Synopses & Reviews
James L. Gelvin's new account of the century-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians presents a compelling, accessible and up-to-the-moment introduction for students and general readers. Placing events in the disputed area within the framework of global history, the book skillfully interweaves biographical sketches, eyewitness accounts, poetry, fiction and official documentation into its narrative, including photographs, maps and an abundance of supplementary material as well. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century in Palestine, it traces the evolution and interactions of the two communities from their first encounters up to the present conflict.
Review
"The Israel-Palestine Conflict is an accessible, engaging and lucid introduction to the history of the struggle for Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Anyone who wants a clear, well-informed, fair-minded survey of the Palestine question will benefit from reading this book, but even specialists who had thought there was nothing new one could possibly say about this topic may find it of interest." Zachary Lockman, New York University"In a brisk narrative laced with wit, Gelvin offers a fresh interpretation grounded in his rich vision of the culture of nationalism. While true believers on both sides are bound to object to the way he dismantles their most cherished myths, the uncommitted will appreciate his dispassionate approach as well as the detours from war and diplomacy to world's fairs and literature." David Commins, Dickinson CollegeThis is a superior work for all libraries. Highly recommended.
Choice"Gelvin's book, with maps, illustrations, a glossary, thumbnail biographies, and a lean, well-chosen list of suggestions for further reading, fits the genre of the academic textbook at its best....Balanced, fair, and readable, this is a fine historical synthesis." -L. Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs"Readers will immediately be struck by the author's lively, informal presentation.... readable and thought provoking."
Middle East Journal
Synopsis
An engaging, interpretive, thematically composed introduction to this intractable conflict for students and general readers.
Synopsis
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has lasted over a century. James L. Gelvin's account of that conflict, from the first glimmerings of national consciousness among Jews and Ottoman Palestinians to the present, offers a compelling, accessible and up-to-the-moment introduction for students and general readers. The book makes no attempt to be encyclopaedic in coverage. It is interpretive, with a thematically composed introduction, and set within the framework of global history.
About the Author
James L. Gelvin is Associate Professor in History at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research focuses on nationalism and the social and cultural history of the modern Middle East during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is the author of Divided Loyalties: Nationalism and Mass Politics in Syria at the Close of Empire (1998), and The Modern Middle East: A History (2004).
Table of Contents
1. The land and its lure; 2. Cultures of Nationalism; 3. Zionism and the colonization of Palestine; 4. World War I and the Palestine mandate; 5. From nationalism in Palestine to Palestinian nationalism; 6. From the great revolt through the 1948 war; 7. Zionism and Palestinian nationalism: a closer look; 8. The Arab-Israeli conflict; 9. The Palestinian national movement comes of age; 10. The rise and fall of the Oslo accord.