Rating: 
Summary: An excellent reference
Review: This book does a fine job of supplying a detailed history of Israel. It is over 1000 pages, not even counting the index or the huge bibliography.
Sachar's idea is to tell us what happened and why. That does not mean taking sides. It does not mean saying if the people involved were reasonable or moral in choosing the sides they did.
I can understand this approach. We all wish that we could always view relatively current events from the perspective of those who could see which side was being greedy, which side was simply immoral, or which side was being impractical. But we can't, so Sachar simply reports what happened as best he can. And I don't see how I can ask for more than this.
In addition, the simple retelling of what happened and why tells us plenty about how wise or moral decision-makers were. Let me give one example. Sachar has a hefty section on the response to the UN Partition Resolution of November, 1947. Britain refused to gradually transfer authority to a United Nations commission, explaining that this would result in "confusion and disorder." Britain did everything possible to avoid cooperating with those in the UN or the Jewish Agency. The six UN commission members were made unwelcome. They "were soon reduced to foraging for food and drink. They accomplished nothing."
Meanwhile, the British Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, simply regarded the Jews as enemies. As Sachar writes, Bevin claimed "that the whole Jewish 'pressure' was a gigantic racket run from America," that the Jews had stolen "half the place" (that is, half of the Mandate territory), and that "he would not be surprised if the Germans had learned their worst atrocities from the Jews." I think this ought to tell any perceptive reader plenty about Bevin.
On top of this, Sachar explains that Bevin and some important British officers were predicting an Arab military victory, and would have no difficulty taking over the whole country. Nowadays, some people appear to have forgotten all this and are pretending that everyone knew that the Arabs would be no match for the Jews, which is yet one more reason why we ought to read this book!
Sachar also tells us about the British swiping the entire contents of the Mandate treasury, to make sure the Jews got none of the money. At the same time, the British gave 300,000 pounds to the Supreme Moslem Council, an indirect subsidy of the Arab war effort. The British strictly enforced an embargo on Jewish immigration and Jewish weapons acquisition. Meanwhile, the British happily sold weapons to Iraq and Transjordan.
It is true that on April 1, 1948, the Jews decided to stop responding to Arab attacks in a purely defensive manner. With Jerusalem threatened, they did decide to take action to relieve the siege. But Sachar has already shown us that one reason the Jews were unable to try such a plan before then was that the British would have stopped them by force.
There is an enormous amount of information in this book. I recommend it to everyone who is interested in the topic, no matter what political views they may have.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: This book is essential to anyone who wants to know all the steps that lead to the criation of the Jewish State and its following development.At the same time, the reader is able to see a general picture of Israel's history and get deeper into several aspects of this singular history.When describing Israel's wars against the Arab States, the author puts you as if you were into the scene, generating great emotion.Indeed, it is basic for any zionist or history researcher's library.
Rating:
Summary: Indepth, exhaustive and the best book on the STATE of Israel
Review: This book is required reading in the Near Eastern and Judaic studies department at Brandeis University which has one of the best Israel/Judaic studies programs in the country.
This is the only book that extensively examines the Jewish State entirely in its modern political context, while simultaneously covering world Jewry and the Middle East conflict. Howard Sachar is a renowned scholor who has written much on the topic.
As someone who has traveled to Israel several times, WORKED on a kibbutz for a long period and studied both the country, the region and the interaction between the two; I can tell any critic that this book is highly critical of the Likud party and Israeli irridentism. The West Bank settlers are NOT treated kindly by Sachar and anyone who finds this book unbalanced did not read beyond the first few hundred pages.
This book made me re-evaluate my political position and recognize the many shortcomings of a place I adore.
Rating: 
Summary: One Sided View
Review: This book was very well written and gave us a view of Israel and its creation but it was very one sided (biased)!
I wanted to get another view so I found and would like to recommend that everyone who reads this book also read 'Bitter Harvest' by Sami Hadawi to get a view of the whole arab-isreal conflict from the palestinians side. I enjoyed both books as I'm sure you will.Now I believe that once everyone is aware of both sides fustration, then we can collectively make an educated decision about the whole crisis that plaques us now!
Rating:
Summary: One Sided View
Review: This book was very well written and gave us a view of Israel and its creation but it was very one sided (biased)!
I wanted to get another view so I found and would like to recommend that everyone who reads this book also read 'Bitter Harvest' by Sami Hadawi to get a view of the whole arab-isreal conflict from the palestinians side. I enjoyed both books as I'm sure you will. Now I believe that once everyone is aware of both sides fustration, then we can collectively make an educated decision about the whole crisis that plaques us now!
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent (if somewhat biased) examination of Israel
Review: To be precise, this is not "a history of Israel;" it is, rather, a history of the Jewish people during their attempts to found, and then maintain, the State of Israel. This is an important distinction, because certain aspects of Israeli history are not covered, or are covered only in brief. The Christian community in Israel, for instance, is almost completely ignored. The Arab population is only mentioned when the conflicts between Jew and Arab are too great to ignore. There is an essential bias, therefore, that Israel should be a Jewish state, and that some of the lesser atrocities committed by the Jews to establish and hold the State are justified because they upheld that aim. That is a perfectly valid opinion, of course, and a reasonably moderate one as opinions go. It means, though, that a few of the darker moments in early Jewish history, such as the forced resettlement of several Arab cities, are air-brushed. Later on, the Jews treatment of the Arab population is viewed in a more critical light. This is a huge tome, clearly and entertainingly written, and is invaluable for anyone who wants a broad background in Jewish history.
Rating:
Summary: Thorough and thought provoking
Review: Very well-written, very informative, balanced view of the evolution and struggles that Israel has undergone.
I only wish it had an extra chapter to give similar perspective to the tumult of the past few years.
Rating:
Summary: Review of Sachar's history of Israel.
Review: What a magnificent work of scholarship. For people such as myself, who are only remotely familiar with the circumstances leading to the rise of the Zionist movement and to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, this is such rewarding book. Sachar's approach to his subject is quite astounding. Not only does he trace the political and social evolution of the country in a sober and even-handed way, but he provides a lucid exposition of the military conflicts and turbulent irruptions that have plagued the country since the early twentieth century. The duplicity and nervous diplomacy of the superpowers in dealing with Israel are also brought to light. Moreover, the rise of the PLO and PFLP are discussed, along with some of the other popular Arab movements, in a very incisive and fair manner. The writing style is quite eloquent, and the topics discussed are so diverse and interesting that the prose doesn't drag along, as one might expect from such a thick and heavy tome. The book is provided with a vast array of military, demographic and municipal maps, which make some of the historical incidents easier to follow. My only suggestion for any subsequent editions is that the book be provided with an insert of illustrations, depicting some of visual arts and archaeological sites that Sachar discusses, along with photographs of some of the important political figures mentioned in the text.
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