Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314400 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-29
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Synopsis
One of the great dramas in British imperial history, the strife-torn three decades of British rule in Palestine, known as the Mandate, remain controversial even now, over 50 years after the last British High Commissioner left Jerusalem. British policies, promises, and the mere presence of Britain in the Holy Land are still passionately debated and deplored. The thousands of British citizens who actually lived and worked in Palestine have, however, been overlooked. Here is their story, drawn largely from the personal letters, diaries, and memoirs that vividly describe their success in adapting to life in Palestine, their attitudes toward Arabs and Jews, their accomplishments and missteps, and their strong sense of imperial mission. This account aims to bring to life a notable chapter in the history of the Middle East and provide a new perspective on the struggle there for independence and nationhood.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant
This concise, well written fair book paints a picture of the English men and women who lived in Palestine during the Mandate(1917-1948). Poignant stories of the people and events of that period. The lives it shaped and ruined. This is a well written, very simple tale with excellent photos showing a time gone by, a portrait of a people and an era and a conflict. New primary material is shared here for the first time, illuminated with exstensive quotes from diaries, new stories of the revolt are told for the first time and its affects on ordinary people is elucidated.

A wonderful book.

Seth J. Frantzman

Photographs and memories
This book does not go deeply into the machinations behind the underlying problems, but rather illustrates it through the experiences of the people on the ground at the time. The most telling remark I felt was the quote that (to paraphrase) "we arrived pro-Jewish, became pro-Arab, and left pro-British". The overwhelming impression that came to me was that once the Mandate was being administered it became obvious that Hertzl's Zionist plan was to take the country from the Arabs by degrees and that the British could usefully be exploited to achieve that end. Many remarks to similar effect can be found throughout the various accounts and the overall feeling was that most British people in Palestine came to loathe the people on both sides of the conflict.

Even basic tenets of Balfour's declaration were conveniently overlooked by the British, and siezed upon by either Arab or Jew according to their side. The Jews seized upon the concept of a National Home, and all the Arabs had as solace was the concept that "it should not prejudice the existing inhabitants". The Mandatory administration facilitated only one of those ends, and the lackadaisical administration evidenced in these pages shows that the blame lies squarely with Britain.

I had the distinct impression that for many people at the time, Britain's presence was seen as an echo of Empire, combined with an impossible task. There is a grandiose attitude evident in the writings, and very little evidence of practical work done to resolve the situation - for Briish troops it was hazardous and unrewarding, for the administrational staff in Palestine it seemed more like an idle party on a sunny afternoon. I'd always had the impression that the British had served the Palestinian Arabs poorly, and when I read this book it became very clear that there was no real determination to give the Palestinian Arabs the tools to run their country (which was the entire purpose of the mandate), and no real effort to limit inward migration by Jewish settlers (2 Arabs were deported for every Jew that received that fate -source:UNISPAL) to the ten percent of population that had been promised to the Arabs. Having made promises to both sides that were impossible to reconcile, and having washed their hands of the situation and inadvertently armed the Jewish underground/terrorist groups (who'd volunteered to be the police force!) Britain walked away. This book shows in excellent detail the process of that abdication and the thought processes that drove it.

I think if the book left any lasting impression, it was that it was one of the few books that left me breathless with the injustice of it all.

First Hand Accounts
I loved the fact that this book was a collection of memoir entries of ordenry people stationed in Palestine and not a dry historical account. I always found it difficult to imagine British people being in Israel, then called Palestine and this helped me peice the it together. I was shocked to read that even after hearing about the Holaucaust directly from survivors, some people still didn't want Jews escaping to Israel to save their lives. I loved the extracts from diaries which brought the tense atmosphere to life and reading all the different outlooks. Nothing beats first hand accounts.