Israel

A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

By: Daniel Gordis

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Daniel Gordis (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Superb Historical Treatise

From the genesis of the Zionism to current times, the good and the bad, this book covers it all. It may have been a littlethin on detailing the most recent political differences, but the book did everything I wanted. Cleary it lived up to its award winning status.

An Excellent History of Israel

This is an excellent history of the founding of the Jewish State and it's struggles and triumphs into the 21st century. Mr. Gordis does a nice job of weaving history, characters, culture and context into his narrative. His story of the interplay of the Israeli leaders is fascinating as is his connecting the dots from 19th Century Zionism to the creation of Israel. That being said, his view of the Iran nuclear deal orchestrated by the United States seems flawed. From his perspective this is a colossal failure in the view of all Israelis exposing them to a future state with a nuclear bomb destined to be pointed at Israel. That is not necessarily accurate, but that is a small part of this superb book.

Unexpected!

Names I have heard my whole life, faces of old men in my mind - here are their stories as young men re-founding an ancient land!

informative, engaging

Concise but very informative and engaging story of modern Israel. Logical break down of complex events.

Great history of Israel

This was a pleasure to listen to. Daniel Gordis is knowledgeable about the details of ancient to modern Jewish history. His tying together modern Israeli issues with Jewish life over the centuries is wonderful. Truly, a great read.

Israel by Daniel Gordis

Mr. Gordis has written an important book about Israel and the struggle of the Jewish people. He makes the narrative of the struggle of Jews for a State against all odds.

I recommend this book to anyone who truly wants to understand modern Israel and the Israeli’s.

Dazzling!

This is a comprehensive and detailed history not only of Israel but of the Israelites including secular and religious Jews, Palestinians and Arabs in general. It should be required reading in this day of tribalism to illustrate and highlight the goodness, decency and stoutness of the Jewish state and its nationals. It brings hope to mankind. Magnificent!!

A balanced historic evaluation

The book was a history with important insights and contextual information which made it incredibly interesting. I especially appreciated the biography’s of modern Israeli leaders. It helps to understand what shapes their view of Israel, their Arab neighbors and the world.
Nice job.

concise history

Nice job balancing timeline and the different points of view of historical actors. Learned quite a bit and enjoyed the performance.

Fascinating story of Israel

Amazing country that has miraculously succeeded against all odds. God bless them and their courage