Israel: A History [Paperback]

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award in History (2012)
Winner of the Azrieli Institute Award for Best Book in Israel Studies in English or French (2014)

Written by one of Israel’s most notable scholars, this volume provides a breathtaking history of Israel from the origins of the Zionist movement in the late nineteenth century to the present day.

Organized chronologically, the volume explores the emergence of Zionism in Europe against the backdrop of relations among Jews, Arabs, and Turks, and the earliest pioneer settlements in Palestine under Ottoman rule. Weaving together political, social, and cultural developments in Palestine under the British mandate, Shapira creates a tapestry through which to understand the challenges of Israeli nation building, including mass immigration, shifting cultural norms, the politics of war and world diplomacy, and the creation of democratic institutions and a civil society. References to contemporary diaries, memoirs, and literature bring a human dimension to this narrative history of Israel from its declaration of independence in 1948 through successive decades of waging war, negotiating peace, and building a modern state with a vibrant society and culture.

Based on archival sources and the most up-to-date scholarly research, this authoritative history is a must-read for anyone with a passionate interest in Israel. Israel: A History will be the gold standard in the field for years to come.A history of Israel in the context of the modern Jewish experience and the history of the Middle EastList of Maps
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note
Part I: 1881–1918, Zionism: Ideology and Praxis
The Emergence of the Zionist Movement
Jews, Turks, Arabs: First Encounters in the Land
Part II: 1918–1948, A State-in-the-Making
Palestine under British Rule
Immigration and Settlement during the Mandate Period
The Yishuv as an Emerging State
The Yishuv: Societl‡