Be warned: for those of you who have heard this is some leftist screed or biased presentation of the 1948 War of Independence, you will be disappointed. This is an excellently researched and written tome on the first Arab-Israeli war of the modern era. It was hailed by leftist, because of the "new" (hence, "New Historians") revelations concerning expulsions of Arabs from parts of what became Israel, particularly the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem corridor and the area of Lod airport (now Ben Gurion), as well as a new and "corrected" view that the Jewish Yishuv was far more organized, competent, and equipped than the "classical" view of it's being the "underdog" in that war. Neither of these two revelations, news, perhaps, to readers beyond Israel's borders, is news to most Israelis whom, like the author himself (but excepted by Israel's radical Left), have reconciled themselves to these truths decades ago. In truth, most of us (I am Israeli), including the author, have accepted this "new" narrative, and don't lose any sleep over it. In fact, as I watch events unfold in the latest round of the Israel/Hamas conflict, I am convicted more than ever that our differences are irreconcilable, and the Yishuv and later Israel should have expelled the bulk of the Muslims from the country, who will always have genocidal goals with regard to us. I know this is deeply offensive to many of you, and I simply don't care (nor do most Israelis).
The second thing to be cautious about is the difficulty of understanding key descriptions in this book without an intimate knowledge of the geography and equally important, topography. I was really able to enjoy this book because of my being intimately familiar with the "lay of the land" as a both a former Israeli soldier, as well as a licensed tour guide. Those of you lacking such an intimate knowledge of the geography will find it hard to read this book "in color," as opposed to a most rudimentary "black and white."
In conclusion, this book is no leftist apology for any "original sin" of Israel's birth, but an incredibly honest, balanced, and well researched (based heavily on author's access to primary sources) account of this most pivotal event in the post WWII world order, the rebirth of the Jewish State of Israel. That this topic attracts such disproportionate attention and furor relative to the small size of the country, and yes, the relatively small refugee crisis (the birth of Pakistan the same year produced 14 MILLION refugees…why don't we hear people harp about them every day!) it produced, speaks volumes about the passions and prejudices people bring to the topic. The author himself, often mistakenly embraced as a champion of the left, has gone on record many times saying that Israel did what it had to do under the circumstances…it was "us or them." With Hamas' stated goal to murder every Jew in the world, simply because they are Jewish…and the fact that the majority of the Palestinian and greater Arab populations of the world are sympathetic to this goal, the truth is that it is still "us or them," and Israel's War of Independence has not concluded.
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Top reviews from other countries
- Christopher M.Reviewed in Australia on January 7, 2018
... Arab Israeli conflicts - but this work maintains that fine and wavering line well
- JPDeGReviewed in Canada on March 4, 2015
Essential reading for those that think they know something about the middle east conflict.
- GamlanReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2011
1948: The frustrated genocide
- Christopher J. CollierReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2024
an excellent and unbiased account of the war
