1948

An impressive, well-documented, and fair study of the events that provided one people with a sovereign homeland in the aftermath of the Holocaust while dispossessing another. What is remarkable about Morris' work as a historian is that it does not pander to anyone's prejudices, least of all his own. Morris tells the story of his new book soberly and bleakly, impartially and exhaustively. It is a significant and fair account of an epochal and contentious event. He has reconstructed this event with unflinching accuracy. Morris' report is admirable because it is unafraid to anger both sides. His commitment to the pursuit of historical truth deserves as much admiration as his dismay over Arab intransigence evokes sympathy. Morris' book is not merely a military narrative but a crisp, vivid introduction to the historical tragedy of Palestine. When it comes to interpreting the history they experienced together from 1947 to 1949, Arabs and Israelis follow two radically different narratives. One of the many achievements of this admirable book is that it helps readers understand why each narrative holds such authority and why they remain so stubbornly irreconcilable.