Customer Reviews

Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978

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This personal history is also an in-depth explanation of a great deal that has happened in the Middle East since the founding of the state of Israel. The author is the son of an American Foreign Service officer and his family moved to Jerusalem in 1956 when he was four years old. This was only a few weeks before Israel, Britain and France colluded in an attack on Egypt, the Israeli goal was to seize the Sinai while Britain and France wanted to regain control of the Suez Canal.

Possessing a perspective that only a child can have, he watched the growing rift between the Israelis and the Palestinians. One of the most interesting components of the book is his descriptions of how cosmopolitan the area called Palestine was at the time he was there and how small Jerusalem was. He was an eyewitness to people of all faiths walking the streets alongside animals and living out their lives. Bird also gives in-depth descriptions of some of the most significant people on the Palestinian side and voices his opinions on missed opportunities for peace between Arab and Jew.

In his youth, Bird also lived in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon and he was there during the 1967 war and had a "girlfriend" that was a passenger on the planes hijacked by the Black September group. His insights and discussions of the internal political situations in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon should be required reading for anyone interested in the Middle East or claiming to know something about the resolution of the problems.

Bird has some interesting and harsh comments for the holders of the American presidency from 1956 through 1970. In his opinion, the best solution to the Palestinian-Jewish problem would have been the establishment of a Palestinian state comprised of Jordan and the West Bank. His harshest criticism is leveled at the Johnson and Nixon administrations that propped up King Hussein of Jordan, which kept the country under Hashemite rule rather than the majority Palestinian. There is much to be said for that argument, because that was a solution that would have probably worked. The combination of the West Bank and Jordan could never be a valid military threat to Israel and would have provided a homeland for the Palestinians.

This is one of the best books about the reality on the ground in the Middle East that has ever been published. The insights into the Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, would be an education to nearly everyone that thinks they know the history and situation there.

I was given the chance to review this book by Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize winning author of American Prometheus. Given my interest in the Middle East, I was very excited to read this book.

The author tells the reader in the beginning that the book is a personal memoir and history of the region in which he grew up as the son of an American diplomat. As he lived in Places like Jerusalem (hence the metaphor for the crossing of the now non-existent Mandlebaum Gate) between Arab controlled East Jerusalem and Israeli controlled West Jerusalem, Cairo, Beirut, Saudi Arabia and India, Bird lived through many important events during the 1950's through 1970's.

I really didn't know what to expect from this book, but it turned out to be a great read. At first, I was annoyed by the constant shift in the narrative between the author's youthful memories and later events. However, after a while, the narrative made perfect sense. By describing his memories of the events as he lived through them (for example, the 1956 Arab/Israeli War) and later events, the author was giving is 'the rest of the story.' I found many of these anecdotes to be very interesting and I was surprised by my overall lack of knowledge of some versions of these events. The discussion of Egypt's Nasser and his leadership during the 1956 and 1967 wars was fascinating. Also, his own involvement during Black September in 1970 was also riveting during the Palestinian uprising in Jordan.

I also loved the descriptions of life in the Aramco Oil towns in Saudi Arabia during the 1950's. Indeed, as the author himself notes, life was certainly far more 'American' in these places then even America itself. And, as compared to now, these 'oil towns' are now fortified and enclosed.

Clearly, as I have noted in my own experiences in having visited the Middle East, the region has changed and not necessarily for the better as in earlier times Jews, Christians and Arabs mingled much more freely and less consciously then now. Having lived in Cairo during the 1950's and 1960's, Bird was able to experience this first hand.

I also believe the author's experiences to have a good insight into the dynamics of the region. As his father was an Arabist diplomat (his father predated the formation of Israel in 1948 in the US Foreign Service)), and by the author's own admission, he was fairly biased in how he saw many, many events. However, his later adult life has led him to understand the underlying reasons for the Arab/Israeli conflict in a way that I believe is accurate (I will leave it to the reader to discover these insights on their own).

I do have to say that the author discusses his own political activities, and this makes perfect sense in the context of the book, it is more personal memoir than historical narrative. His views may upset some readers looking for a particular viewpoint, in fact. But, I found his connections to people and places personally fascinating and important. However, I could imagine some may find his conclusions upsetting only because some readers will assume his viewpoints are biased. To this I say don't close off your mind to new ideas!

Overall, this book was mush like Thomas Friedman's great book from Beirut to Jerusalem. It was immensely enjoyable for me, and I imagine most anyone with a interest in the Middle East during the years 1950's and 1970's will be riveted by the author's life and the region's history. Highly recommended.

Kai Bird grew up as the young son of an American diplomat in Jerusalem, and later in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. He writes from an insider's perspective about events in the Middle East and the actors who shaped these events. Now as an adult he revisits this history with the benefit of extensive research and adult study. What he has to say is not always "balanced" and won't be easy for some of us to hear.

Later in his life story, and in the book, he encounters his future wife, whose parents were survivors of the holocaust, and begins to understand how those events affected Jewish consciousness. Again, he paints a disturbing and challenging portrait.

There are few angels in Bird's memoir, many great men who did foolish and shortsighted things, msny tragic mistakes and missed opportunities. To read this book is to challenge whatever preconceptions one might have brought to his material. To Bird, one must acknowledge what Palestinians call the nakba, or catastrophe, the founding of Israel; and what Jews call the shoah, the holocaust, the defining never-again experience of the Jewish people.

