Israel and Europe: An Appraisal in History [Paperback]

Howard M. Sachar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2000

"A remarkable feat--clear, compelling and accessible--. Critical background for any appreciation of the Jewish state."--The New York Times Book Review

With his characteristic grace and lucidity, Howard M. Sachar, renowned author of thirteen earlier books on Middle Eastern and Jewish history, brings to life the complex and dramatic story of the friendships and fallings-out between Israel and the various European powers over the last half-century.

Dr. Sachar chronicles the always uneasy relationship between Israel and Great Britain; its early love-affair and nasty break-up with France; the shifting Soviet policies toward Israel; and the unlikely emergence of Germany as the new nation's chief European benefactor. A master of historical narrative, Sachar once again enlightens us with fine scholarship, insightful analysis, and an unerring knowledge of human--and national--motivations.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

On the surface, it isn't surprising that the histories of Israel and Europe are intertwined. With such heavy U.S. involvement in recent decades, however, it bears remembering that Europe played a far larger role in the development of Israel during its first 30 years. Howard M. Sachar, whose previous books include sweeping surveys such as The Course of Modern Jewish History and A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time, is one of the greatest historians of the Jewish people. In Israel and Europe: An Appraisal in History, he focuses on the European powers and their tangled relationships with Israel. Sachar presents a compelling narrative, detailing Israel's shifting alliances: the Soviet Union's early support of the Zionists and later aid to their Arab foes, France's full assistance and later indifference, Britain's friendship moving from Palestine to Israel as an attempt to maintain a foothold in the Holy Land, and the rise of Germany as Israel's staunchest European ally. Sachar's obvious love of Israel lends passion to his tale without distorting his judgment. Scholar and general reader alike will appreciate Sachar's achievement in telling this complicated history in a concise and clear manner. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Sachar succeeds at a very difficult task, lucidly tracing the history of Israel's relations with Europe in one book. One of the deans of Jewish and Israeli history in the U.S., Sachar (The Course of Modern Jewish History) charts events from the founding of the Jewish state in 1948 through Norway's involvement in the 1993 Oslo peace accords signed by Israel and the PLO. With an appreciation for complexity and an ability to marshal many details with remarkable efficiency, he focuses on the fluctuations in Israel's relations with France, Germany, Britain, the U.S.S.R. and the Vatican. Sachar deftly interweaves his extensive knowledge of how national and cultural forces affected Europe's relations with Israel?e.g., how German guilt for the Holocaust led to a strong initial relationship with the Jewish state?with more personal factors, such as how French President Francois Mitterrand's own experiences led him to bring France closer to Israel in the 1980s. Sachar is an unabashed advocate of tight links between Israel and Europe, but he doesn't neglect unflattering facts such as Israeli spy operations or Israel's bombing of a Lebanese plane in the late 1960s. Those looking for a strong theoretical framework might be disappointed, but this volume is an essential primer for scholars, students and anyone interested in 20th-century history and diplomacy.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (June 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679776133
• ISBN-13: 978-0679776130
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #942,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Sachar Gem!, September 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Israel and Europe: An Appraisal in History (Hardcover)

Howard Sachar has done it again! Like his previous works, he has weaved another great tale. The book goes into detail about Israel's diplomatic efforts vis-a-vis the Europeans. The book deals with such as issues as German Reparations to Israel, European aid or lack of aid in Israel's quest for survival, the furtive German arms sales to Israel of the sixties, as well as relations with the various other European powers. Granted, much of the book is a "cut and paste" from his other books, but still a great effort. Finally, the book shows the "relevance" of German-Israeli relations. During the Gulf War, Hans Dietrich Genscher gave the Israeli's aid in the form of three submarines. One of them, the Dolphin, was just launched. These vessels are armed with nuclear missles. Given that the EU is moving towards forming a separate military command from NATO, and that the EU may become a new superpower, this book's importance should not be underestimated in understanding the future of European-Israeli relations. Undoubtedly, it will be the defining work for years to come on the subject; a masterpiece!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The very book I sorely needed., January 6, 2001

By 

Kim Ha Woong "puxley" (Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Israel and Europe: An Appraisal in History (Paperback)

I believe nobody can deny the high quality of this book. It is not only about the history of Israel-Arab struggle but also about the history of European diplomacy toward Israel and Arab nations. Professor Sachar classified European political leaders (Adenauer, Erhard, Brandt, Schmidt, Kohl, de Gaulle, Pompidou, Giscard d'Estaing, Mitterand, Chirac, Kreisky, Eden, Wilson et el) into pro-Israel and pro-Arab, and showed how some of them (for example Willy Brandt) had to shift their stances according to situations. But this book also contains some factual errors most of which are trivial. I'd like to point out one thing which seemed to me more than trivial. In page 226 and 227, the author said,"In 1967 a cabal of army colonels seized power (in Cyprus), and held it for the next 7 years in an effort to press through enosis, a union of Cyprus with the Greek mainland. Yet all the colonels achieved for their effort was international isolation and a Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974." But according to 'Oxford Dictionary of Twentieth-Century World History,' (see page 154-155, 384) the coup occurred in 1974 instead of 1967. Despite this error, this book is too good for only 4 stars.