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jpowerj's review
4.0
Should be paired with "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" by Ilan Pappe, to give differing "new Israeli historian" accounts of 1947-1949.
bradley_jf's review
4.0
Clear, concise presentation of history based on good research. It doesn't paint a pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian picture; it just presents the facts and conclusions that can readily be drawn from those facts. It's a little dry, though, so don't pick it up thinking it's going to read like a historical fiction novel.
Update (almost 2 years after the first reading): Read through it a second time, this time for a graduate seminar in the Arab-Israeli Conflict. I think I got a lot more from it this time, but I could still give it a third and probably a fourth reading. This thing is rich in detail and presents a complex and nuanced approach to the causes and continued existence of the refugee problem. Maybe it's a sign that I've been studying history for too long, but this time around I found some parts of the book exciting. Still, it's definitely not something I would call pleasure reading. Worth it though if you have an interest in Israeli history in general, the 48 war, or current Middle Eastern politics.
Update (almost 2 years after the first reading): Read through it a second time, this time for a graduate seminar in the Arab-Israeli Conflict. I think I got a lot more from it this time, but I could still give it a third and probably a fourth reading. This thing is rich in detail and presents a complex and nuanced approach to the causes and continued existence of the refugee problem. Maybe it's a sign that I've been studying history for too long, but this time around I found some parts of the book exciting. Still, it's definitely not something I would call pleasure reading. Worth it though if you have an interest in Israeli history in general, the 48 war, or current Middle Eastern politics.
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