Synopses & Reviews
On May 14, 1948, under the stewardship of President Harry S. Truman, the United States became the first nation to recognize the State of Israel -- just moments after sovereignty had been declared in Jerusalem. But it was hardly a foregone conclusion that America would welcome the creation of this new country. While acknowledging this as one of his proudest moments, Truman also admitted that no issue was "more controversial or more complex than the problem of Israel."
Impeccably researched and brilliantly told, based on never-before-used archival material, A Safe Haven is a suspenseful, moment-by-moment re-creation of this crossroads in U.S.-Israeli relations and Middle Eastern politics.
Review
“Even knowing how the story ends, A SAFE HAVEN, had me sitting on the edge of my seat watching Harry Truman weigh the arguments of his friends and advisors in the months, then weeks, then days leading up to his recognition of Israel.” Cokie Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of The Ladies of Liberty
Review
“ A Safe Haven, is an outstanding achievement. This is certain to become an essential work for students, journalists, and statesmen---indeed, anyone interested in understanding Israels origins.” Michael Oren, author of Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present, and Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East.
Review
“In their deeply engaging study of Truman and the foundation of Israel, the Radoshes capture the dramatic intersection of momentous millennial aspirations and the thrilling intricacies of political intrigue with remarkable narrative skill. ” Ron Rosenbaum, author of Explaining Hitler and The Shakespeare Wars
Review
“[A] revelatory account of Trumans vital contributions to Israels founding. . . . Told by the Radoshes with an elegance informed by thorough research.” Wall Street Journal
Review
“This is an excellent examination of a presidential decision that has had immense historical consequences.” Booklist
Synopsis
On May 14, 1948, the United States became the first nation to grant recognition to the State of Israel. Reflecting on this event, President Harry S. Truman would claim that this was one of "the proudest moments" in his life. Many motives have been attributed to Truman's support for the creation of Israel: his Baptist beliefs, his humanitarian concern for Europe's 100,000 displaced Jews, public opinion, and intense lobbying on behalf of the Zionist cause. But it was by no means an easy decision for him to make.
A Safe Haven follows Truman as he grappled with the pros and cons of recognizing Israel. Ronald and Allis Radosh draw on entries in the president's recently rediscovered diary to reveal the pressures he faced from all corners of the globe to reach a decision about the future of Israeli independence. This dramatic recounting of a key moment in postwar foreign relations is essential to a full understanding of Middle East politics.
Ronald Radosh is the author or co-author of many books, including The Rosenberg File (with Joyce Milton) and Divided They Fell: The Demise of the Democratic Party, 1964-1996. He was appointed to the Public Information Declassification Board (PIDB) by President George W. Bush in 2007, and is a contributing editor to the New York Sun.
Allis Radosh received her Ph.D. in American history from the City University of New York. She was the founder and president of Historical Concepts, Inc. She is the co-author, with her husband, Ronald Radosh, of Red Star Over Hollywood and the author of Persia Campbell: Portrait of a Consumer Activist.
" A] revelatory account of Truman's vital contributions to Israel's founding." -- Wall Street Journal
--Ron Rosenbaum, author of Explaining Hitler and The Shakespeare Wars
Synopsis
“[This] revelatory account of Truman's vital contributions to Israel's founding. . .is told. . . with an elegance informed by thorough research."
—
Wall Street Journal "Even knowing how the story ends, A Safe Haven had me sitting on the edge of my seat.”
—Cokie Roberts
A dramatic, detailed account of the events leading up to the creation of a Jewish homeland and the true story behind President Harry S. Trumans controversial decision to recognize of the State of Israel in 1948, drawn from Trumans long-lost diary entries and other previously unused archival materials.
About the Author
Allis Radosh has taught at Sarah Lawrence College and the City University of New York, and served as a program officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Ronald Radosh, professor emeritus of history at the City University of New York and adjunct senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, is the author or coauthor of fourteen books, including
The Rosenberg File. He has written for
The New Republic,
National Review,
The New York Times, the
Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. This is the second book they have written together. They live in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Allis Radosh has taught at Sarah Lawrence College and the City University of New York, and served as a program officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Ronald Radosh, professor emeritus of history at the City University of New York and adjunct senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, is the author or coauthor of fourteen books, including The Rosenberg File. He has written for The New Republic, National Review, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. This is the second book they have written together. They live in Martinsburg, West Virginia.