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War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land
The struggles of the Israelis and Palestinians - with their terrible histories of disaster and redemption - command the obsessive attention of the world. Statesmen tinker with peace plans for the Middle East and generals worry about future wars there. Religious leaders stoke the violent passions of the devout while pilgrims flock to find God and archaeologists dig to find the origins of His revelations. All this goes on under the watchful eye of an army of reporters, observers, diplomatic envoys, and aid workers.
Between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, dreams and ideals collide with the reality of violent nationalist struggle, and God's name is invoked in defense of the jealousies of men. With the experienced journalist's eye for irony, anecdote, and telling detail, Anton La Guardia offers an intimate look into the Israelis as they come to terms with the "post-Zionist" demolition of national myths, and the Palestinians as they try to build their own state. A classic in the making, War Without End is the definitive book on Israel and her people.
" … this slender book will be indispensable to anyone trying to understand current events in Israel and the Middle East." - Publishers Weekly
Between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, dreams and ideals collide with the reality of violent nationalist struggle, and God's name is invoked in defense of the jealousies of men. With the experienced journalist's eye for irony, anecdote, and telling detail, Anton La Guardia offers an intimate look into the Israelis as they come to terms with the "post-Zionist" demolition of national myths, and the Palestinians as they try to build their own state. A classic in the making, War Without End is the definitive book on Israel and her people.
" … this slender book will be indispensable to anyone trying to understand current events in Israel and the Middle East." - Publishers Weekly
448 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 3, 2015
Is there ever a time when the Middle East is not in crisis? War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land earns 4 Stars on the unofficial page marker scale, a near forest of little paper scraps sticking up to mark excerpts I want to reread. Despite being written in 2001, with a quick epilogue noting 9/11, the book is very relevant to the never ending struggle in the Middle East. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a lapsed Italian Roman Catholic reporter for the Daily Telegraph. What you get is a reasonably fair account of the Israelis and how Israel came to be and what has occurred up to 2001. I take away a star because the book is also a mostly uncritical look at the Palestinian “victims” resulting from establishing Israel. Israelis are held responsible for their actions while Palestinians generally are not. Additionally, the Palestinian story is not told in the same depth and breadth as their counterparts.
This book is filled with interesting facts and anecdotes. The story rapidly goes from ancient times and begins to cover the 19th Century rise of the Zionist movement. The evolution of ideas about the Promised Land with Herzl and others is very interesting. The migration of Jews to Palestine and how they began to build a life on the land flows nicely. The reaction of the Ottomans and the local population is also covered. Trouble is foreseen.
In 1905, Negib Azoury, a Maronite Christian who had served in Jerusalem as an Ottoman official and later moved to Paris, penned an Arab nationalist manifesto entitled Le Réveil de la Nation Arabe, a work permeated with European anti-Semitism. Even though it had little impact in its time, it became something of a prophetic warning:
Two important phenomena, of the same nature but opposed, which have still not drawn anyone’s attention, are emerging at this moment in Asiatic Turkey. They are the awakening of the Arab nation and the latent effort of the Jews to reconstitute on a very large- scale the ancient kingdom of Israel. Both these movements are destined to fight each other continually until one of them wins.
What the book makes clear is the inability of two peoples, both victims of history, to find a way to make peace. The problem with this book is that it doesn’t really point the finger at Palestinians all that much. A better explanation of the Palestinian side is found in The High Cost of Peace: How Washington's Middle East Policy Left America Vulnerable to Terrorism. It is unlikely the Palestinians will find a way to a peaceful solution in any foreseeable future. The Gulf War of 1991 offered them several opportunities to move forward. Maybe it was just too hard. Not much romance running a government instead of revolutionary struggle. A Palestinian leader after the Oslo Agreement:
When I saw Ta’mari in 1998, Palestinian euphoria at the diplomatic breakthrough had already given way to weariness over the drudgery of negotiation, and disillusionment with the corruption, authoritarian practices, and sheer ineptness of Arafat’s Palestinian Authority “Maybe we over-romanticized the whole thing. When it comes down to it, it’s not so romantic dealing with sewage, taxation, salaries, and unemployment,” mused Ta’mari.
