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Ben-Gurion
Father of Modern Israel
Series: Jewish Lives
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Ben-Gurion
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
An insightful study of the inner life of the Zionist leader responsible for the creation of the state of Israel
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, an insightful study of the inner life of David Ben-Gurion, the Zionist leader responsible for the creation of the state of Israel
"The most intimate yet unflinching portrait to date... Shapira may be the last truly qualified person to unpack some of the mysteries of Israel’s George Washington."—Ilene Prusher, New York Times Book Review
"Keenly observed... Shed(s) light on the inner life of the man whom fellow Zionist leader Berl Katznelson called 'history’s gift to the Jewish people.'"—Liel Leibovitz, Wall Street Journal
David Ben-Gurion cast a great shadow during his lifetime, and his legacy continues to be sharply debated to this day. There have been many books written about the life and accomplishments of the Zionist icon and founder of modern Israel, but this new biography by eminent Israeli historian Anita Shapira strives to get to the core of the complex man who would become the face of the new Jewish nation. Ben-Gurion tells the Ben-Gurion story anew, focusing especially on the period after 1948, during the first years of statehood.
As a result of her extensive research and singular access to Ben-Gurion’s personal archives, the author provides fascinating and original insights into his personal qualities and those that defined his political leadership. As Shapira writes, “Ben-Gurion liked to argue that history is made by the masses, not individuals. But just as Lenin brought the Bolshevik Revolution into the world and Churchill delivered a fighting Britain, so with Ben-Gurion and the Jewish state. He knew how to create and exploit the circumstances that made its birth possible.” Shapira’s portrait reveals the flesh-and-blood man who more than anyone else realized the Israeli state.
About Jewish Lives:
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.
More praise for Jewish Lives:
"Excellent" –New York Times
"Exemplary" –Wall St. Journal
"Distinguished" –New Yorker
"Superb" –The Guardian
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Ben-Gurion by Anita Shapira is praised for offering a detailed and intimate examination of a man considered both revolutionary and enigmatic. It highlights Ben-Gurion's pivotal role in Jewish history, portraying him as a visionary leader while acknowledging his personal flaws. Reviews commend Shapira for her insightful analysis and fresh perspectives, supported by newly uncovered archival materials, making it a standout biography in Yale's Jewish Lives series.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780300180459
Publisher: Yale University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 22 January 2015
Country: United States
Imprint: Yale University Press
Illustration: 21 b-w illus.
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 146.0mm
Height: 210.0mm
Weight: 467g
Pages: 288
About the Author
Anita Shapira is professor emerita at Tel Aviv University, where she previously served as dean of the Faculty of Humanities and held the Ruben Merenfeld Chair for the Study of Zionism. Her previous books include Israel: A History, winner of the National Jewish Book Award. She lives in Tel Aviv.
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