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Ben-Gurion (Father of Modern Israel)[BEN-GURION][Hardcover]
Ben-Gurion( Father of Modern Israel) <> Hardcover <> AnitaShapira <> YaleUniversityPress
Hardcover
First published November 25, 2014
43 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Anita Shapira
27 books25 followersAnita Shapira (Hebrew: אניטה שפירא, born 1940) is an Israeli historian. She is the founder of the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies, Emerita Professor of Jewish History at Tel Aviv University and former head of the Weizmann Institute for the Study of Zionism at Tel Aviv University. She received the Israel Prize for History in 2008.
אניטה שפירא (נולדה ב-1940) היא פרופסור אמריטה להיסטוריה של עם ישראל באוניברסיטת תל אביב, עמדה בראש המכון לחקר הציונות וישראל שם וכלת פרס ישראל לשנת תשס"ח 2008 בחקר ההיסטוריה של עם ישראל.
אניטה שפירא (נולדה ב-1940) היא פרופסור אמריטה להיסטוריה של עם ישראל באוניברסיטת תל אביב, עמדה בראש המכון לחקר הציונות וישראל שם וכלת פרס ישראל לשנת תשס"ח 2008 בחקר ההיסטוריה של עם ישראל.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 3, 2015
I heard an interview with Anita Shapira on the New York Times Book Review podcast about the writing of this book. The interview intrigues me so I bought the e-book.
Ben-Gurion was born David Green in Plonsk Poland in 1886 and became Israel’s first prime minister in 1948. Anita Shapira is professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University provides an intimate portrait of a man who is revered and reviled. Shapira had interviewed B-G when he was elderly.
Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) emigrated from Poland to Palestine in 1906 after being introduced to Zionist ideals. He went to Istanbul to study law at the University. His last year of Law school was interrupted by WWI, he never returned to finish his studies. The Ottoman Empire decided to deport the Jews from Palestine. B-G travel around living in different countries while working on Zionist causes. At the New York Library he met Paula Munweis a recent immigrant from Russia who became his wife and they had three children.
The author reveals B-G relationships with the people he loved were less than flattering. Shapira reveals he may have carried on a relationship with British Writer Doris May and during WWII with Miriam Cohen of New York.
Shapira explores the roots of today’ s fractured Israel, leading the reader through the world of Zionism’s pre-state politics and B-G’s problems over whom to choose as allies the Turks, the British or the Americans. There was constant fighting between the Zionist groups whose progeny include today’s Labor and Likud parties.
In April 1936, the Arab Revolt erupted in Palestine. After several days of rioting and killing Jews, the Palestinian Arab leaders called a general strike. They had three demands: cessation of Jewish immigration, cessation of land sales to Jews and the handover of government to the Arab majority. The conflict between Chaim Weizmann and Ben-Gurion over how to handle this problem and how to deal with the British government was at the core issue of Zionist policy at the time. It was Ben-Gurion’s revolutionary concepts verses Weizmann’s cautious gradualism.
B-G united the different Zionist militias into one army after the State was declared. The author reveals the struggles between B-G and Menachem Begin’s Irgan and the trauma of Jews firing on Jews.
Shapira also covers the moment in 1948 over the issue of the Arab exodus. She reports this in a matter of fact style without ethical scrutiny or judgment. The book is well written and researched. It is written in an easy to read manner and focuses on painting a picture of Ben-Gurion as a man. If you are interested in world history or the Middle East you will find this an interesting and enlighten book to read. I read this as an e-book on my Kindle app for my iPad.
I
Ben-Gurion was born David Green in Plonsk Poland in 1886 and became Israel’s first prime minister in 1948. Anita Shapira is professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University provides an intimate portrait of a man who is revered and reviled. Shapira had interviewed B-G when he was elderly.
Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) emigrated from Poland to Palestine in 1906 after being introduced to Zionist ideals. He went to Istanbul to study law at the University. His last year of Law school was interrupted by WWI, he never returned to finish his studies. The Ottoman Empire decided to deport the Jews from Palestine. B-G travel around living in different countries while working on Zionist causes. At the New York Library he met Paula Munweis a recent immigrant from Russia who became his wife and they had three children.
The author reveals B-G relationships with the people he loved were less than flattering. Shapira reveals he may have carried on a relationship with British Writer Doris May and during WWII with Miriam Cohen of New York.
Shapira explores the roots of today’ s fractured Israel, leading the reader through the world of Zionism’s pre-state politics and B-G’s problems over whom to choose as allies the Turks, the British or the Americans. There was constant fighting between the Zionist groups whose progeny include today’s Labor and Likud parties.
