Nine Lives of Israel

Jack L. Schwartzwald is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine.

“comprehensive account of Israel’s history as told through the lives of nine of its leading citizens and founders. A unique tapestry of history, biography and myth deconstruction...provides a distinctive introduction to a nation that...whether it inspires or incites passions...never ceases to fascinate.”—Israel Book Review; “best introduction to Israel’s short yet tumultuous history”—Chicago Jewish Star; “I can strongly recommend Jack Schwartzwald’s Nine Lives of Israel...it is comprehensive, lively and informative...a real contribution to the ongoing debate about Israel’s past and future.”—Sir Martin Gilbert, author of Israel, A History; “In an age when so much research ignores the human factor and focuses on theories and models, it is refreshing and very welcoming to see a book that understands the importance of individuals in the shaping of history. The leaders of Zionism and Israel who are the subject of this study were all larger than life, fascinating characters and the author should be commended for reminding us of that too often forgotten fact by showing the human face of the Jewish national revival and its successful product, the state of Israel.”—Professor Efraim Karsh, Kings College, London; “Solid in scholarship, written with clarity and force, Schwartzwald’s book shows how the Jewish state, now widely defamed as the devil’s own experiment station, was in fact one of the few redeeming events of the blood-soaked twentieth century.”— Edward Alexander, co-author, The Jewish Divide over Israel; “One of the key elements in understanding the history of Israel and the Middle East is the personality and worldview of the leaders whose decisions have helped take a dream of a Jewish state and turn it into a reality, enabled that state to survive through six decades of war and terror, and brought about peace along two of its frontiers. Jack Schwartzald provides an entertaining and thoughtful analysis of nine of the most important leaders in Israel’s history that will help readers better understand how individuals can change the world.”—Mitchell Bard, author Will Israel Survive?; “Taken together (Schwartzwald) is able to present more than 9 mini-biographies—he is able to tell the moving story of a unique people, a dynamic society and a fascinating country.”—Elliott Dlin, Executive Director, Dallas Holocaust Museum.

• Table of ContentsPreface      Introduction      1. Theodor Herzl and the Genesis of Modern Political Zionism      2. Chaim Weizmann and the British Mandate      3. David Ben-Gurion and Independence      4. Abba Eban and Statesmanship      5. Moshe Dayan and Victory      6. Golda Meir and the Yom Kippur War      7. Menachem Begin and Camp David      8. Yitzhak Rabin and Oslo      9. Ariel Sharon and Disengagement      10. “More than any army in the history of warfare”      11. Prospects for Peace: Stuck Between Two Paradoxes      Chapter Notes      Bibliography      Index