Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn - Softcover

Daniel Gordis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062368753 ISBN 13: 9780062368751

Publisher: HarperOne, 2017

Synopsis

Winner of the Jewish Book of the Year Award

The first comprehensive yet accessible history of the state of Israel from its inception to present day, from Daniel Gordis, "one of the most respected Israel analysts" (The Forward) living and writing in Jerusalem.

Israel is a tiny state, and yet it has captured the world's attention, aroused its imagination, and lately, been the object of its opprobrium. Why does such a small country speak to so many global concerns? More pressingly: Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future?

We cannot answer these questions until we understand Israel's people and the questions and conflicts, the hopes and desires, that have animated their conversations and actions. Though Israel's history is rife with conflict, these conflicts do not fully communicate the spirit of Israel and its people: they give short shrift to the dream that gave birth to the state, and to the vision for the Jewish people that was at its core. Guiding us through the milestones of Israeli history, Gordis relays the drama of the Jewish people's story and the creation of the state. Clear-eyed and erudite, he illustrates how Israel became a cultural, economic and military powerhouse--but also explains where Israel made grave mistakes and traces the long history of Israel's deepening isolation.

With Israel, public intellectual Daniel Gordis offers us a brief but thorough account of the cultural, economic, and political history of this complex nation, from its beginnings to the present. Accessible, levelheaded, and rigorous, Israel sheds light on the Israel's past so we can understand its future. The result is a vivid portrait of a people, and a nation, reborn.

About this title

Review

The author loves his adopted homeland without ignoring its blemishes. He treats the most contested episodes in Israeli history, such as the plight of both Arab and Jewish refugees during the 1948 War of Independence, honestly and fairly. --Wall Street Journal"

Gordis is determined to do his best to provide some to those who don t know as much about Israel as they think they know, or as much as they need to know. --New York Post"

You will enjoy the fluid motion of Gordis s writing style, which somehow condenses thousands of details into memorable, thought-provoking passages. . .. Gordis grants us more than a peek at the past and present. --San Francisco Book Review"

Gordis brings to life the colorful patchwork of Israeli society and all those whose work helped shape it. . . . His writerly feat is in making so much so vivid through straightforward prose. . . . Certain to become a standard work. --Commentary"

Gordis guides readers through all of this and much more, with a blend of energy and grace, brain and heart in mutual embrace. --Jewish Book Council"

A welcome new primer, just in time for a new generation of English-speakers who are interested in Israel, to learn about the country and its struggles. --Jerusalem Post"

-Gordis weaves anecdote with historic judgment, and effectively uses both literary sources and introductions to Israel's formative personalities to reflect on Israel's history, its politics and especially, its soul. Israel is vibrant, articulate, and replete with wisdom.- --Ilan Troen, President of the Association for Israel Studies

As the title promises, he delivers a concise, readable history that celebrates its subject without idealizing it. It's a book that belongs on the shelf of every believer in the Zionist dream." --Atlanta Jewish Times

From the Back Cover

Israel is a tiny state, and yet since its creation, it has captured the world's attention, earned its admiration, and, often, been the object of its opprobrium. Why is so much of the international community focused on a small country like Israel? Why are Israelis so deeply divided on so many key issues? Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future?

Weaving together historical documents, letters, and interviews with his own intimate knowledge of the country, Daniel Gordis tells the story of Israel: when the idea of a Jewish state originated, how the dream was transformed into reality, and how Israel's history has unfolded and why. Israel probes the soul of both a people and a country that have long triumphed over adversity, but which still face grave--some say insurmountable--challenges.

Gordis guides us through the milestones of Israeli history and introduces the passionate and formidable personalities who pioneered the country and shaped its pivotal moments. He illustrates how Israel became a cultural, economic, and military powerhouse--but he also explains its grave mistakes and traces its long history of international isolation. Clear-eyed and authoritative, Gordis shows that above all else Israel's prime purpose--and its major accomplishment--has been the modern rebirth of the Jewish people.

With Israel, Gordis offers us a brief but thorough history of this complex nation, from its beginnings to the present. Accessible, level-headed, and rigorous, Israel sheds light on Israel's past so we can understand its present and future. The result is a vivid portrait of a people, and a nation, reborn.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0062368753
• ISBN 13: 9780062368751
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 560