A History of Zionism: From the French Revolution to the Establishment of the State of Israel

When I came upon this book I was searching for a definitive history of Zionism. I had read current histories on Israel and the Middle East, but I didn't have a deep understanding of where Zionism came from nor its philosophical impetus. I was looking for a book that would give me an unbiased account of where and why Zionism came to be, and in this one book I found it. Mr. Laqueur gives a detailed and clinical look into this phenomenon from its inauspicious beginnings to its improbable statehood and the many twists and turns in between. How he was able to go through and gather so much information on a movement that was so spread out and splintered between many different ideologies and theories is beyond me. He has assembled a wealth of information and presented it fairly and evenly. Zionism is a movement unprecedented in history and the affects of this movement are still being felt today. It seems that everyone has an opinion about Zionism, but it is important to have a deep understanding of where this movement came from before one can have an accurate picture of where it is now and why it has become what is. The more people understand about that past the more clearly they will see the present. This is an important book that needs to be read.

I do not know where else in history that we have a people disposed from a land for two thousand years, scattered all over the world, who reconvene through an international movement and regain their homeland. I also can not recall any group suffering the violent and irrational hatred of so many nations as the Jews have. Lacqueur's history traces this unique movement. It's success was very fragile; the many decisions from world leaders could have gone much differently if made a few years sooner or later. Jews did not initially support it broadly; many prefered assimilation to their country of birth and some felt that the growing socialist movement provided a better answer to anti-Semitism. Even within the Zionist movement political infighting was strong. Yet the worst fears of those seeking a refuge from growing European anti-Semitism did not forsee the scope of the Holocaust, exterminating 6 out of 7 Jews in Europe. This emboldened the survivors and motivated just barely enough world sympathy to formulate the creation of the Jewish state. The reaction of the Arabs was neither surprising or unique in the course of developing nations. Lacqueur has the advantage of hindsight to examine policy mistakes and examine how it could have been different, but concludes the difficulty would have remained regardless. This examination shows Zionism not as a righteous holy ordained movement, nor is it a an evil racist colonial movement as the modern Arab media prefers to portray it. It was a politically and diplomatically unique solution to a very serious and unique problem. That the success of the Zionist enterprise has not yet yielded the peace they so desperately seek, makes this work only an introduction, but a valuable source to those seeking to understand the volatile Middle Middle East of the 21st century. There are many more chapters to be written.

This is by far the best single-volume history of Zionism, from the 1880s to 1948. Though a chronological history, it emphasizes the competing intellectual and political ideologies that competed with each other throughout the period. Zionism developed against the backdrop of sectarian politics in Europe and the Middle East -- nationalism, Communism, Socialism, etc. -- and there are long chapters on Jabotinsky and the Revisionists, on how Zionist leaders and intellectuals (usually the same people) dealt with the question of Palestinian-Arab nationalism, and on the dissenters and critics of Zionism within the Jewish world. Written in 1972, the book is remarkably balanced and fair-minded on questions relating to Arab nationalism, and to the competition between Labour Zionism and the Revisionists. There is very little, however, on Religious Zionism, which maybe be a function of Laqueur's own prejudices, or it's just that he doesn't see it as particularly relevant to the period he's focusing on. All in all, a dense, rich, fascinating read.

My copy arrived in the mail this morning, and it'll be departing next trip to paper recycling. Since the 2014 events in Gaza, I've been attempting to read up on the situation over that way. Especially the history. So my very first discovery was that the index in this 640 page book is nearly worthless. I wanted to know more about the 1858 Ottoman Land Law changes which facilitated the transfer of the land from the farmers to the Zionists, with intermediaries being wealthy local Muslim landowners. The subject wasn't in the index, and thumbing through the front of the text I couldn't find any mention there either. This is not a minor issue! http://www.beki.org/landlaw.html Laqueur subtly trashed the findings of the Hope-Simpson Report which said the recent riots were on account of the increasing hopelessness of displaced Arab workers and farmers. IMO his remarks verged on dishonest. Being darned suspicious now, I checked for any mention of the Deir Yassim massacre. No mention in the index, of course, but on page 584 was a single sentence. It was immediately followed by a neutralizer - mention of the Hadassah medical convoy massacre. The two events were in no way comparable, and Laqueur basically lied about the details of the latter. Finally and still on page 584 was this remark: "By the end of April, about 15,000 Arabs had left Palestine. What impelled them to do so has been debated ever since." This could have come straight out of the "Medical Scientists Say"/"Tobacco Scientists Say" baloney used by the Mass Media today. Laqueur's book is dated 1972, and that he could make this claim at that late date shows he was totally dishonest, impossibly lazy, or some combination of the two. I don't keep reference books I don't trust, and this one is going to be made into something useful - maybe an honest cardboard box from China.

To know exactly the origin of Zionism and its aim.

This is one of the best books anyone can read on the history of Zionism. It is also very well written -making it a pleasure to read. One can really understand the very serious problems which faced the Jews in Europe and Russia in the 19th century -and some of the questions they were dealing with enable one to understand some of the tensions which still exist in Israel.

A very thorough and deeply informed historical account across many decades, events and personalities swept up in the Zionist movement. One looking for an objective and detailed account of Zionism will gain much from this book. There is a bit of repetition that the reader must deal with, and Laqueur jumps back and forth chronologically as he deals with different Zionist factions and personalities, which can be rather distracting. On balance, however, a very valuable resource.

Still very relevant and objective in understanding the roots of the conflict. To have a strong point of view. you really need to read this.

Absolutely atrocious print quality, barely legible, small text indistinguishable. Do not purchase, buy elsewhere.

This is a reprint and a terrible one at that. Unreadable.

Didn't read the whole thing, but plays on the narrative that Palestine was a "small community" at that time and how Israel is so great and they never treated anyone badly ever. Talks about pogroms of jews in Irak that never happened, the inhabitants of the land being Arabs and not Europeans, you will see that those claims of pogroms of Jews in the middle east never have a date or a citation. The Coran literally says God is good with the 12 tribes of Israel, there is literally no reason for a Muslim Arab to hate on a Jew Arab or a Chriatian Arab and in fact they cohabited in the region peacefully UNTIL sionism made Israel a thing and EUROPEAN jews came and stole the land via great britain at the time (1917, invasion of Palestine and Balfour declaration are 2 months appart. I literally read bits of it for 10 minutes and found so many contradictions.For ex. he says during the 1930s the zionist party didn't knew what it really wanted, but Balfour (a zionist) clearly expresses his wishes for zionism and another one much earlier in the late 1800 advocated for a Jewish state as a result of EUROPEAN anti Semitism. And if you look him up on Wikipedia, it says he worked with the CIA. Make of that what you wish

Ricostruzione completa della storia del sionismo. Un must per lo studio dell'argomento.

Wat een ontzettende slechte afdrukkwaliteit heeft het boek.