Product Description

This history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict is groundbreaking, objective, and deeply revisionist. A riveting account of the military engagements, it also focuses on the war's political dimensions. Benny Morris probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of newly opened Israeli and Western documentation. The Arab side - where the archives are still closed - is illuminated with the help of intelligence and diplomatic materials. Morris stresses the jihadi character of the two-stage Arab assault on the Jewish community in Palestine. Throughout, he examines the dialectic between the war's military and political developments and highlights the military impetus in the creation of the refugee problem, which was a byproduct of the disintegration of Palestinian Arab society. The book thoroughly investigates the role of the Great Powers - Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union - in shaping the conflict and its tentative termination in 1949. Morris looks both at high politics and general staff decision-making processes and at the nitty-gritty of combat in the successive battles that resulted in the emergence of the State of Israel and the humiliation of the Arab world, a humiliation that underlies the continued Arab antagonism toward Israel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107759 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Review
'Morris's account seems admirable, because he is unafraid of upsetting both camps... His commitment to the pursuit of historical truth deserves as much admiration as his dismay at Arab intransigence commands sympathy... Morris's book is no mere military narrative, but a crisp, vivid introduction to the historical tragedy of Palestine.' Max Hastings, Sunday Times. 'Morris relates the story of his new book soberly and sombrely, evenhandedly and exhaustively... An authoritative and fair-minded account of an epochal and volatile event.' David Margolick, New York Times Book Review. 'An ambitious, detailed and engaging portrait of the war itself - from its origins to its unresolved aftermath - that further shatters myths on both sides of the Israeli-Arab divide.' Glenn Frankel, Washington Post Book World. --Sunday Times, New York Times Book Review, Washington Post Book World

Review
'Morris relates the story of his new book soberly and sombrely, even-handedly and exhaustively.'

Review
'Benny Morris at his best: immensely well informed, thorough, careful in the use of evidence, thoughtful and thought-provoking.'

Customer Reviews

Brilliant piece of history
This is an absolutely brilliant piece of history, which completely changed my view of the Palestine/Israel situation. I confess I chose this book because it was written by an Israeli scholar, so I was very impressed indeed by the dispassion with which Benny Morris recounts the pre-history and history of the Arab/Israeli conflict. It is very clearly written and is obviously based on a thorough knowledge of the sources (though I guess most of these are Israeli). Not to put too fine a point on it, it puts Israel and its army firmly in the dock, but with no easy way out, given the nature of the surrounding, hostile countries. It underlines the supreme relevance of, but gives no encouragement to, the phrase "blessed are the peacemakers". A total must for anyone who wants to get as near to a dispassionate account as you are likely to get.