Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

The first comprehensive yet  accessible history of the state of Israel from its inception to present  day, from Daniel Gordis, "one of the most respected Israel analysts" (The Forward) living and writing in Jerusalem.

Israel  is a tiny state, and yet it has captured the world's attention, aroused  its imagination, and lately, been the object of its opprobrium. Why  does such a small country speak to so many global concerns? More  pressingly: Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in  its future?

We cannot answer these questions until we  understand Israel's people and the questions and conflicts, the hopes  and desires, that have animated their conversations and actions. Though  Israel's history is rife with conflict, these conflicts do not fully  communicate the spirit of Israel and its people: they give short shrift  to the dream that gave birth to the state, and to the vision for the  Jewish people that was at its core. Guiding us through the milestones of  Israeli history, Gordis relays the drama of the Jewish people's story  and the creation of the state. Clear-eyed and erudite, he illustrates  how Israel became a cultural, economic and military powerhouse - but  also explains where Israel made grave mistakes and traces the long  history of Israel's deepening isolation.

With Israel,  public intellectual Daniel Gordis offers us a brief but thorough account  of the cultural, economic, and political history of this complex  nation, from its beginnings to the present. Accessible, levelheaded, and  rigorous, Israel sheds light on Israel's past so we can understand its future. The result is a vivid portrait of a people, and a nation, reborn.