Customer Reviews

History of Israel's War of Independence - Volume III

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I have purchased all three volumes (so far, of a projected 12 total) of this massive and detailed analysis of the first Arab-Israeli War. Milstein is a debunker, but is not aligned with any particular ideology or party in Israel. He challenges some of the cherished myths, but does not challenge the basic assumptions of Zionism. He believes that the Israelis were militarily very unprepared for the struggle and that their vaunted intelligence services(rudimentary but active in the 1940s) should have foreseen the type of conflict that Zionist policies made inevitable. I eagerly await his forthcoming volume IV, now in print for some promised revelations on the notorious Deir Yassin incident...an atrocity against Arab village residents that still resonates in the history of this 50-year war. This set is ONLY for those scholars and historians of the event. It is extremely detailed and highly analytical. For example, the fourth volume only brings the story down to the end of April 1948...BEFORE the full-scale hostilities following the invasion (May 15, 1948) by the regular armies of the surrounding Arab states. Although Milstein has been attacked as a right-wing historian, this is unfair. For example, he believes that, contrary to their claim, the regular army of fledgling Israel (pre-state), the Hagganah, was in on the details of Dier Yassin and sought to pin the total blame on the Irgun when the Red Cross issued its damning report. Highly recommended for researchers. I would have given the book five stars; however, the fact that there are 12 volumes to report a one and a half year conflict with perhaps six weeks of active hostilities between truces gives me pause. As I indicated, only the dedicated enthusiast or researcher will want to own the whole set. That said, reading the book is essential for professionals. I hope that Milstein will one day condense his valuable data and insights into an accessible one-volume treatment.