The Shortest History of Israel and Pa..., Michael ScottBaumann
The Shortest History of Israel and Pa..., Michael ScottBaumann
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The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine
From Zionism to Intifadas and the Struggle for Peace

Author: Michael Scott-Baumann

Narrator: Eric Jason Martin

Unabridged: 7 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/25/2023

Synopsis

An accessible, balanced chronicle of how the Israel-Palestine conflict originated and developed over the past century. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced listen.

The ongoing struggle between Israel and Palestine is one of the most bitter conflicts in history, with profound global consequences. In this book, Middle East expert Michael Scott-Baumann succinctly describes its origins and charts its evolution from civil war to the present day. Each chapter offers a lucid explanation of the politics and ends with personal testimony from Palestinians and Israelis whose lives have been impacted by the dispute.

While presenting competing interpretations, Scott-Baumann examines the key flashpoints, including the early role of the British, the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the Six Day War of 1967, and the Trump administration's peace plan, pitched as "the deal of the century," in 2020. He delineates both the nature of Israeli control over the Palestinian territories and Palestinian resistance—going to the heart of the clashes in recent decades. The result is an indispensable history, including a timeline, glossary, and analysis of why efforts to restore peace have continually failed and what it will take to succeed.

About Michael Scott-Baumann

Michael Scott-Baumann is a graduate of Cambridge University and has an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He has thirty-five years' experience as a history teacher and lecturer. He has traveled widely in the Middle East and worked as a volunteer under the auspices of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, with whom he conducted field work on the West Bank. He lives in Cheltenham, England.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Claire on March 16, 2024

If you feel that this book leans too much toward Palestinian suffering, I wonder if it would be useful to consider the possibility that you might be on the wrong side of history......more

Goodreads review by Lawrence on December 05, 2024

What a relevant book to be reading these days. For how polarized this topic is I'm impressed at but not convinced of the wisdom of the ambition of trying to condense it into 250 pages or so. I did like the book with some VERY heavy caveats. This book is consistently pro-Palestine and at best Israel-n......more

Goodreads review by s.penkevich on December 06, 2023

Condensing a vast and nuanced history into an accessible walkthrough with the intention of being on the shorter side will always have its flaws, but for those looking for a worthwhile introductory read The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine is a great starting point. This has become my recomme......more

Goodreads review by Tom on October 01, 2023

Was hoping for a more objective take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than this. The author almost always defends any acts of the Palestinians, no matter how many innocent civilians were killed by their terrorist attacks, consistently highlighting their motive over the severity of their actions.......more

Goodreads review by Susanne on October 21, 2023

This book is an excellent summary of what has been happening in israel and Palestine since the Second World War . It is concise, factual and also includes personal statements from Israelis and Palestinians over the last decades. I read the book in one day and came away feeling ashamed of how little......more

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