In April 1936, the Arab Revolt erupted in Palestine. After several days of rioting and killing Jews, the Palestinian Arab leaders called a general strike. They had three demands: cessation of Jewish immigration, cessation of land sales to Jews and the handover of government to the Arab majority. The conflict between Chaim Weizmann and Ben-Gurion over how to handle this problem and how to deal with the British government was at the core issue of Zionist policy at the time. It was Ben-Gurion’s revolutionary concepts verses Weizmann’s cautious gradualism.
B-G united the different Zionist militias into one army after the State was declared. The author reveals the struggles between B-G and Menachem Begin’s Irgan and the trauma of Jews firing on Jews.
Shapira also covers the moment in 1948 over the issue of the Arab exodus. She reports this in a matter of fact style without ethical scrutiny or judgment. The book is well written and researched. It is written in an easy to read manner and focuses on painting a picture of Ben-Gurion as a man. If you are interested in world history or the Middle East you will find this an interesting and enlighten book to read. I read this as an e-book on my Kindle app for my iPad.
I
February 3, 2015
Ben Gurion
Not the most flowing biography and at times more like a history class lecture, yet Ben Gurion is a captivating and informative read. What I liked most is that it not only tells a narrative of BenGurion but weaves perspective from Russia and Poland, Israel and Britain, New York and the ArabMiddleEast. One starts in BenGurion's childhood and ends in his childhood and old age. The book is worth the time spent and is to me a Four star biography.
Not the most flowing biography and at times more like a history class lecture, yet Ben Gurion is a captivating and informative read. What I liked most is that it not only tells a narrative of BenGurion but weaves perspective from Russia and Poland, Israel and Britain, New York and the ArabMiddleEast. One starts in BenGurion's childhood and ends in his childhood and old age. The book is worth the time spent and is to me a Four star biography.
September 27, 2021
A well-written and easy-on-the-eyes portrait of David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister. Professor Shapira tries to get to the inner man in this fine introductory biography and, by and large, succeeds. Ben Gurion was not an easy person to understand or get along with; he had few close friends (one of whom was Berle Katzenelson, who passed away in 1944), and was not given to openly expressing anything but his ideological beliefs and intellectual interests, which were legion, it must be said. Even Golda Meir, who worked closely with him over many years, once remarked that Ben Gurion gave his colleagues the feeling that he didn't rally need any of them. Indeed, Ben Gurion's strongest characteristic was his ability to concentrate un-waveringly on what he felt were the vital objectives of the Labor Zionist movement and of the State of Israel after its founding, an act that he did more than most to bring about. The high point of his career were the years stretching between the Second World War and the Sinai Campaign, when the Jewish People and the Zionist movement faced their greatest challenges and tragedies, when the political endeavor to found the Jewish state in the Land of Israel finally bore fruit, and when the young state bore the almost unbearable burden of absorbing twice its own population of refugees from the Holocaust and Islamic countries while dealing with an almost impossible security situation. It's hard to imagine just how the State of Israel would have come about, surviving and then succeeding in making itself strong without the visionary and stubborn leadership of Ben Gurion. If you haven't done so already, this book is a good place to start learning about this remarkable man.
October 24, 2017
David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) was Israel's "primary founder." But none of his fellow pioneers could match his intellectual or visceral drive -- used very forcefully to help carve a Jewish State out of Mandatory Palestine. His energy coincided with the British Empire's twilight and the U.S.'s becoming the world's preeminent power. The latter two events factored just as heavily in Israel's birth as Ben-Gurion himself. Both Ben-Gurion the obdurate oracle and Ben-Gurion the man come alive in Shapira's succinct but powerful biography. In patriotic prose, the reader sees Ben-Gurion's Herculean efforts to make a Jewish homeland a reality. He realized Israel via a fusion of resolve and religion. "The [British] mandate is not our Bible. The Bible is our mandate," Ben-Gurion said, effectively validating a notion that Israel's creation and sustenance was preordained. In such quotes and analysis, Shapira implies Ben-Gurion was on a mission from God; an historical mission undertaken by a mortal who was always cognizant of past history. "[I]n history, too, there are chances. There are chains of circumstances, and a man or movement must possess the ability to seize an opportunity and to hold on to it," Ben-Gurion asserted in the late 1930s. David Ben-Gurion was never one to miss an opportunity. In Anita Shapira's compelling and humanistic biography, the former is her book's -- and its subject's -- calling card.
