O Jerusalem!: Day by Day and Minute by Minute, the Historic Struggle for Jerusalem and the Birth of Israel

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Summary: Good account for beginners
Review: This book documents the Jewish struggle to create the tiny state of Israel and the struggle of the Arabs to crush it It is a good and fairly objective account or beginners in the study of the Middle East conflict and deals humanely with the personal stories of people on both the Arab and Jewish sides-both leaders and ordinary people Unfortunately the Revisionist freedom fighters -Irgun and Lehi -do not get fair treatment and are unjustly maligned in the book as the authors are overwhelingly biased in favour the Labour Zionists and their millitary wing -the Hagannah As a result the account of what happened at Deir Yassin is completely inaccurate

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Summary: An essential primer on the founding of Israel
Review: This book provides a detailed examination of the events surrounding the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948. The story is told through the technique of alternating viewpoints from the the Arab and Jewish sides. The major players in this historical drama are made to breath because their characters are written about with the style of a great historical novel.
Absolutely essential reading for an understanding of the foundations of the current situation in the region.
The book shows two peoples who are both captive to historical and political forces that set them on a path toward beligerence with each other that seems today to have no end in sight.
Both bravery and brutality is displayed by each side as the struggle for control of Jerusalem develops.
What is especially disturbing is the inevitability of the conflict that was accepted by both sides from the very beginning. Reading this book now with the events of each day in the news sounding incredibly similar to those that took place in 1948 gives this history remarkable relevance and enabled me to synthesize what is occurring today into a broader historical context.
The book is well researched and documented and written in a brisk style that makes it difficult to put down. Highly recommended for a deeper understanding of a troubled region of the world.

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Summary: A good foundation for understanding the conflict in Israel
Review: This is a must read for anyone interested in Israel, Judaism, Palestinians or any aspect of the Middle East conflicts that have raged for centuries. It is well written and generally unbiased.

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Summary: A capturing,informative document
Review: This particular book gives a great opportunity to the global community to learn more about and facts underlying all the terroristic acts and religion based conflicts.With hugely detailed statistics,lots of interesting facts and all the stories related to those behind-the-curtain tricks it is not only enjoyable to read but also absolutely essential for those who wants to know more about Palestine Wars.However; the most striking feature about the book is that it was written in such a way that historic events that occupied an extremely crucial portion of the related people , are interpreted as events in a classic novel.The authors did not use the classical history narration and they used techniques like flashback to make the document more effective. What I did not like about the book was that in various parts, some pointless details made it difficult for me to concentrate on the main actions. O Jerusalem is a typical Lapierre-Collins cooperation and it sure is a miracle of the investigating journalism.

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Summary: An inspiring look at the siege of Jerusalem in the 1948 war
Review: This unbiased account of the siege of Jerusalem during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, told through the eyes of both Jew and Arab alike, offers a unique opportunity to understanding the complex situation which currently exists in the Middle East. Written by the reknound journalists, Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre, this book takes us on a meandering journey in and out of the lives of the men and women who fought, lived, loved and died protecting or defending their city. Dozens of simple stories, documenting the lives of ordinary people and statesmen alike, offer a haunting glimpse into this not so distant but dramatic past. A must for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding into today's conflict, or explore this time of struggle, birth and death of two nations, two peoples.

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring look at the siege of Jerusalem in the 1948 war
Review: This unbiased account of the siege of Jerusalem during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, told through the eyes of both Jew and Arab alike, offers a unique opportunity to understanding the complex situation which currently exists in the Middle East. Written by the reknound journalists, Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre, this book takes us on a meandering journey in and out of the lives of the men and women who fought, lived, loved and died protecting or defending their city. Dozens of simple stories, documenting the lives of ordinary people and statesmen alike, offer a haunting glimpse into this not so distant but dramatic past. A must for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding into today's conflict, or explore this time of struggle, birth and death of two nations, two peoples.