O Jerusalem! [Hardcover]

 

 

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The authors portray the bloodthirsty Arab invaders as noble fighters and devote a disproportional amount of writing to the alleged massacre at Deir Yassin. They make the libelous claim that Jews raped Arab women, looted, mutilated, and executed civilians. Even the Arabs themselves admitted that the "massacre" didn't take place and that Arab propaganda made up the atrocity and rape stories in order to whip up the Arabs into a murderous anti-Jewish frenzy.
Stay away from this biased and mythological account. It is anti-Israeli fiction, not a serious historic account.

This monumental work is the most gripping and informative account I've read about the rebirth of Israel in 1948. Of course the focus is on Jerusalem and the text does not cover the war in Galilee or the South in any detail. The work includes the roles of famous persons and the experiences of ordinary people in equal measure.

Part 1: A Time To Mourn And A Time To Dance covers the UN decision in favour of partition, the Arab reaction, some background history - ancient Israel as well as the British Mandate period - and the various missions by both sides to procure arms.

Part 2: A House Divided, deals with the beginning of hostilities and unrest in the city, the deteriorating situation on the Tel Aviv- Jerusalem road, various horrific bombings of certain landmark buildings, the intensifying struggle for the city and the different Arab forces involved in the war.

Part 3: A City Besieged, concentrates on the harrowing struggle to hang on to the Jewish quarter of the old city from March 20 to May 13 of 1948. It includes an account of the tragic events at the village of Deir Yassin, the veracity of which is still in dispute today.

Part 4: These Shall Stand describes the movements of the various Arab forces and the Jewish response. It provides details of the Arab Legion attack on the city, Jewish counterattacks, the battle of Latrun, the loss of the Jewish quarter in the old city, and the building of a new road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Finally Israel was established but it would only regain the old city in 1967.

The Epilogue looks at the aftermath of the war of independence and takes stock of the terrible losses. The root of the refugee problem is explored and the author briefly deals with the transformation of the new Jewish State into a flourishing economic entity.

There are extensive explanatory notes arranged by chapter, a vast bibliography of books, articles, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers plus private documents and correspondence. The book concludes with an index.

On the inside front and back covers and in the text itself there are maps of Jerusalem and Israel, whilst the 40 pages of black and white plates encompass 60 photographs of people and places.

Both sides suffered terribly in this war. The authors succeed in being objective as regards the struggle between Jew and Arab, but it is clear that they consider the Haganah as the sole legitimate force on the Jewish side and they are openly hostile to the Irgun.

O Jerusalem is a riveting read on many levels. It holds the reader's attention by dealing with events from the perspective of a wide spectrum of individuals. The narrative is often very sad and sensitive readers should be aware that certain passages are quite disturbing. But this book is probably the very best history of the Rebirth of Israel and the part Jerusalem played in this momentous event.

No novel could have been more exciting than this detailed story of the birth of Israel and the early struggles. This book is written with all the suspense and excitement of a novel but what sets it aside is that it is all factual.

The authors do an excellent job of researching those tense days back in 1948 with the realization that the fall of Israel was within a heartbeat the whole time until some last minute help from the US

One of my favorite books!

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5.0 out of 5 stars A PERFECT PAIRING OF VOICE AND NARRATIVE
A perfect pairing of voice and narrative is found in this dramatic recounting of the 1948 battle between the Arabs and the Jews for possession of the city of Jerusalem. Read more

Published on April 3 2003 by Gail Cooke

5.0 out of 5 stars A PERFECT PAIRING OF VOICE AND NARRATIVE
A perfect pairing of voice and narrative is found in this dramatic recounting of the 1948 battle between the Arabs and the Jews for possession of the city of Jerusalem. Read more

Published on April 3 2003 by Gail Cooke

5.0 out of 5 stars the truth behind the conflict
For anyone interested in Arab-Isreali conflict or in the problems facing the modern middle east. THis brilliant study focuses on the battle for Jerusalum in 1948-49 between the... Read more

Published on Feb 21 2003 by Seth J. Frantzman

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential primer on the founding of Israel
This book provides a detailed examination of the events surrounding the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more

Published on April 28 2002 by R. J. Marsella

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Greatest Books on Israel Ever Written
"O Jerusalem" is a classic. By focusing on one narrow yet vitally important aspect of the Arab-Jewish conflict surrounding the birth of Israel between WWII and 1948, the authors... Read more

Published on Feb 26 2002 by dougrhon

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and fascinating history
Collins and Lapierre focus their book, O Jerusalem on one city in the years between World War II and the creation of the independent state of Israel, but, the story itself spans... Read more

Published on Nov 23 2001 by Matthew Spady

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful telling of a powerful story
Collins and Lapierre make an important and much needed contribution to a field often beset by propaganda masquerading as scholarship. Read more

Published on Oct 9 2001 by J. A Magill

4.0 out of 5 stars Good account for beginners
This book documents the Jewish struggle to create the tiny state of Israel and the struggle of the Arabs to crush it It is a good and fairly objective account or beginners in the... Read more

Published on July 23 2001 by Gary Selikow

5.0 out of 5 stars Tale of one city and two communities
I had wanted to know about the history of the middle-east conflict when a person known to me suggested this one.

Observations here are based on contents of the book. Read more

Published on April 27 2001 by Ramsundar Lakshminarayanan

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, very readable history
Authors Lapierre and Collins have written a wonderful account of the establishment of the State of Israel. Read more

Published on Jan 30 2000 by Sergio Flores

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