The two—state solution is, in Ta’mari’s view, itself an interim step. “I have not abandoned my dream of a democratic state in all of Palestine where Palestinians—Jews and non-Jews—will live together.”
That is a bunch of BS. There is no way the Palestinians would let the Jews live in the land from the “river to the sea”. It would be a graveyard—no, it would be another crematory if the Palestinians would gain control of the entire area. There is no freaking way the Israelis will give Palestinians any power over them. The result of completely leaving Gaza, as Sharon did, shows how ridiculous it would be to give up more land at present.
It is a little surprising to see the parallels between the sides. The Jews lived in many lands, under many different rulers in their long Diaspora. Right now the Palestinians have to live under many different rulers in many lands. A Palestinian poet captured it nicely:
Palestinians have struggled as much against Arab kings and presidents as they have against the Jews. Mureed Barghouthy, a prominent poet who has lived in several Arab countries, addressed these lines to Palestinian exiles:
To every citizen there is one ruler.
You alone are favored with twenty
in twenty capitals.
If you made one of them angry,
the law would claim your head
and if you honored one of them
the rest would want you dead.
There are many interesting insights into the Israeli side and some good ones on the Palestinian side:
How Hebrew was resurrected to become a modern language
How survivors of the Holocaust were treated initially and later
What happened at Deir Yassin and other sites that assume mythic status
What caused the Intifadas and what happened during them
The role of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, secularism in the region
So much more to cover…Highly recommended
This book is filled with interesting facts and anecdotes. The story rapidly goes from ancient times and begins to cover the 19th Century rise of the Zionist movement. The evolution of ideas about the Promised Land with Herzl and others is very interesting. The migration of Jews to Palestine and how they began to build a life on the land flows nicely. The reaction of the Ottomans and the local population is also covered. Trouble is foreseen.
In 1905, Negib Azoury, a Maronite Christian who had served in Jerusalem as an Ottoman official and later moved to Paris, penned an Arab nationalist manifesto entitled Le Réveil de la Nation Arabe, a work permeated with European anti-Semitism. Even though it had little impact in its time, it became something of a prophetic warning:
Two important phenomena, of the same nature but opposed, which have still not drawn anyone’s attention, are emerging at this moment in Asiatic Turkey. They are the awakening of the Arab nation and the latent effort of the Jews to reconstitute on a very large- scale the ancient kingdom of Israel. Both these movements are destined to fight each other continually until one of them wins.
What the book makes clear is the inability of two peoples, both victims of history, to find a way to make peace. The problem with this book is that it doesn’t really point the finger at Palestinians all that much. A better explanation of the Palestinian side is found in The High Cost of Peace: How Washington's Middle East Policy Left America Vulnerable to Terrorism. It is unlikely the Palestinians will find a way to a peaceful solution in any foreseeable future. The Gulf War of 1991 offered them several opportunities to move forward. Maybe it was just too hard. Not much romance running a government instead of revolutionary struggle. A Palestinian leader after the Oslo Agreement:
When I saw Ta’mari in 1998, Palestinian euphoria at the diplomatic breakthrough had already given way to weariness over the drudgery of negotiation, and disillusionment with the corruption, authoritarian practices, and sheer ineptness of Arafat’s Palestinian Authority “Maybe we over-romanticized the whole thing. When it comes down to it, it’s not so romantic dealing with sewage, taxation, salaries, and unemployment,” mused Ta’mari.
The two—state solution is, in Ta’mari’s view, itself an interim step. “I have not abandoned my dream of a democratic state in all of Palestine where Palestinians—Jews and non-Jews—will live together.”
That is a bunch of BS. There is no way the Palestinians would let the Jews live in the land from the “river to the sea”. It would be a graveyard—no, it would be another crematory if the Palestinians would gain control of the entire area. There is no freaking way the Israelis will give Palestinians any power over them. The result of completely leaving Gaza, as Sharon did, shows how ridiculous it would be to give up more land at present.
