I was curious to know which historians the members of this forum recommend to read about the Israeli Arab conflict. My vote would go to Benny Morris. I am curious to know how others feel.
Home | I was curious to know which historians the members of this forum recommend to read about the Israeli Arab conflict. My vote would go to Benny Morris. I am curious to know how others feel.
Can't think of anyone in particular. I'd say read as much as you can, so that you can identify revisionisms and inaccuracies, as well as credible historical data.
Judith Apter Klinghoffer, Edwin Black, Hillay Zmora, Richard Gid Powers, Richard Hofstader, Bernard Lewis.
There are tons of others if you want lay histories of the Jews: Paul Johnson, Chaim Potok and Thomas Cahill come to mind.
Robert Zeltzer, Arthur Hertzberg.
I always tell people that if they read Morris, then they should also read Efraim Karsh's book "Fabricating Israeli History..." http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
Many people I know have also read "Arafat's War" and said that it was very insightful: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
The books that I would recommend as essential reading are:
Conor Cruise O'Brien's "The Siege..." He was Ireland's diplomat to the UN in the 50s: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israel Conflict, Second Edition by Mitchell G. Bard
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East, by David Fromkin http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...508726-2063902
Six Days of War : June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, by Michael Oren http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...508726-2063902
And finally, if you have a particular interest in the UN, I would add "The Kirkpatrick Mission: Diplomacy Without Apology America at the United Nations 1981-1985, by Alan Gerson
The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz
This link gives a lot of useful information and leads to other references:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/#1
Excellent reference.Dershowitz answers all of the charges made by the anti-israel/left/arab/muslim crowd.Originally Posted by Toga
If anyone ever has a problem responding to the criticisms of israel and israel's right to exist,this book is a must-have.
To my knowledge no one has ever successfully challenged any facts put forth by Dershowitz in this book.
Thomas Friedman!
JK really....
Seriously though, the only book I've read entirely for the subject is "The Idiots guide to the Middle East Conflict", no kidding, its actually a pretty good book. I'd say that that's its very fair and balanced (Which means it shows Israel in a positive light, heh) If my memory serves me correctly. It's written by Mitchell Bard who I've seen on some Israeli sites so I think he's pro Israel...
But "From Beirut to Jerusalem" by Friedman was pretty interesting.
Sorry Eastbank2, I just noticed that from your profile you are highly likely to be aware of the link that I recommended in my earlier post. So here is another suggestion:
Six Days of War, by Michael B. Oren, published by Penguin 2003
It is a very good description of the events leading up to the war and it has a good description of the behind the scene politics from a number of perspectives.
Joan Peters, Efraim Karsh, Alan Dershowitz and "the Haj" and "Exodus" by Leon Uris. Though characters in Uris's novels are fictional the stories are based on and give accurate depictions of true historical events
Oren's book about the Six Day War is the best and most objective work I've ever read on the whole Arab-Israeli conflict. The amount of sources he's used is staggering. Anybody should read it, no matter what side they lean towards.
Arafat's War by Efraim Karsh is interesting but can't help to feel that it has some bias, but couldn't find any flaws in it though. His other book "Fabricating Israeli History" is a must if you buy into Morris' revisionist history. Seems to me though that Morris has toned down a bit and leaned more toward the Israeli side of things...
Benny Morris for an objective complete view.
Alan Dershowitz for countering specific anti-Israel claims that aren't true or just.
Its unlikely that you would get an objective complete view from Israeli revisionist historians since they are trying to pander to and impress a certain audience outside of Israel and/or cater to a certain political bias -- and they are usually willing to sacrifise the truth in order to do this.
Good thing that you mention Dershowitz, because he manages to counter some of Morris's claims.
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