Israel, Daniel Gordis
Israel, Daniel Gordis
21 Rating(s)
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Israel
A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

Author: Daniel Gordis

Narrator: Fred Sanders

Unabridged: 16 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 10/18/2016

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

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 the Israel’s past so we can understand its future. The result is a vivid portrait of a people, and a nation, reborn.

About Daniel Gordis

Daniel Gordis is the Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College—Israel’s first liberal arts college—which he helped found in 2007. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and political currents in Israel, he has twice won the National Jewish Book Award, including the prize for Book of the Year for Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn. Raised and educated in the United States, he has been living in Jerusalem since 1998.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on January 05, 2020

This was an informative, well written history of Israel. For the most part, I would characterize it as a political history of Israel primarily --- as opposed to some of the other books I've read of Israel-Palestinian histories which tend to focus more on the military aspects. From reading this book,......more

Goodreads review by Melissa on February 20, 2017

After I read The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine late last year, I promised myself and any of my review-readers that I would read something more sympathetic to Israel, so that's why I read this. I'm very glad I did even though it really didn't help me to work my way through my feeling......more

Goodreads review by Scott on December 24, 2016

My life-long fascination and love of Israel was amplified by visiting in November. Anyone following along on my wall saw the pictures, poem and thoughts I expressed about the trip. I remember crying for joy as a young teen when I heard about the Camp David Peace Accords. I was more devastated by the......more

Goodreads review by Tim on May 14, 2024

This was a fantastic book. Daniel Gordis gives a great summary of the history of Israel. I would recommend it to learn some background, especially if you want to hear it from a perspective sympathetic to a Jewish Israeli point of view. It was interesting learning about the diversity of peoples that w......more

Goodreads review by Adam on December 21, 2016

Wish I could give it 10 out of 5 stars. Cannot say enough good things about this book. Insightful, great history, meaningful, well-written. Incredible volume to add to the already amazing library out there of books on Israeli history. Another brilliant book by Daniel Gordis.......more