It is a little surprising to see the parallels between the sides. The Jews lived in many lands, under many different rulers in their long Diaspora. Right now the Palestinians have to live under many different rulers in many lands. A Palestinian poet captured it nicely:
Palestinians have struggled as much against Arab kings and presidents as they have against the Jews. Mureed Barghouthy, a prominent poet who has lived in several Arab countries, addressed these lines to Palestinian exiles:
To every citizen there is one ruler.
You alone are favored with twenty
in twenty capitals.
If you made one of them angry,
the law would claim your head
and if you honored one of them
the rest would want you dead.
There are many interesting insights into the Israeli side and some good ones on the Palestinian side:
How Hebrew was resurrected to become a modern language
How survivors of the Holocaust were treated initially and later
What happened at Deir Yassin and other sites that assume mythic status
What caused the Intifadas and what happened during them
The role of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, secularism in the region
So much more to cover…Highly recommended
August 31, 2014
This book starts off great and provides a pretty thorough, unapologetic version of events of the last 150 years that has led to the Mid East crisis. The best chapter unequivocally is Chapter 5 - Vicitms of Victims, where La Guardia deftly traces the miseries the Jewish people experienced in Europe that culminated in the Holocaust and led to the 1947 U.N. partition of Isreal and Palastine and a whole lotta fun since. "[T]he two tragedies are inextricably entwined," writes La Guardia. "They are part of the same mosaic of conflict over Palestine. If the Jews were the victims of the Nazis, the Palestinians in many ways are the victims of the victims. For each side, the trauma is a defining moment in its history, and the memory of the tragedy lies at the core of national identity. "
Where this book falls shorts is its effort to be contemporary. Since it was written in 2001, the last 100 pages or so are dedicated, more or less, to the dynamic between Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon. Arafat died shortly after the book's publication in a French hospital and Ariel Sharon fell into a coma in early 2006 that he would never wake from. A lot has happened since then. New players have emerged. New battles have been fought, including the most recent incursion in Gaza with Hamas. The tragedy is that in last 13 years so much more has happened that would fill several more chapters. This is a self-perpetuating cycle of violence and mistrust that will warrant additional revisions and volumes... if anyone has the stamina to keep up.
Where this book falls shorts is its effort to be contemporary. Since it was written in 2001, the last 100 pages or so are dedicated, more or less, to the dynamic between Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon. Arafat died shortly after the book's publication in a French hospital and Ariel Sharon fell into a coma in early 2006 that he would never wake from. A lot has happened since then. New players have emerged. New battles have been fought, including the most recent incursion in Gaza with Hamas. The tragedy is that in last 13 years so much more has happened that would fill several more chapters. This is a self-perpetuating cycle of violence and mistrust that will warrant additional revisions and volumes... if anyone has the stamina to keep up.
August 13, 2016
The Palestinian conflict has been something that I wanted to learn more about for a very long time. In the United States it seems almost impossible to read or hear anything about the issue without also noting extreme bias and ignorance in the message. In the U.S. that bias is nearly always slanted in favor of Israel and the Jews and against Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims. But since becoming an adult, I have learned a little bit about confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance, and the absurdity of rigid right vs. wrong dichotomies in cultural and philosophical debates. So I have long known that the conflicts in the Middle East are far more complex than most people here in the U.S. understand. Simply imagining oneself as a productive land-owning Palestinian who has been forcibly removed from his property so it could be turned over to Jewish hands would make most people realize that Israel is not innocent in this conflict and that Palestinians might have some valid grievances. But most people in the U.S. either refuse to imagine themselves in such a scenario or deny that such things actually happened, or else they simply prefer to remain ignorant of the facts while relying on their faith-based dualistic ideology.
