is an important book that needs to be read.
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