September 22, 2024
Great book.By the way I recently returned from a trip to Israel and just have to share my experience using the VIP service at Ben Gurion Airport from Ormax Shuttle Service https://ormax.co.il/services/vip-serv... . It was one of the best decisions I made! From the moment I stepped off the plane, I was greeted with comfort and attention. Quick passport checks, assistance with my luggage and no long lines made my arrival absolutely carefree. Thanks to this service, I was able to focus on business rather than formalities. If you are going to Israel, I recommend using Ormax's VIP service. It provides a quick and comfortable ride. The team is attentive to details and you will feel that your time is valued. Don't miss the opportunity to make your trip truly unforgettable!
December 15, 2019
The thing I most appreciated about Shapira's writing is how frank she is about her subject. Unlike many biographers, she does not engage in any hagiography whatsoever. Unlike many historians, she keeps it classy and writes a nuanced account without agenda or partisanship. There were some points where she glossed and assumed a lot of knowledge of the reader, but overall, it was clear and informative. The book comes in at under 250 pp, proving that a giant tome is not always key to getting the job done. Definitely looking forward to reading more Shapira.
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May 2, 2024Well, I wanted to learn more about Ben-Gurion and the story of Israel through his angle, but it won't be from this book. It's so dryly written that, in my head, I hear the entire thing in the sleep-inducing voice of British nature documentaries. I've apparently been spoiled by the various action packed, literally swashbuckling biographies of Golda Meir (Elinor Burkett, Francine Klagsbrun, Deborah Lipstadt).
February 19, 2020
Anita Shapira's book recounts a man frought with contradictions. A man who admired the west and disdained their enlightenment, his relationship with Jewry, socialism, the exile and Israel are charged with the relevant political discourse of the time. Shapira offers a glimpse into this political tumultuous time from the lens of one of the most important figures of Jewish history at that time.
May 26, 2023
The book really drags on in the first few chapters, and only really gets interesting with the onset of the WW2 (at least from my decidedly non-jewish perspective). It does contain a lot of information, and is not afraid to critize Ben Gurion for the flaws in his personality, although it does put him on a high pedestal.
February 27, 2020
read in freshman year, my first ever biography. David fought and valued so much the causes of his day and people, and acted on this basis all his life. David never ceased to solicit all parties around him, throughout the world.
April 18, 2022
Výborne napísaný životopis jedného z najvýznamnejších židovských a izraelských politikov, ktorý sa stal aj jedným z najvýznamnejších svetových štátnikov 20. storočia vo svete.
Aj keď občas cítiť obdiv autorky k hrdinovi, nebráni jej to byť kritickou k jeho dielu, rozhodnutiam a činom.
Aj keď občas cítiť obdiv autorky k hrdinovi, nebráni jej to byť kritickou k jeho dielu, rozhodnutiam a činom.
March 9, 2018
Well worth the read.
February 4, 2020
This books rips the mask off the heroic myth of Ben Gurion and shows him to be human.
April 16, 2015
As the "father of modern Israel" I knew very little about Ben-Gurion. Other than being the State's first Prime Minister I really did not know much about him as a person, his beliefs or as a leader.
After completing a book about Theodore Hertzl, the father of Zionism I thought this would be a great follow up. They were certainly two very different people. Hertzl, evolving as a pacifist during a period where Jews were accepted for the most part in European Society, foresaw the creation of Israel as a Utopian society. Ben-Gurion on the other hand had his formative years during Pograms and extreme Antisemitism.
The two are an interesting contrast. A book about the two, and how modern Israel evolved would be a great read.
Ben-Gurion was not a particularly likable person. He was not a natural leader. He had radical ideas. But, his passion for the creation of a nation where Jews could live in peace overrode his fears. His extreme views led to militarization (a sound idea) and his desire to only speak Hebrew. This led to disenfranchisement of some groups who saw the natural Jewish language as Yiddish and not Hebrew. But, as time told, he prevailed.
Ben-Gurion was a strong believer in socialism - he wanted Israel to be a Socialist, agrarian society. He saw farmers as the back-bone of the society. His views came from Marxism, but with an understanding that pure Marxism could not exist. Strong central leadership must exist. And while he disliked the Kibbutz system, he clearly understood the power they created in the early years of the development of Israel. In fact, in later years he lived for a while on a Kibbutz.
His views in some ways became more extreme as he matured, but in others he found himself becoming more liberal. He foresaw the issues that would evolve as more Jews immigrated to Israel. He led the charge to buy land from the Arab inhabitants. No mention was made in the book of forced relocation which are still the subject of much debate. But, to encourage mass immigration which he felt was the only way to survive as a Jewish state, he lightened his stance on only speaking Hebrew and gave speeches in Yiddish and other languages. Linguistics were not natural to him and he struggled, finding others who could make these speeches as needed,
While not a natural leader, he became an effective statesman. He aligned himself with Charles DeGaulle of France, even negotiating weapons sales allowing Israel to develop a powerful standing army. He angered other world powers such as the United States who initially saw Israel as an obstacle to the relationships built with Arab states. But, as history goes, this did change.