War Without End has been very helpful to me in understanding the history of what has led to the present crisis. The author has spent many years living in the Holy Land and seems quite well informed on the subject. Arab, Muslim, Jewish, Israeli, Christian, and Palestinian viewpoints are all treated fairly in my opinion. A long term solution seems impossible due to the numerous extremists on all sides who refuse to accept even the partial validity of the claims and rights of others who differ from them and who are also currently dwelling in the region. This book does a good job of explaining all the reasons for this.
This book was written in 2000 and updated after the events of September 11, 2001, so it is a little dated -- nothing is told of the events of the past 12 years. In my opinion it also could have been shortened a little. Sometimes it just got bogged down in more detail than I preferred, and I found myself skimming over a few pages. But overall, it was a very educational and interesting book.
War Without End has been very helpful to me in understanding the history of what has led to the present crisis. The author has spent many years living in the Holy Land and seems quite well informed on the subject. Arab, Muslim, Jewish, Israeli, Christian, and Palestinian viewpoints are all treated fairly in my opinion. A long term solution seems impossible due to the numerous extremists on all sides who refuse to accept even the partial validity of the claims and rights of others who differ from them and who are also currently dwelling in the region. This book does a good job of explaining all the reasons for this.
This book was written in 2000 and updated after the events of September 11, 2001, so it is a little dated -- nothing is told of the events of the past 12 years. In my opinion it also could have been shortened a little. Sometimes it just got bogged down in more detail than I preferred, and I found myself skimming over a few pages. But overall, it was a very educational and interesting book.
March 14, 2025
So much information, and in my slightly educated bit by no means professional opinion, did a pretty decent job of remaining unbiased and most of the time doing his best to show both sides’ perspectives and flaws.
August 10, 2015
Anton La Guardia spent most of the 1990s as a correspondent in the Middle East. He gained close-range experience from pivotal events and sought exclusive insight from integral figures that fed his desire to look deeper into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Using a seamless blend of history and commentary, he traces back the ancient sources of the problems that have led to the intractable battle over the holy land for the past two thousand years. He also investigates why the many attempted solutions have failed to solidify a lasting peace. He provides tremendous balance and understanding to the different perspectives of both sides who have been victims of the catastrophic violence. He brings a journalist’s skills of observation and lends an arbitrator’s position of neutrality to the extensive research he presents to illuminate the social and psychological travails that divide the Jews and the Arabs. This is a remarkable book, an intense and intelligent study of the history, culture, and politics of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. La Guardia has made an outstanding contribution to the historical literature of the continuing Middle East crisis.
August 10, 2011
This is a reasonably balanced look at Arab and Jewish culture and history of modern day Israel. The author largely succeeds in his attempt to look at culture, politics, emotion and history from many points of view that exist on both sides of the Arab/Jew divide. Culturally, he finds gems that exist in each culture and also exposes points of ugliness. In treating history, he valiantly attempts to view events from different perspectives. This book will be of interest to those who would like to get a view of Israel's history without resorting to a one-sided polemic.
The edition that I read was published in February of 2003, so events of the last 6 years are, of course, not covered (the death of Arafat, Sharon's incapacitation, the election of Hamas in Gaza, etc.) It was interesting to see that some of LaGuardia's insights proved prescient.
The edition that I read was published in February of 2003, so events of the last 6 years are, of course, not covered (the death of Arafat, Sharon's incapacitation, the election of Hamas in Gaza, etc.) It was interesting to see that some of LaGuardia's insights proved prescient.
July 23, 2024
I began reading this book as the current Israeli bombardment of Gaza caught the world's attention earlier this year, following the horrific events of Oct 7, 2023. I had actually purchased my copy of the revised and updated edition shortly after it was published in 2003, as I struggled to understand the geopolitical underpinnings of 9/11, but had never read it until now.
As someone with only the broadest, vaguest sense of the history of this conflict when I started reading, this book offered a comprehensive but reasonably concise overview, no small feat considering how complex it all is. And I'm aware that someone in the region would probably debate virtually every sentence of this book, but I think La Guardia does a good job of representing the point of view of both the Israeli and the Palestinian sides of the story.
