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A History of Israel (Volume II): From the Aftermath of the Yom Kippur War
A sequel to Howard Sachar's classic History of From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time , which Commentary called "monumental...a triumph of comprehensive scholarship which is also a delight to read," this book offers an equally compelling and powerful narrative and a wealth of human
detail. The second volume begins where its predecessor left off, tracing the political, social, and economic growth of the Israeli republic from the traumatic aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 through the Begin and Peres eras.
With lucidity and incisiveness, Sachar presents the fascinating saga of the ethnic "revolution" that brought Menachem Begin to power; the social upheavals that have shaken the Arab population of the West Bank; the growth of Palestinian terrorism and of incipient Jewish vigilantism; and the
clandestine dialogue between Israel's and Lebanon's political leaders that culminated in Ariel Sharon's ill-starred 1982 military invasion.
Since the Yom Kippur War, Israel's history has consisted of stark contrasts between dramatic military strikes abroad--Entebbe, Baghdad, Tunis among them--and confusion and violent confrontation at home over such issues as the settlement of the occupied Arab territories and religious extremism.
Covering all the dramatic milestones since the mid-seventies, Sachar explores Israel's current malaise and the extent to which the fate of the Jewish nation rests on the foreign and economic strategies of the Great Powers.
Both a compelling story and a penetrating analysis of Israel's current difficulties and achievements, this volume stands as a brilliant successor to a book critics and scholars have recognized as the definitive work in the field.
detail. The second volume begins where its predecessor left off, tracing the political, social, and economic growth of the Israeli republic from the traumatic aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 through the Begin and Peres eras.
With lucidity and incisiveness, Sachar presents the fascinating saga of the ethnic "revolution" that brought Menachem Begin to power; the social upheavals that have shaken the Arab population of the West Bank; the growth of Palestinian terrorism and of incipient Jewish vigilantism; and the
clandestine dialogue between Israel's and Lebanon's political leaders that culminated in Ariel Sharon's ill-starred 1982 military invasion.
Since the Yom Kippur War, Israel's history has consisted of stark contrasts between dramatic military strikes abroad--Entebbe, Baghdad, Tunis among them--and confusion and violent confrontation at home over such issues as the settlement of the occupied Arab territories and religious extremism.
Covering all the dramatic milestones since the mid-seventies, Sachar explores Israel's current malaise and the extent to which the fate of the Jewish nation rests on the foreign and economic strategies of the Great Powers.
Both a compelling story and a penetrating analysis of Israel's current difficulties and achievements, this volume stands as a brilliant successor to a book critics and scholars have recognized as the definitive work in the field.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1987
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About the author
Howard M. Sachar
26 books9 followersHoward Morley Sachar was an American historian. He was Professor Emeritus of History and International Affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and the author of 16 books, as well as numerous articles in scholarly journals, on the subjects of Middle Eastern and Modern European history.
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August 16, 2025
a nice follow-up to the first volume. this one seems much more reflective, and you can sense that the author is disturbed by the growing rightward shift of Israeli life. he is not shy to criticize Israel, either — at one point, he draws parallels to Algeria by calling settlers “pied noirs,” and he decries the treatment of Palestinians in occupied territories as rendering them “dhimmis”, referring to the marginal status Jews had under Muslim rule.
the book is worthwhile as well for being a history of Israel before the Intifadas, and before Islamic fundamentalism dominated the scene. kind of a time capsule, in that regard. I wonder what someone whose soul was so convulsed by the events of Sabra and Shatila, for one example, would think of Israel today.
the book is worthwhile as well for being a history of Israel before the Intifadas, and before Islamic fundamentalism dominated the scene. kind of a time capsule, in that regard. I wonder what someone whose soul was so convulsed by the events of Sabra and Shatila, for one example, would think of Israel today.
Displaying 1 of 1 review