A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies)

Rating:
Summary: A Fair and Detailed Account
Review: What subject could be more complex, and the telling of its history more liable to political bias and encumberance, than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? One must be extremely diligent and capable of independent critical analysis to find one's way through the warring literature on this subject, whether from right, left or center. Mark Tessler's is the most objective, scrupulous, balanced--and therefore most humane--detailed history of this conflict that I have seen. I cannot imagine why it hasn't had more attention. It should, in fact, be on the required reading list of everyone concerned about this conflict. If only its findings and approach could sink into popular consciousness, it might provide an antidote for violence and blind rage, as well as for politically or intellectually-motivated self-righteousness. It should be widely translated, and available in both Arabic and Hebrew.

Rating:
Summary: An Extraordinary Achievement
Review: What subject could be more complex, and the telling of its history more liable to political bias and encumberance, than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? One must be extremely diligent and capable of independent critical analysis to find one's way through the warring literature on this subject, whether from right, left or center. Mark Tessler's is the most objective, scrupulous, balanced--and therefore most humane--detailed history of this conflict that I have seen. I cannot imagine why it hasn't had more attention. It should, in fact, be on the required reading list of everyone concerned about this conflict. If only its findings and approach could sink into popular consciousness, it might provide an antidote for violence and blind rage, as well as for politically or intellectually-motivated self-righteousness. It should be widely translated, and available in both Arabic and Hebrew.

Rating:
Summary: complete and fair
Review: Worth reading as a start to getting historical background on which to base further study.