My chief complaint as a newcomer to this information is about the organization of the book's narrative. There were multiple times early on when names or specific terms were used well before their significance was properly explained - for example, Moshe Dayan, who has a three-inch-long list of citations after his name in the book's index, is first introduced in a chapter about the role of kibbutzim in the founding of Israel with only the information that he was born in a kibbutz and the words, "perhaps the most famous general." Dayan's monumental role in Israel's founding, early wars and government is only properly discussed about 30 pages later. Maybe this should have been common knowledge, but I could have used a bit more context earlier on.
In another, later section, the reader is expected to know that the "Karine A incident" refers to an affair described on the previous page in which Israeli commandos seized a ship in the Red Sea. The Karine A was the name of the ship, but that name wasn't used in its first mention. Small stumbling blocks like that in a book meant to be a primer were unwelcome interruptions.
This book is 400 pages, but the way its margins are set and the page width make it look somewhat thinner than it might in a different format. Given the complexity of the events it describes, it's necessarily packed with details -- not a breezy read by any means. Still, the real reason it took me so long to finish is that by about halfway through, it had become bleakly repetitive, proving its title very apt.
By the time it left off in 2003 amid the Al Aqsa Intifada as President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon grappled with the collapse of the Camp David negotiations, it was downright depressing to contemplate that another 20 years have passed with no significant progress -- if anything, the "war without end" has only continued to spiral downward. I was especially struck by the fact that even as the book detailed massacre and battle after massacre and battle, none of the casualty numbers approached the number of dead and wounded in the attack of Oct 7 or the assault on Gaza since then. In the last 10 months, the downward spiral looks more like a nose dive.
I came to this book with the belief it might give me some hope about how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might ultimately be resolved, and left it doubtful that will ever happen, short of the complete destruction of one side or the other -- and even then, a diaspora would be left to nurse historic grievances. Multiple times now within the last 80 or so years, the world's leaders have tried heroically, even desperately, to bring about an accord -- and multiple times, seemed on the cusp of success, all to no avail.
To quote a song lyric, "It's all the same / only the names have changed." And, sadly, the death toll.
As someone with only the broadest, vaguest sense of the history of this conflict when I started reading, this book offered a comprehensive but reasonably concise overview, no small feat considering how complex it all is. And I'm aware that someone in the region would probably debate virtually every sentence of this book, but I think La Guardia does a good job of representing the point of view of both the Israeli and the Palestinian sides of the story.
My chief complaint as a newcomer to this information is about the organization of the book's narrative. There were multiple times early on when names or specific terms were used well before their significance was properly explained - for example, Moshe Dayan, who has a three-inch-long list of citations after his name in the book's index, is first introduced in a chapter about the role of kibbutzim in the founding of Israel with only the information that he was born in a kibbutz and the words, "perhaps the most famous general." Dayan's monumental role in Israel's founding, early wars and government is only properly discussed about 30 pages later. Maybe this should have been common knowledge, but I could have used a bit more context earlier on.
In another, later section, the reader is expected to know that the "Karine A incident" refers to an affair described on the previous page in which Israeli commandos seized a ship in the Red Sea. The Karine A was the name of the ship, but that name wasn't used in its first mention. Small stumbling blocks like that in a book meant to be a primer were unwelcome interruptions.
This book is 400 pages, but the way its margins are set and the page width make it look somewhat thinner than it might in a different format. Given the complexity of the events it describes, it's necessarily packed with details -- not a breezy read by any means. Still, the real reason it took me so long to finish is that by about halfway through, it had become bleakly repetitive, proving its title very apt.
By the time it left off in 2003 amid the Al Aqsa Intifada as President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon grappled with the collapse of the Camp David negotiations, it was downright depressing to contemplate that another 20 years have passed with no significant progress -- if anything, the "war without end" has only continued to spiral downward. I was especially struck by the fact that even as the book detailed massacre and battle after massacre and battle, none of the casualty numbers approached the number of dead and wounded in the attack of Oct 7 or the assault on Gaza since then. In the last 10 months, the downward spiral looks more like a nose dive.
