Zionism: A Brief History [Paperback]

Michael Brenner (Author), Shelley Frisch (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003

This book explores the origins of Zionism within Jewish tradition, the variety of Zionist ideologies, and the political circumstances that fostered this movement. Jewish immigration to Palestine, shifting British policies, Arab reactions to Jewish settlements, and the impact of the Holocaust are among the book's central topics. A final chapter summarizes the major problems and achievements of the Jewish state, and examines possible directions for its post-Zionist future.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Zionism is the return of the Jewish people to their own land, poetically called Zion. Modern Zionism emerged at the end of the nineteenth century as a political movement with mostly secular leadership, but its roots were religious and historical. It culminated in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Brenner, a professor of Jewish history and culture at the University of Munich, begins by recounting the movement's religious origins and early history and then chronicles Jewish immigration to Palestine. He describes the formation of Zionist political parties, the course of action by Zionists in the Diaspora, Palestine under British rule with its shifting policies, Zionist ideology since 1948, and Arab reactions to Jewish settlements. The book is an excellent reference for readers interested in Jewish history. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

" A concise yet insightful survey...An accessible yet scholarly translation" -- Midwest Book Review

"...an excellent reference..." -- Booklist

Prof. Michael Brenner's brilliant short survey of one of the most interesting and embattled movements of the contemporary world is the most reliable introduction available in English into a subject that has become in recent years a matter of much controversy, very often on the basis of ideological prejudice or simply ignorance. This admirably objective review of a multi faceted movement deals both with its cultural and political origins and manifestations." -- Walter Laqueur, author of The History of Zionism, 1972

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Markus Wiener Pub (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558763015
• ISBN-13: 978-1558763012
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A concise yet insightful survey of the movement, June 12, 2003

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zionism: A Brief History (Paperback)

Written by Michael Brenner (Professor of Jewish History and Culture, University of Munich, Germany) and deftly translated for an English readership by Shelley L. Frisch, Zionism: A Brief History is a concise yet insightful survey of the movement of Jewish political Zionism, ranging from its variety of ideologies; to the political machinations that fostered the movement to the impact of the Holocaust; as well as the internal and external political problems confronting the State of Israel since its inception. An accessible yet scholarly introduction to the dynamics and repercussions of this movement, and its past and current effects on world history, Zionism: A Brief History is also available and recommended for library collections in a hardcover edition (1558763007, [$$]).