Author Bird writes beautifully, managing to keep himself out of the story even as he writes of his own experiences. The book is challenging, for it raises fundamental questions about Israeli, Palestinian and American policy in the Middle East. Hard to read, and yet, I couldn't lay it down. If you're prepared for a serious and moving read, I recommend this book highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

First, full disclosure; the author's sister and I went to the same school in Alexandria, so the description of being an expatriate teenager in Egypt in 1966-1967 really resonates with me. That experience instilled in me a life-long interest in the Middle East, and ultimately led me to teach a university course on the region.

This book succeeds at the delicate task of melding history and personal observations to evoke time and place, but more importantly to convey a sense of why so little progress has been made in untangling and addressing the long-standing grievances of so many in the region, and how deep-seated those grievances are. In fact, opportunities have been squandered time and again. However, such a clear-eyed disquisition offers the hope of greater comprehension, perhaps ultimately contributing to a fair and permanent resolution.

As a retired Foreign Service Officer who has lived and worked in the Middle East and traveled extensively in South Asia I find this book to be both a stirring biography and a very prescient analysis of affairs over the past 40 years. Excellent read which I am recommending to my family and friends,

This book is a fascinating, personal perspective on the Middle East, with an emphasis on the word "personal." The author is very clear that, despite being filled with historical references, this is a memoir, not a history. I'm a little confused by some of the negative reviewers who complain, basically, that "This book, which the author clearly states is biased, is biased!!!" Bird admits that his sympathies after a childhood spent in Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, lie primarily -- primarily, not exclusively -- with the Palestinian side of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Does the fact that he acknowledges that Israel has committed some atrocities make him, as some reviewers claim, a racist and an anti-semite? I think not, but read the book and decide for yourself. What is undeniable is that this book provides a unique, personal perspective on a troubled region during the very years when the problems of today were taking shape. He offers very concise chapters featuring quick but well-written (and yes, at times, biased) histories of modern Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel, all from an eyewitness perspective. He acknowledges his own flaws as a non-impartial observer, and tries as much as possible to give a balanced account of a complicated region. And perhaps most important he gives it all a nostalgic, personal slant that would never be found in a straight "history." Even if his take on the region is biased, it has value for providing an emotional chronicle of a region that most Americans only hear about in impersonal terms on the evening news. Long story short: I picked this up out of curiosity and found that I couldn't put it down, and it has inspired me to learn more about the Middle East and the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Those who like simple conclusions about "bad guys" and "good guys" and are uncomfortable with multifaceted perspectives may find that this book makes them uneasy and might even make them question some of their prejudices and assumptions. Those who are incapable of tolerating any viewpoint that suggests that Israel may not always be perfect, and that maybe, just maybe not all Arabs are bloodthirsty, savage monsters, skip this book. But for those who have an open mind and an honest curiosity about this fascinating and important region, don't miss this valuable and interesting book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Bird's biographical book because it does give one a peek at how the Arab side views the Middle East situation. As many have stated the biographical portions of the text are very good but having lived in the area Kai Bird gives us a somewhat 'on the scene' view. However, a cautionary note - Mr. Bird lived what can be considered a privileged lifestyle by Middle East standards thus rendering his observations skewed.

One fact does emerge in this book and that is there is no way out but a two-state solution to the crisis. Other well known facts emerge such as the gross mistreatment of the Palestinians by their own fellow Arabs, aka the Hashemites of Jordan. Of course we as a country backed King Hussain of Jordan whom we mistakenly thought would work towards peace with Israel. Some reviewers have opined that this is a anti-Israel book. I don't think so. I consider it more of a narrative from Arab eyes. Just labeling those with differing viewpoints as anti-whatever does not further the conversation one iota.

All in all a good read and the book certainly meets one of Mr. Bird's goals and that was to start a conversation amongst thoughtful Americans on both sides of the spectrum. Well worth reading.

I really enjoyed this book. The book is a first hand look at turning point developments in the Middle East, told by the son of a diplomat. He mixes together personal stories -- what it was like to be there -- along with the history of the area. He brings a fascinating perspective... he grew up in Arab countries, as an expatriate, and was very biased, admittedly, against the Israeli activities. And then ended up marrying a Holocaust survivor and started to see the other point of view.

As a person very interested in the region, and as someone who has been for most of my life a strong pro-Israel advocate, this book went a long way towards helping me understand the Arab perspective and history. While I have always admired Arab culture, I have found the harsh anti-Israeli stance, including the boycott, hard to stomach, and this book provides a lot of context and explains the twisted path of lost opportunities that has led to the conflict, as well as the strange and unfortunate interactions and role that the US played in the region. I found it very human, very informative, and very eye opening. And, not only that, but it was a pleasure to read.

There are a few weaknesses in the book... I would have loved more on the Israeli side and/or the Shoah, and there are a few times that the book becomes a bit too much of an autobiography, but this is very minor. Overall, it is a really fascinating lens into the developments and recent history in the Middle East, and very much worth reading.

I agree with the comments by Sir Martin Gilbert on the cover of this book. He was entranced with the book from the first page to the last and so was I. A beautifully written memoir by one who spent most of his formative years in the Middle East. The personal is handled lightly and the history of the region highly perceptive,informative and interesting. As a counterpoint to the fate that has befallen the Palestinians and Arabs (and Israelis) there is also a very moving account of his in-law's experience of the Shoah.

I loved this book. You will enjoy this book regardless but if you have lived in one of those countries then the it becomes a real treat. I love the section on Saudi arabia. Mostly this book revolves around the 1960's and 1970's era lifestyle and politics of middle east. The only thing I didn't like was that the writer kept going back and forth between 1960-1975 and at times the bookk lost the fluid movement thru time and continuity.