I came to this book with the belief it might give me some hope about how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might ultimately be resolved, and left it doubtful that will ever happen, short of the complete destruction of one side or the other -- and even then, a diaspora would be left to nurse historic grievances. Multiple times now within the last 80 or so years, the world's leaders have tried heroically, even desperately, to bring about an accord -- and multiple times, seemed on the cusp of success, all to no avail.
To quote a song lyric, "It's all the same / only the names have changed." And, sadly, the death toll.
May 19, 2017
I picked up this book expecting of course, a history of the Palestinian-Arab conflict. There is a lot of information here, but it felt like historical events were only a framework. There is only about an encyclopedia's article worth of straightforward narrative history, and that's not to say its poor coverage, but most of the book focuses on actual people and their personal experiences.
You'll learn about topics as varied as the history of Zionism, modern rock bands, struggles between Israeli secularists and the Orthodox, management of the Holy Sites, stories of the the Holocaust, terrorism committed by both sides, holiday traditions, and the variety of ethnic diversity in the region. You get a sense of the many subtleties within the conflict, the different approaches, and even internal conflicts within Israel and Palestine respectively.
It really shows throughout the chapters that the author's been personally invested in the region, both Palestine and Israel. Operation Defensive Shield strangely seemed to get more attention than any other of Israel's conflicts, but that's because the author was actually present.
My favorite parts were those about Palestine, maybe because I knew so little about it. After being overshadowed by coverage of Israel it does emerge between the pages as its own distinct nation with its intellectuals, institutions, physical location, infrastructure and hopes for the future.
The greatest flaw in this book and honestly for any history of a volatile region is how quickly and inevitably it becomes outdated. It's almost been twenty years since it was published. Otherwise it's a decent introduction to the region especially for those that don't like encyclopedic, narrative coverage of history.
You'll learn about topics as varied as the history of Zionism, modern rock bands, struggles between Israeli secularists and the Orthodox, management of the Holy Sites, stories of the the Holocaust, terrorism committed by both sides, holiday traditions, and the variety of ethnic diversity in the region. You get a sense of the many subtleties within the conflict, the different approaches, and even internal conflicts within Israel and Palestine respectively.
It really shows throughout the chapters that the author's been personally invested in the region, both Palestine and Israel. Operation Defensive Shield strangely seemed to get more attention than any other of Israel's conflicts, but that's because the author was actually present.
My favorite parts were those about Palestine, maybe because I knew so little about it. After being overshadowed by coverage of Israel it does emerge between the pages as its own distinct nation with its intellectuals, institutions, physical location, infrastructure and hopes for the future.
The greatest flaw in this book and honestly for any history of a volatile region is how quickly and inevitably it becomes outdated. It's almost been twenty years since it was published. Otherwise it's a decent introduction to the region especially for those that don't like encyclopedic, narrative coverage of history.
December 27, 2018
When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is no doubt that there is much emotion drawn out from both sides. Some people have told me they cannot make up their mind about this issue because of how biased both sides present themselves in the argument. Who it is at more fault when it comes to this conflict, the Jews or the Arabs?
I understand that Israel is our ally and we should protect it the same way we protect other capitalistic democracies globally, but I also believe that it should not be ignored for its illegal occupation and settlement building, human rights abuses, and ethnic cleansing in 1948. But I also understand now that BOTH SIDES are at fault to some degree when it comes to this conflict. If you are looking for a book to showcase to you the plight of both the Jews and the Arabs, one that will give a complete and unbiased approach to the situation at hand, then this is the perfect book for you.
This book is engaging and immensely resourceful at being an impartial look at the conflict and provide the history as such. Anton La Guardia tells you how both sides are at fault and how they have their positives and negatives. This isn’t reading Noam Chomsky’s stance on the conflict nor isn’t Alan Dershowitz’s. It is essentially a mix of the two to tell an unbiased version of the history of the land and of the people living there and how they interacted with each other.
