Product Description

In this book Smith provides a remarkably objective account of this complex subject, by adopting a long-view approach. The detailed discussion of pre-1948 history reveals how Arab and Israeli attitudes and world opinion have been formed, and how contemporary issues and events can be understood in relation to events dating back to WWI and earlier. Comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subject discusses the ongoing conflict in its social, regional and international contexts, from its origins up to March 2006.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39523 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 541 pages

From the Back Cover
Written with objectivity and grounded in the latest scholarly research, the fourth edition of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict offers a comprehensive and comprehensible introduction to the history of the conflict between Arab states and Israel. Recognizing that recent events are best understood within historical context, the author devotes 5 chapters to history before 1948 and the creation of the state of Israel. He examines not only the social, political, diplomatic, and military clashes between Arabs and Israelis but also outlines the many bitter rivalries existing among the various factions in both societies. A thorough revision of existing features, such as maps and bibliography, and the inclusion of new ones - 45 primary-document selections, detailed end-of-chapter chronologies, and more than 35 illustrations - make a good book even better.

Praise for the fourth edition :

'Smith provides one of the most balanced, thoughtfully researched, and well-written works on this complex and emotion-laden conflict. And the inclusion of primary documents and photographs will make this new edition even more valuable.' Denis J Sullivan, Northeastern University

'I like this book a great deal. It is concise and up-to-date. ... Smith is an excellent historian whose account of the historical context and trends leading up to the ongoing conflict are on the mark and accessible to good students. Smith writes well for any intelligent audience. ... I find his analysis cool and nonpolemical.' Michael C Hudson, Georgetown University

'This is the best comprehensive survey of the subject available.' Joel Beinin, Stanford University

'Particularly in view of the added coverage and the new maps, pictures, and documents, this remains the best single work on the subject. It is lucid, objective, and comprehensive and is an excellent book for all those interested in the topic.' Rashid I Khalidi, University of Chicago.

About the Author
CHARLES D. SMITH is Professor of Middle East history in the Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of Arizona, USA.

Customer Reviews

For undergraduate study, this is essential
I used this book for my undergraduate study some years ago and for a quality back-drop to further study of this area you can't go wrong. Very readable and better informed than the popular but way too light-weight BBC history on the same subject 'Fifty Years War".

a decent starting point
smith provides a very useful history of the conflict in the middle east in terms of its ancient history, origins and more modern issues. usefully, the work has been updated regularly to take account of new developments. perhaps even more usefully, each chapter is accompanied by a timeline of events and extracts from the most relevant documents. the writing is good, not too dense, and the use of maps is also appropriate.

the failings in the work are, perhaps, the lack of objectivity, the pervasive air of hopelessness and, at times, the inability to focus on the role of individuals. i suspect this is a topic where it will always be difficult to satisfy everyone that the account is objective, but others have been more convincing in this regard. thankfully smith does not fall into the trap of some of the revisionist historians of being too self-conscious about his own role (or that of historians in general) in shaping events.

generally i wouldn't suggest this to the casual reader with an interest in history or the region. smith is too sympathetic to the palestinian role in the conflict from 1967 onwards to truly allow the reader to make up their own mind. but, for the student of international relations or history, the individual chapters do provide a decent starting point for leaping into more detailed considerations. i found the chapter on oslo useful, for example, but felt it lacked an understanding of how the various actors had affected the direction of the discussions and also failed to examine well the varying theories for the ultimate failure of the peace process.

still, a very useful work in the right hands.

Non-biased, thoroughly documented
Well-written, easy to follow, provocative, but with arguments based on documented facts and primary sources. Regardless of whether one agrees with the writer's subtly stated opinion, the approach is strictly scientific, presenting arguments- and more importantly sources for further investigation- stemming from both sides.
A great book, surely a must for beginners on the subject!