Rating: 
Summary: a great guide to the Middle East conflict
Review: I agree with all the 5 star reviews totally. This is one of the few books on the subject that actually deserves to be called "unbiased". That is why I am truly puzzled by the negative review below that says that this book has a strong Pro-Israeli bias. The person obviously never read the book. In reality, Tessler's work paints a rather unpleasant portrait of both sides, so the accusation made by the reader is absolutely absurd. In any case, this book is extremely thorough. All of the arguments made by both sides are presented and discussed. I have no idea why this book is not better known. It is an amazing reference guide to those who want to look beyond the headlines and beyond all those simplistic comments regularly made by Israeli and Palestinian goevernment spokesmen.
Rating:
Summary: a great guide to the Middle East conflict
Review: I agree with all the 5 star reviews totally. This is one of the few books on the subject that actually deserves to be called "unbiased". That is why I am truly puzzled by the negative review below that says that this book has a strong Pro-Israeli bias. The person obviously never read the book. In reality, Tessler's work paints a rather unpleasant portrait of both sides, so the accusation made by the reader is absolutely absurd. In any case, this book is extremely thorough. All of the arguments made by both sides are presented and discussed. I have no idea why this book is not better known. It is an amazing reference guide to those who want to look beyond the headlines and beyond all those simplistic comments regularly made by Israeli and Palestinian goevernment spokesmen.
Rating:
Summary: Balanced
Review: I searched for 2 weeks for a book that would fairly present both sides of the Israeli-Palistinian debate and probably most of you are in the same boat - feeling too ignorant about something too important. Tessler presents such a balanced view that 400 pages into the book I can't tell if he believes either side is "in the right." The book makes clear why both sides have reasons to call this land their own and also makes clear that both sides have engaged in less than moral tactics to stake their claim and drive out the other side. You may not come away knowing who is right but at least you'll have a sense of why the middle east is how it is today.
Rating:
Summary: Introduction to the problems
Review: if you have the time, you can do worse than to read this valuable volume on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book looks at the rise of nationalism among both peoples, the Palestinians developing their identity forst as Arabs during the 19th century and under Ottoman occupation and the Israelis as an extension of euroepan nationalism and their initial attempts at assimilation. In fact, I found the description of the rise of Zionism to be one of the most fascinating aspects of the book. This book works very well, therefore, in explaining the background of the conflict presenting all sides. I could not really detect a bias, as I could certainly find plenty of arguments taht selectively and logically assembled could be used to support either side. Moral considerations of justice are excluded, and individual readers wilkl necessarily have to fit those in. I therefore recommend reading this volume before approaching the more slanted ones. I certainly know where I stand on the issue, but I understand the other side more and that can't hurt when I argue in favor of Palestinian self determination.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding book
Review: It has taken me several months to finish off this huge book, but the experience of learning so much has been very rewarding. This is quite simply the best nonfiction book I've ever read, and this on a topic as complex as the Middle East conflict, no less. Tessler's work is completely unbiased and offers an incredibly detailed presentation of the facts up to Fall 1993, after the Oslo accords were announced.Tessler, an American professor, writes in a straight-forward style that is easily understandable. Although the sheer volume of history covered in the book was considerable, I never found myself bored by the writing. I wish my high school history books were written so well. Like a good academian (in the very best sense of the term), he presents the facts clearly. For each historical event, he cites several credible sources stating the event, and for retrospective analysis of its importance, he cites opinions from multiple sides. The build-up to the 1967 war, for example, consumes 20 pages and 50 citations. His use of references is so thorough that of the book's 900+ pages, 93 pages are endnotes. I only have a few minor negative remarks about this book: 1. Obviously, since the book was published in 1994, it is not up to date and does not cover the break-down of the negotiations from the Oslo accords. However, historical facts prior to 1993 have not changed (at least not in the Orwellian sense, thank goodness), and this book does an outstanding job for its time frame as I have said. 2. There are no photos at all, save for the picture on the cover. 3. For a topic so centered on geography, the quality of the maps is surprisingly poor. There are 20 maps showing the important boundaries and such, but these look like they were drawn by a high school art student. A single high-detail, atlas-quality map from 1994 would have been appropriate as well. Instead, I found some colour maps on the web that I printed out and keep folded in the book to use as a quick reference. A much more recent book that I also highly recommend that covers these three points (recentness, photos, and maps) is _The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Crisis in the Middle East_ by Reuters journalists. That book is filled with beautiful photography, nice maps, and is up-to-date to March 2002. It makes a great companion to this book. Overall, this book by Tessler is outstanding. Although its size may be a bit daunting, you will thank yourself for reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Book We've been Waiting For!