One thing I found fascinating was his desire to build a strong relationship with West Germany after WWII. While others in the Israeli government opposed any relationship with the society they saw as mass murderers, his tenacity in
forging an alliance when very far in gaining both military assistance and technology.
He saw technology as a key element in giving Israel an advantage in the world. To this day, this vision has grown to one where they are on the forefront of new technological and medical advances that not only help them, but help the world.
He also was an arrogant man who saw himself as necessary for the future. And, while he left government several times and was asked back, he made himself irrelevant with his radical views.
After completing a book about Theodore Hertzl, the father of Zionism I thought this would be a great follow up. They were certainly two very different people. Hertzl, evolving as a pacifist during a period where Jews were accepted for the most part in European Society, foresaw the creation of Israel as a Utopian society. Ben-Gurion on the other hand had his formative years during Pograms and extreme Antisemitism.
The two are an interesting contrast. A book about the two, and how modern Israel evolved would be a great read.
Ben-Gurion was not a particularly likable person. He was not a natural leader. He had radical ideas. But, his passion for the creation of a nation where Jews could live in peace overrode his fears. His extreme views led to militarization (a sound idea) and his desire to only speak Hebrew. This led to disenfranchisement of some groups who saw the natural Jewish language as Yiddish and not Hebrew. But, as time told, he prevailed.
Ben-Gurion was a strong believer in socialism - he wanted Israel to be a Socialist, agrarian society. He saw farmers as the back-bone of the society. His views came from Marxism, but with an understanding that pure Marxism could not exist. Strong central leadership must exist. And while he disliked the Kibbutz system, he clearly understood the power they created in the early years of the development of Israel. In fact, in later years he lived for a while on a Kibbutz.
His views in some ways became more extreme as he matured, but in others he found himself becoming more liberal. He foresaw the issues that would evolve as more Jews immigrated to Israel. He led the charge to buy land from the Arab inhabitants. No mention was made in the book of forced relocation which are still the subject of much debate. But, to encourage mass immigration which he felt was the only way to survive as a Jewish state, he lightened his stance on only speaking Hebrew and gave speeches in Yiddish and other languages. Linguistics were not natural to him and he struggled, finding others who could make these speeches as needed,
While not a natural leader, he became an effective statesman. He aligned himself with Charles DeGaulle of France, even negotiating weapons sales allowing Israel to develop a powerful standing army. He angered other world powers such as the United States who initially saw Israel as an obstacle to the relationships built with Arab states. But, as history goes, this did change.
One thing I found fascinating was his desire to build a strong relationship with West Germany after WWII. While others in the Israeli government opposed any relationship with the society they saw as mass murderers, his tenacity in
forging an alliance when very far in gaining both military assistance and technology.
He saw technology as a key element in giving Israel an advantage in the world. To this day, this vision has grown to one where they are on the forefront of new technological and medical advances that not only help them, but help the world.
He also was an arrogant man who saw himself as necessary for the future. And, while he left government several times and was asked back, he made himself irrelevant with his radical views.
May 13, 2016
This was a most interesting read for me. Of course, I’ve seen Ben-Gurion’s name everywhere all my life really, but I’ve never read anything in detail about his.
Born in Poland, he changed his name to Ben-Gurion to more strongly reflect his belief that Jews needed a homeland they could call theirs.
I was surprised, ok and maybe a bit dismayed, to learn how closely Ben-Gurion allied himself with socialism and the far left for much of his life. In fact, the more I read this book, the more I extrapolated that Israel’s current prime minister is a bit of a rare bird where his politics are concerned. A good lot of these young Zionists leaned left throughout their lives.
Ben-Gurion initially believed the Turks would be a major force in helping his people achieve a homeland, but of course, that all fell through when that empire essentially crashed and burned. He then pinned his hopes on the Brits, and when they didn’t act decisively enough or fully enough to suit him, he ultimately hoped Roosevelt would help create the nation of Israel.
You get a picture here of a guy who was completely obsessed with Zionism almost to the exclusion of his family and all other things. He was a collector of massive amounts of books throughout his life, spending money on books in the early days often at the expense of his family’s welfare.
He was well respected by fellow Zionists, but he wasn’t well liked. He comes across in this biography as being rather prickly, but much beloved by the waves of immigrants and their offspring, so much so that his 80th birthday in 1966 was far more energetically celebrated by the people than by the leadership.
