Palestine and the Arab Israeli Conflict

Rating:
Summary: Scholarly well-documented history
Review: "Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict" provides a concise and impartial history of Palestine, a topic which is the subject of much distortion and outright propaganda. Charles Smith, the author, relates the relevant historical facts, without judgemental commentary or extraneous information. His sources for significant facts are thoroughly documented in plentiful footnotes at the end of each chapter, which is probably why this book is often used as a text in university courses.

Smith's factual and scholarly approach to such a sensitive topic contrasts sharply with that of Mitchell Bard, author of the ubiquitous, though propagandistic, "Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict", which sets a new standard for one-sided apologetics. Bard has worked for AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group, and one of the most effective and powerful lobbying groups in America.

Some of the facts impartially reported by Smith invariably collide with popular misconceptions, which probably explains the defensive reactions reflected in some of the above polemical reviews of the book. In summary, if you want to know what events have led to the current situation in Palestine, without judgement of either side, read Smith's book.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good book!
Review: Contrary to the rubbish that a lot of people are putting up in the review section, this book does a reasonably good job of explaining the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. It is concise, lucid and I don't really detect any considerable bias.
There's always going to be crazy hardliners who nitpick and have huge amounts of time to write scathing reviews of books that attempt to present the truth as it really is, and not the convoluted, one sided account/myth drawn up by AIPAC and other pro-Israel organisations.
I really recommend the book.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the best book available on this topic
Review: If you're going to purchase a single work on this topic, make sure it's this book. It is a must read for anyone and everyone who's interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict. It's simple enough for even an uninformed reader to easily grasp, while maintaining the thoroughness to make it a must read for highly knowledgeable readers. Smith's book is by far the best work available, by any comparisons. It's detailed, accurate, and defines the word "unbiased" in this topic. Learn the facts here, and develop your own opinion. All experts I've known would recommend this book above all others without any hesitation. It's that good.