You asked for books....
I must say from the start that most of my initial reading and all of my acquisition of books on this subject was conducted in the late '70s and early ‘80s. I’m not that familiar with what’s been published since.
I can second Nadine’s suggestion of Collins and LaPierre’s O Jerusalem. It’s told from a strongly pro-Zionist viewpoint, but the bias is open and the book gives a good feel for the landscape, at least in ’48.
My own suggestions:
If you had to read just one (never a good idea, but you have to start somewhere), a good start would be Michael Cohen’s The Origins and Evolution of the Arab-Zionist Conflict. Not perfect (nothing is), but a solid way of getting on the page and placing things in context.
For deep background, trust the queen of the easy-read overview, Barbara Tuchman. Bible and Sword is her first book, and almost touching in its pro-Zionist bias (you just have to overlook the unqualified references to “God’s ancient people”, etc.). It is a solid way, though, of getting a handle on the pre-Balfour scene, and the exhaustive treatment of the peculiar relationship between Great Britain and the idea of a Zionist restoration is well worth the trouble.
Probably the single best source, if you can find it, is Palestine Papers, 1917-1922, collected and annotated by Doreen Ingrams. There is no substitute for period sources, and Ingrams collected many of the most relevant. Pity it’s long out of print, should be more widely read. In the same category would be Arabs and Zionism Before World War One by Neville Mandel. Good book, good luck with finding one. Of course you’re near NYC, no? In New York all things are possible, at least where looking for books is concerned.
Essential reading: Herzl’s The Jewish State. Fortunately available on the web, at:
mideastweb.org
Herzl’s Collected Diaries are a fascinating glimpse at the man’sprivate thoughts, and a good look at the thoughts he didn’t discuss publicly.
Chaim Weizman’s Trial and Error… Biased, of course, but the man was in the middle of it and it’s worth reading what he had to say.
Another good web resources is UNIPAL’s collection of UN documents related to Palestine, which includes all of the reports of the High Commissioner and many other documents. Prodigious amounts of political self-applause, of course, but worth a look between the lines:
un.org
If you can find them – some libraries do have them buried away on microfilm – the reports of the Haycraft, Peel, Shaw, and Hope-Simpson Commissions are a revelation. There is nothing quite like reading the words of those who were on the spot. |