If you read this biography, you will read names that would later become household words in this country—names that were very much in the news well into the ‘90’s. You’ll come away with a certain level of respect for a man who sacrificed much for one shining idea and who lived long enough to both see that idea come to fruition and to see his own decline and shrinkage on the Israeli stage.
Indeed, there is much that is somber about that section of the book wherein Ben-Gurion’s final years are detailed. His death in December 1973 went unnoticed by a nation still reeling from the impact of the Yom Kippur War.
If there is a down side, it is that the book references so many political parties and engrosses itself so deeply in the machinations and minutia of socialist Zionist politics that I had to work to stay focused. It was ultimately worth the work though.
Born in Poland, he changed his name to Ben-Gurion to more strongly reflect his belief that Jews needed a homeland they could call theirs.
I was surprised, ok and maybe a bit dismayed, to learn how closely Ben-Gurion allied himself with socialism and the far left for much of his life. In fact, the more I read this book, the more I extrapolated that Israel’s current prime minister is a bit of a rare bird where his politics are concerned. A good lot of these young Zionists leaned left throughout their lives.
Ben-Gurion initially believed the Turks would be a major force in helping his people achieve a homeland, but of course, that all fell through when that empire essentially crashed and burned. He then pinned his hopes on the Brits, and when they didn’t act decisively enough or fully enough to suit him, he ultimately hoped Roosevelt would help create the nation of Israel.
You get a picture here of a guy who was completely obsessed with Zionism almost to the exclusion of his family and all other things. He was a collector of massive amounts of books throughout his life, spending money on books in the early days often at the expense of his family’s welfare.
He was well respected by fellow Zionists, but he wasn’t well liked. He comes across in this biography as being rather prickly, but much beloved by the waves of immigrants and their offspring, so much so that his 80th birthday in 1966 was far more energetically celebrated by the people than by the leadership.
If you read this biography, you will read names that would later become household words in this country—names that were very much in the news well into the ‘90’s. You’ll come away with a certain level of respect for a man who sacrificed much for one shining idea and who lived long enough to both see that idea come to fruition and to see his own decline and shrinkage on the Israeli stage.
Indeed, there is much that is somber about that section of the book wherein Ben-Gurion’s final years are detailed. His death in December 1973 went unnoticed by a nation still reeling from the impact of the Yom Kippur War.
If there is a down side, it is that the book references so many political parties and engrosses itself so deeply in the machinations and minutia of socialist Zionist politics that I had to work to stay focused. It was ultimately worth the work though.
February 22, 2015
Having lived in Israel as a young child during Ben Gurion's time as prime minister, I found this book very insightful and clarified some of my impressions of that time. Ben Gurion was a leader at the time that Israel needed this type of leadership. What Ms. Shapira portrays in this book is an idealistic Zionist who pragmatically assesses the situation and acts accordingly. He possessed great courage when he seized the moment to declare Israel a state, even though he knew that his young country would have to fight a war with the Arabs immediately after this declaration. I recently visited Israel and went to the museum which houses the podium and recordings where Ben Gurion declared statehood. It was extremely moving to hear the scratchy recording of his voice making this declaration. This is an important book to understand where Ben Gurion came from and his extraordinary accomplishments.
February 13, 2015
This is a book written by someone who evidently assumes the reader is very familiar with both Ben-Gurion and the history of the founding of the State of Israel. This reader is not sufficiently familiar so much of the book is difficult to follow. Plus the author does not fully explain how Ben-Gurion became Israel's founding father beyond his combative personality. There are surely better biographies of this important man.
August 26, 2015
A bit more scholarly than the bio I read on Jabotinsky, and didn't get as far under Ben-Gurion's skin as the other, but still a good book and with one hell of a story to tell. I wouldn't recommend it unless the reader has some basic knowledge of Israeli and pre-Israeli history (zionism era), but not a lot is required, I think.
November 14, 2021
Educating and informative book about the "right man at the right moment". Very much recommended for leaders which deal with hard situations. It took me an effort to pass the first 40 pages, but afterwards reading was easy
December 28, 2015
Somewhat difficult read (possibly because it is a translation from Hebrew). Seems to give an unbiased perspective on a key leader of modern Israel, even though he certainly had his flaws.
December 30, 2018
קריאת חובה, ולא אכביר עוד במילים. אדם מורכב, לא נטול חסרונות, אבל מעל לכל מנהיג עם אידיאולוגיה. בעולם של פוליטיקאים קטנים כמה חסר לנו אחד שכזה
April 15, 2019
ספר טוב ומלמד
July 26, 2023
היסטוריה מרתקת. כתוב נהדר.
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March 13, 2015Review by Maron L. Waxman for the Jewish Book Council.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews