Palestine With Jerusalem

Rating:
Summary: Downright Dishonest
Review: There are many travel books on Israel. Only a few of these grudgingly add Palestine (usually with Palestine in small letters, almost as an embarrassment or an afterthought). I was very intrigued to find this gem of a book, dedicated specifically to Palestine and Jerusalem, and was absolutely delighted once I delved into its content.

For me, the first forty pages or so are worth their weight in gold. There is a very good, concise history of Palestine & Israel and, of course, Jerusalem. The impressive thing is that it is short enough to read, clear enough to be easily understood, and covers the whole history of the area... and best of all, does it without prejudice or bias. I have been very unhappy with all the lengthy one-sided books available on this subject, most of them starting from a specific time in history that benefits the opinion of the writer. Kudos to Stedman for his even-handedness and willingness to cover the whole picture. Also, the three major religions (Islam, Christianity, Judiasm) are described in a way that promotes understanding of the evolvement of the religions and the main likenesses and differences between them. This should be required reading for all college students! It makes it much easier to understand why each side believes as it does and why there is such conflict today between the Palestinians and the Israelies.

That being said, once the concise history lesson is over in the beginning of the book, Bradt gives what he calls a "warts and all" view of Palestine. He has been to Palestine on a number of occaisons and has grown to deeply respect these people. He puts the traveller at ease by covering very useful and diverse locations and travelling options. Everything from main foods of the area to border crossings, from getting to know the people to avoiding being mistaken for an undercover Israeli officer, from wonderful sites in the cities as well as off the beaten path... this guide can take you there.

I am very impressed and deeply grateful that someone finally took the time to create and publish this book. Considering the writer even had some maps "created" so they could be included in this book shows the length of his dedication to covering the whole of the subject.

I enjoy reading, but this is the first book that I've felt compelled to write a review on. I hope that even people who do not anticipate being able to get to Palestine will check out this book for the understanding it provides.

Rating:
Summary: At Long Last, And Well Worth The Wait!!
Review: There are many travel books on Israel. Only a few of these grudgingly add Palestine (usually with Palestine in small letters, almost as an embarrassment or an afterthought). I was very intrigued to find this gem of a book, dedicated specifically to Palestine and Jerusalem, and was absolutely delighted once I delved into its content.

For me, the first forty pages or so are worth their weight in gold. There is a very good, concise history of Palestine & Israel and, of course, Jerusalem. The impressive thing is that it is short enough to read, clear enough to be easily understood, and covers the whole history of the area... and best of all, does it without prejudice or bias. I have been very unhappy with all the lengthy one-sided books available on this subject, most of them starting from a specific time in history that benefits the opinion of the writer. Kudos to Stedman for his even-handedness and willingness to cover the whole picture. Also, the three major religions (Islam, Christianity, Judiasm) are described in a way that promotes understanding of the evolvement of the religions and the main likenesses and differences between them. This should be required reading for all college students! It makes it much easier to understand why each side believes as it does and why there is such conflict today between the Palestinians and the Israelies.

That being said, once the concise history lesson is over in the beginning of the book, Bradt gives what he calls a "warts and all" view of Palestine. He has been to Palestine on a number of occaisons and has grown to deeply respect these people. He puts the traveller at ease by covering very useful and diverse locations and travelling options. Everything from main foods of the area to border crossings, from getting to know the people to avoiding being mistaken for an undercover Israeli officer, from wonderful sites in the cities as well as off the beaten path... this guide can take you there.

I am very impressed and deeply grateful that someone finally took the time to create and publish this book. Considering the writer even had some maps "created" so they could be included in this book shows the length of his dedication to covering the whole of the subject.

I enjoy reading, but this is the first book that I've felt compelled to write a review on. I hope that even people who do not anticipate being able to get to Palestine will check out this book for the understanding it provides.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable! An Anti-Semitic Travel Guide!
Review: This book should have no stars. I picked this book up at the bookstore and was shaken as I read it. Two short examples will explain why. In his description of why the Jews of Eastern Europe faced pogroms and discrimination (contributing to their desire to return to their historic homeland), the author states that they were "long resented in their adopted countries, as powerful and wealthy minorities frequently are". It is certainly well-documented that the Jews of Eastern Europe were anything but powerful and wealthy! This is a vicious, anti-semitic canard. Later in the book, when extolling the friendly and welcoming attitudes among the region's Arabs, he nonetheless advises readers to "remember the phrase 'Mish Jehud' (not Jewish)" in order to stay safe. What would he advise Jewish readers of his book to do?

Incidentally, far from being even-handed, the author's description of historical events actually omits significant facts in its zeal to paint Israel, over and over, as "the bad guy". For example, he omits Arab aggression and open calls to destroy Israel in his depiction of the events leading up to the Six Day War.

Rating:
Summary: Downright Dishonest
Review: Wish I could put no stars for this one. The author provides a lot of "history" in this travel guide but what is provided is often downright dishonest. One particularly galling example is when Stedman describes how Israel used the "excuse" of Egypt's blocking the Straits of Tiran to Israeli vessels, to attack Arab countries, including Jordan, in 1967. Putting aside the question of whether Egypt's hostile action was an act of war, it is a well-established fact that Israel pleaded with Jordan to stay out of the fighting, and it was only when Jordan began shelling West Jerusalem that Israel responded on the Jordanian front. So Israel definitely did not attack Jordan--it was first attacked by Jordan.
Well, this is one example of many where facts are just plain put aside to discredit and delegitimize Israel. Don't buy this poison!

Rating:
Summary: Downright Dishonest
Review: Wish I could put no stars for this one. The author provides a lot of "history" in this travel guide but what is provided is often downright dishonest. One particularly galling example is when Stedman describes how Israel used the "excuse" of Egypt's blocking the Straits of Tiran to Israeli vessels, to attack Arab countries, including Jordan, in 1967. Putting aside the question of whether Egypt's hostile action was an act of war, it is a well-established fact that Israel pleaded with Jordan to stay out of the fighting, and it was only when Jordan began shelling West Jerusalem that Israel responded on the Jordanian front. So Israel definitely did not attack Jordan--it was first attacked by Jordan.
Well, this is one example of many where facts are just plain put aside to discredit and delegitimize Israel. Don't buy this poison!