I have always advocated for a two-state solution and nominating who Trump nominated as the ambassador to Israel is my second LEAST FAVORITE thing he has done so far and I don’t like the embassy being moved to Jerusalem. This book affirms my views and it will help you understand my stance. Highly, highly recommend- 9.3/10.
I understand that Israel is our ally and we should protect it the same way we protect other capitalistic democracies globally, but I also believe that it should not be ignored for its illegal occupation and settlement building, human rights abuses, and ethnic cleansing in 1948. But I also understand now that BOTH SIDES are at fault to some degree when it comes to this conflict. If you are looking for a book to showcase to you the plight of both the Jews and the Arabs, one that will give a complete and unbiased approach to the situation at hand, then this is the perfect book for you.
This book is engaging and immensely resourceful at being an impartial look at the conflict and provide the history as such. Anton La Guardia tells you how both sides are at fault and how they have their positives and negatives. This isn’t reading Noam Chomsky’s stance on the conflict nor isn’t Alan Dershowitz’s. It is essentially a mix of the two to tell an unbiased version of the history of the land and of the people living there and how they interacted with each other.
I have always advocated for a two-state solution and nominating who Trump nominated as the ambassador to Israel is my second LEAST FAVORITE thing he has done so far and I don’t like the embassy being moved to Jerusalem. This book affirms my views and it will help you understand my stance. Highly, highly recommend- 9.3/10.
November 26, 2023
I had picked this up at our library book sale and pulled it out given the current atrocities. Most of this book was quite good. I appreciate the extensive history since I was previously more familiar with history post 1948. Like another reviewer I feel it started to decline as he got closer to the present (my version was published in 2003).
3.5/5
3.5/5
January 10, 2025
I have to agree that the best chapter was Victims of Victims. It gave me much more insight into the complex Israelis/Palestinians conflict and included many anecdotes on the war trials of the Shoah which I found super interesting. It obviously wasn’t a light read but I still recommend to anyone who wants a complete journalistic take on Israel’s struggles for peace.
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August 19, 2021Good book about the continuing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians
December 14, 2023
Overall a good analysis of almost the entire issue. Definitely some bias in there but in the end a decent read
November 19, 2025
Bit dated now but a great background read to the car wreck that is the middle east!
February 4, 2010
Well organized, well-written and reasonably balanced survey of the historical context, ideological dimensions of the Arab-Jewish conflict over control of Palestine. essential reading for the times; one of the better efforts to provide insight into both parties, and their many advocates, to dispute. It should be mandatory reading still. Though it is not hot off the press, it is still, in great part, immensely relevant and illustrates well the painful reality that in real life there are no good guys
January 27, 2010
The most balanced, comprehensive narrative of the problems in Israel I've ever come across. Author was a reporter based in Tel Aviv for 10 years. Not a straight history per se... more of a grand view of the problem with enough history for context mixed with stories of prominent and ordinary people on both sides. Wonderfully evocative narrative that makes it compellingly readable.
April 29, 2014
I thought this book was superb and sensible. It and another book, alas, contributed to my (foolish) argument with my friend Ed re the Israelis and Palestinians. Impossible situation about which the book makes a lot of sense. I am very intrigued by the fact that the Israelis (in particular) clearly don't want to solve the Israel/Palestine 'problem.'
October 23, 2016
I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who doesn't already have pretty extensive knowledge about the geography and history of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Lots of names and locations get dropped in with little to no explanation of them. It's also all over the place chronologically making it hard to follow.
September 24, 2009
By the title you may think this book sounds a little dry- but was actually very interesting and the writing style very engaging. Full of historical information and first-hand accounts of life in this region. Anyone interested in current events should read this book.
February 5, 2008
While its not very entertaining, I thought it was an excellent historical account of Israel and some of the surronding areas.
March 25, 2008
This is a great historical account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
January 4, 2009
meh . . .
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews