Product Description

Israel is a small and relatively young country, but its turbulent history has placed it squarely at the centre of the world stage for most of this century. For two millennia the Jews, dispersed all over the world, prayed for a return to Zion. Until the nineteenth century, that dream seemed a fantasy, but then a secular Zionist movement was born and soon the initial trickle of Jewish immigrants to Palestine turned into a flood as Jews fled persecution in Europe.From these beginnings, Martin Gilbert traces the events and personalities that would lead to the sudden, dramatic declaration of Statehood in May 1948. From that point on, Israel's history has been dominated by conflict: Suez, the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the Lebanon and the Intifada. Using contemporary documents and eyewitness accounts, drawing on his own intimate knowledge of the country and its people, Martin Gilbert weaves together a seamless, page-turning history of a powerful and proud nation,with a new chapter to cover the last ten years, bringing the story right up to date: the continuing conflicts, and the ever-present avenues of hope.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48394 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 816 pages

From the Publisher
The story of Israel, past and present, by one of Britain’s bestselling historians and the ultimate authority on the Jewish nation.

From the Back Cover
For Israel’s 60th anniversary, a completely updated new edition of Martin Gilbert’s classic history.
Israel is a small and relatively young country, but its turbulent history has placed it squarely at the centre of the world stage.During two millennia the Jews, dispersed all over the world, prayed for a return to Zion.Until the nineteenth century, that dream seemed a fantasy, but then a secular Zionist movement was born and soon the initial trickle of Jewish immigrants to Palestine turned into a flood as Jews fled persecution in Europe.From these beginnings, Martin Gilbert traces the events and personalities that would lead to the dramatic declaration of Statehood in May 1948.
From that point on, Israel's history has been dominated by conflict: Suez, the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the Lebanon and the Intifada.Using contemporary documents and eyewitness accounts, drawing on his own intimate knowledge of the country and its people, Martin Gilbert weaves together a seamless, page-turning history of a powerful and proud nation, and adds two new chapters to cover the last ten years, bringing the story up to date: the continuing conflicts, internal and external; the persistent plans and negotiations; and the ever-present avenues of hope.
‘Rich in detail . . . a grand, heroic narrative’
Times Literary Supplement

‘A superlative history of Israel’
Jonathan Sacks, The Times

About the Author
Sir Martin Gilbert was born in London in 1936.He read modern history at Oxford, and took over from Randolph Churchill as Winston Churchill's official biographer.He is the author of over fifty books, including Churchill: A Life, The Holocaust, First World War, Second World War and A History of the Twentieth Century.He lives in London and also has a home in Jerusalem.

Customer Reviews

A great history book
This is a greatly detailed and interesting history of the State of Israel (a fascinating coutry) from its earliest origins in the 19th Century with the Zionist pioneers carving out a safe home in the Negev or Gaillee away from persecution, through independence and the various wars to the present day.

Israel has one of the most interesting histories possible and Gilbert has captured in the pages of this great book all the incidents, wars, characters, events, peoples, etc that go to make up any country in a very readable, enjoyable, accessible way.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Israel and the Middle east.

Superbly presented historical research.
Drawing on his vast experience of this subject Sir Martin Gilbert has documented a superlative history of Israel which is extremely thorough and accurate.

This study surveys in some detail the first 50 years of Israel's history following the nation's re-birth in 1948. The book also tells of the involvement of the nation's pioneers and founders extending back into the latter half of the nineteenth century, together with many stories pertaining to the individuals who contributed to the re-birth of the Jewish state and to it's very survival during the ensuing conflicts.

The book begins with a chapter entitled "Ideals For Statehood" and describes how, since the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70AD, Jews dispersed throughout the World have prayed for a return to Zion. "Next Year in Jerusalem" being the hope expressed at the end of every Passover meal. Later in the book the incredible hostility towards such Zionism is addressed.

The book initially describes the "considerable Jewish activity in Palestine" as the nineteenth century came to an end and extends to the Balfour Declaration and the work towards a Jewish homeland in Palestine that the latter promised. Unfortunately the book lacks any appropriate or real attention to the creation of the state of Transjordan in 1922 and how this affected the eventual rebirth of Israel. An issue where Britain detached 78% of the original area of Mandate Palestine to create another Arab entity in order to satisfy Arab aspirations for independence. This area east of the Jordan was thereafter called Trans-Jordan, and remained legally part of the British Mandate until 1946, when it was declared an independent Arab state, renamed Jordan in 1953. (Jordan then comprising 78% of Mandate Palestine with the vast majority of Jordanians being Palestinians.). The latter, although not discussed in detail here is evident from the contents of the book. Maps illustrating the issue further.

The book on page 37 reveals that the potential of the land following the First World War, (on which fewer than a million people were living on both sides of the Jordan), was regarded as enormous. The reader is shown how less than 10 per cent of the land was actually under cultivation at that time with no Arab needing to be dispossessed, or their rights infringed, for the "Zionists" to make substantial land purchases. The considerable Jewish population already in the land is also mentioned, together with reference to the Arab violence against these Jewish populations even in 1919. Coverage also being given to the increase of this violence through the ensuing decades as Jewish immigration increased with any attempt to reassure or compromise with resident Arabs being rejected. Violence, riots and Arab general strikes described as attempts to stop any influx of Jews to their ancient homeland.

The contents further describing how the rise of Hitler to power in Germany during 1933 affected the situation pertaining to Jewish immigration and the relationship on the ground between Arabs and Jews. The actions of the occupying British forces described as they enforced declared strict quota restrictions on Jewish immigration, even in the face of Nazi persecution and the Holocaust. This whilst illegal Arab immigration from surrounding areas was allowed to proceed unhindered.

The British action restricting immigration by Jewish refugees from Nazi occupied Europe is described as a continuing priority even after the war's end in 1945, with imprisonment being afforded those captured in British "detention camps" on Cyprus. Some 50,000 Jews being imprisoned in this manner. From here the conflict in the land is described in some detail until the declaration of independence by the Jewish State of Israel in May 1948. This is followed by a commendable coverage of the ensuing "War Of Independence" during which surrounding Arab nations sought to eradicate the Jewish State by all military means at their disposal.

The ingathering of Jewish exiles to the newly born Jewish State is documented, as is the Suez conflict and events leading up to the Six Day War in 1967. Continuing acts of violence by Arabs against the Jewish population during these periods are also covered, including the formation in 1964 of the "Palestine Liberation Organisation". Another organisation is described as being formed in 1965, whose leader was Abu Ammar (Yasser Arafat). The group being Fatah, and it's goal the "national liberation of Palestine". All this whilst the Gaza Strip and the "West Bank" were in Arab hands, occupied by the Arab nations of Egypt and Jordan.

Respectable coverage is also given to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, amid the seeming impotence or unwillingness of the UN to intervene, plus the political susceptibility of the World to an Arab oil boycott. A conflict which the book describes as showing the growing independence of Israel upon the USA.

Increasing Palestinian terrorism is described in the context of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon during 1982, again with credible coverage. The study extending to include the Oslo Accords and the present "peace process", together with the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.

Numerous photographs are provided, together with a large selection of maps which are relevant to the major issues surrounding the history of the Jewish state. An invaluable piece of historical research and an excellent addition to anyone's library. I would also recommend reading "From Time Immemorial; Origins of the Jewish-Arab Conflict Over Palestine" by Joan Peters.

A Fantastic Overview Of Israel's History
Martin Gilberts book on Israel was my first real reading material on the complex situation in the Middle East and its main player. I found his writing style to be very easy to read and as a result finished off the book quite quickly. He tells the story of Israel with evident passion and also I think a balanced view which is of great importance for such a subject.