The Balfour Declaration

The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

By: Jonathan Schneer

Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith

Length: 18 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Issued in London in 1917, the Balfour Declaration was one of the key documents of the 20th century. It committed Britain to supporting the establishment in Palestine of "a National Home for the Jewish people", and its reverberations continue to be felt to this day. Now the entire fascinating story of the document is revealed in this impressive work of modern history.

With new material retrieved from historical archives, scholar Jonathan Schneer recounts in dramatic detail the public and private battles in the early 1900s for a small strip of land in the Middle East, battles that started when the governing Ottoman Empire took Germany's side in World War I. The Balfour Declaration paints an indelible picture of how Arab nationalists, backed by Britain, fought for their future as Zionists in England battled diplomatically for influence. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either side or even to most members of the British government, Prime Minister David Lloyd George was telling Turkey that she could keep her flag flying over the disputed territory if only she would agree to a separate peace.

The key players in this watershed moment are rendered here in nuanced and detailed relief: Sharif Hussein, the Arab leader who secretly sought British support; Chaim Weizmann, Zionist hero, the folksmensch who charmed British high society; T. E. Lawrence, the legendary "super cerebral" British officer who "set the desert on fire" for the Arabs; Basil Zaharoff, the infamous arms dealer who was Britain's most important back channel to the Turks; and the other generals and prime ministers, soldiers and negotiators, who shed blood and cut deals to grab or give away the precious land.

A book crucial to understanding the Middle East as it is today, The Balfour Declaration is a rich and remarkable achievement, a riveting volume about the ancient faiths and timeless treacheries that continue to drive global events.

©2010 Jonathan Schneer (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"In November 1917, the British government stated that it would 'view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people'. It was, in retrospect, a startlingly brief statement, which received little attention at the time. Since then, Zionists have regarded it as a declaration of the Jewish right to create an independent Jewish state; for Arabs, it is viewed as an outrageous case of imperialist manipulation and betrayal. Schneer writes a fascinating and scrupulously balanced account of the events and intense maneuvers that led to the issuance of the declaration. He superbly navigates between the various conflicting interests and lobbying efforts of Zionists, Arabs, and opposing elements within the British government. There are no heroes here; one is left with the impression that the Zionists 'won' simply because they were more relentless and ruthless than their opposition, which included many non-Zionist Jews." ( Booklist)

Excellent book

Any additional comments?

Teaches the history of the Arab Israeli conflict hopefully we can all live in peace one day.

hard to make this not drag

I found this book very hard to get through it was not very exciting but then again the topic going back as far as it did is very drawn-out they brought up a lot of evidence and went into great detail in the story . they did an excellent job of bringing out every piece of information leading up to the Balfour agreement I never realized it was so much that went into it and how complicated it was it's just hard to get through for so many hours the last chapter to me was the best. this was as informative as you could possibly get and as detailed as you could get if anyone is interested in everything about the Balfour agreement there is no better book than this

From the Zionist Point of View

It is not as balanced an account as I had hoped. The book showed the genius of the zionists in making a case for Israel. The narration is a bit hard on the ears. The British accent is difficult to put up with. The writing is not highly clear. Too much unnecessary eloquence at the cost of clarity.

will leave your jaw hanging

engaging, well-crafted and rigorously researched, this book is a gift to history enthusiasts. well worth the read.

Exhaustingly detailed

Well written and researched. The person who read the book was outstanding. Because of the level of detail tho I think for me it would have been better to have a hard copy of the book.

boring

Is this a textbook of dry facts? How could make such an interesting story be made so dull? By drowning the reader in barely connected minutiae.