Discusses the European background, the prehistory of the movement, five decades of Zionist activities, and ends with the establishement of the state of Israel.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
A Rosetta Stone for this piece of history:
This book is one of the most comprehensive, balanced, objective pieces of literature I have ever read on any piece of history in my entire life. It is a shame that this book has not been more on the forefront for must reads on this piece of history. As a history buff on this topic and Middle Eastern history, it can often become frustrating to read any book on the subject due to the obvious partiality. Despite its lengty nature, 600 packed pgs, I feel reinvigorated. I highly recommend this and consider this... more info
A Classic:
If you must read only one book on Zionism, let this be it. Walter Laqueur, internationally renowned historian, has created a masterpiece that has stood the test of time (it was originally written over 30 years ago!), and has become one of the standard works on the subject, alongside Shlomo Avineri's The Making of Modern Zionism and Hertzberg's The Zionist Idea.
The book is exactly what it says it is-a history of Zionism from the French Revolution to the establishment of the State of Israel, making use of... more info
Definitive history:
Laquer's History of Zionism is an indispensable work about the origins of the Jewish state. Wherever you stand on Israel, here is a thought provoking and well-researched text that is definitive on the subject. If you are someone who dislikes Israel, you should at least read it to understand how Israel developed and learn about Zionist self-perception.
Richard A. Macales, columnist, "Mac's Facts":
As one of the century's great historians, how fortunate we are that the German-born Laqueur spent his formative scholarly years in Eretz Israel as a journalist and researcher. This landmark work is very sympathetic to religious Orthodoxy and its significant relationship in the evolution of modern political Zionism. Its strength is in the study of religious and political Zionism within the European milieu.