Review: Mark Tessler's detailed and meticulously researched account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is truly a landmark book. There have been other attempts to create a fair history of the conflict between the two peoples, but none hits the mark like this one. Beginning with the premise that it is not a fight between good and evil but between two groups of people with their own inalienable rights to a homeland, Tessler argues neither stole the land from the other, and neither has the sole right to the land. Tessler then delves into the history of the two peoples ranging back to the ancient, and emphasizing the rise of Nationalism in both groups. The Narrative runs through the development of Palestine to the many wars fought over the land, and brings us up to the current peace process. In every section Tessler is careful to highlight the arguments made by both sides in a detailed manner. But he does not stop there: He also tries to adjuticate between the two, generally showing the truth to be in the middle. This book is the best starting point for those unfamiliar with the subject, as well as those who know it great detail, due to its fairness and depth. The only drawback is that the conlict with the Arab States receives secondary treatment. This is because Tessler goes into such detail that it would not really make for a readable volume. As it stands, however, it is both readable and sophisticated. A real triumph, it is the best account available by far!
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: Tessler's "A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" is a must read for anyone truly wanting to dive deep into the historical background of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Contrary to most other books on this topic, Tessler provides a highly objective and in-depth analysis into the evolution of the conflict from the 1880's to the early 90's, when the book was written. He includes necessary prerequisite information, including an analysis of the Judaic and Islamic religions, Arab nationalism vs. Zionism, and even some European history. Also unique to this book are the inclusions of various historical accounts that provide better context for which to analyze the present-day conflict. Whenever possible, Tessler attempts to include exerts from historians on both sides; further adding to the book's credibility and objectivity. The book reads surprisingly easy and is not overly cumbersome.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: Tessler's "A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" is a must read for anyone truly wanting to dive deep into the historical background of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Contrary to most other books on this topic, Tessler provides a highly objective and in-depth analysis into the evolution of the conflict from the 1880's to the early 90's, when the book was written. He includes necessary prerequisite information, including an analysis of the Judaic and Islamic religions, Arab nationalism vs. Zionism, and even some European history. Also unique to this book are the inclusions of various historical accounts that provide better context for which to analyze the present-day conflict. Whenever possible, Tessler attempts to include exerts from historians on both sides; further adding to the book's credibility and objectivity. The book reads surprisingly easy and is not overly cumbersome.
Rating:
Summary: A Fair and Detailed Account
Review: Too often the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict gets distorted by those who are too attached to one side or the other and twist the history to fit their agenda. They often fail to admit the tragedies they have inflicted on the other side and demonized their opponents' motives. Mark Tessler does an excellent job of presenting a fair and balanced history of the conflict and of avoiding these pitfalls. What is great about this book is that it not only details the actually events but discusses the ideologies and the political constraints facing both sides. I felt like I didn't just learn history, but also learned why each side made the decisions they did. I hope Professor Tessler is considering making an updated edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Book can be misleading.
Review: Unfortunately the author of the book has gone through pains to detail the Arab crimes against the Jews in the conflict, but he has left out the crimes of the Jewish/Israeli people against the Arabs. It can still be used as a history book but it does not give you the whole picture. It has an Israeli bias. Yet this book cannot be categorized as history revisionism since most of what has been written is true yet one sided.
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