By some way the best history of the Mandate I have ever read, with the greatest scope, the widest research and the clearest moral sense
John Simpson
Daily Telegraph
A full and fascinating account of the murky roots of British rule in Palestine. Segev's treatment of the Balfour Declaration is a good example of the originality, insight ... Read moreand rigorous objectivity that shine through the entire book... Segev makes an immensely valuable contribution to the existing literature both with the new information he has unearthed and by suggesting fresh interpretations... wide-ranging and elegantly written
Literary Review
Brilliantly written... wonderfully readable and humane
Independent
A magisterial account... reaffirms Segev's reputation for courageous and intelligent honesty
Scotsman
Impressively even-handed... Fair well-argued and vivid
Philip Ziegler
New Statesman
The best single account of Palestine under the British mandate
Omer Bartov
New York Times Book Review
Sharp, skilful... Segev certainly knows how to write a riveting tale
Anita Shapira
New Republic
Remarkable and poignant... Important for any understanding of the Middle East conflict
Philadelphia Weekly
Brilliant... An utterly fascinating narrative of the period
Chicago Tribune
Wonderfully readable and humane
INDEPENDENT
New and remarkable ... this excellent book
SUNDAY TIMES
Topicality is never an issue where Israel and the Palestinians are concerned. The arguments
not to mention bloodshed
over Jewish and Muslim nationhood and land rights have been going on for centuries and, whatever the best intentions of the current peace process, will probably go on for centuries to come. Both parties fanatically believe they have an inalienable historical right to statehood on the land in question and both regard Jerusalem as a holy City. As befits the disenfranchised, the Palestinians are slightly more open to a negotiated settlement, but the Israelis remain intransigent about handing over any but the most inhospitable of scrubland and the impasse remains. In the battle between the bullets and the ballot box, the bullets are winning hands down. Tom Segev is one of Israel's most notable historians and journalists
one of the few to strive for any sense of objectivity in his writings
so a new book by him is always worth waiting for. One Palestine, Complete is a detailed account of Palestine under British rule from 1917-48, the critical period in the modern history of the region that lead up to the creation of the state of Israel. Segev begins by carefully detailing Britain's well-known inconsistencies in dealing with both the Jews and the Arabs, both of whom it had appeared to promise if not the world, at least the country after independence was granted and goes on to make a convincing case that because Palestine fell into the category of an emotional rather than self-interested colonial possession, the Brits hoped the situation would unwind to everyone's mutual advantage. Where Segev departs from the historical norm is in his assertions that whatever the British may have said to the Palestinians their actions were uncompromisingly pro-Zionist from the off. This, he claims, was done out of the mistaken, anti-Semitic belief that the Jews controlled business and turned the wheels of history
in other words they were one of us
rather than a recognition of the rightness of their cause. Be this as it may, it is at best a partial explanation. Prior to the Second World War, Britain was on the verge of handing over Palestine to the Arabs and Segev completely downplays the impact of Western war guilt over the Holocaust that led to a huge growth in support for an independent Israeli state at the expense of Palestinian rights. Even so, One Palestine, Complete offers a thoughtful and dramatic account of the evolution of two nationalist movements that seem destined never to be reconciled. With a past like this, what hope is there for the future?
John Crace, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW
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