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Just over 100 years ago, Theodor Herzl launched the Zionist movement. Fifty years later, after the Holocaust, the State of Israel came into being, established so that Jews anywhere in the world could have a homeland. Yet in the years since, five wars have tested Israel's ability to survive. Influxes of emigrants added to the country's cultural riches yet strained its social fabric, even as Israel's Arab neighbors sought to redress their own grievances through violence. Now Israel's fascinating story is told by renowned historian Martin Gilbert, enhanced with 15 rare facsimile documents, some of which have never before been published.
Penetrating . . . beautifully rounds out and humanizes the character of the greatest statesman of the twentieth century. —San Francisco Chronicle "A multifaceted gem, sparkling with anecdotes and insights about the nature of biography, the challenges and rewards of historical research, and of course Winston Churchill." —Richmond Times-Dispatch "Everything about Winston Churchill is extraordinary. During his excavation of his subject, Martin Gilbert has discovered many gems. In this book he holds some of the most gorgeous jewels up to the light for us to admire." —The Spectator "Gilbert here gives us Churchill's vast humanity with the politics largely left out. Readers daunted by the 8,000-odd pages of the official life should start here. They will love it." —The Times (London) "The portrait of Winston Churchill is . . . vivid and painted with an affection and humour that rarely appear in the official biography." —London Daily Telegraph. "The work [Gilbert] has done puts all historians of the twentieth century, and all students of Churchill, incalculably in his debt." —London Sunday Telegraph
From one of the world's most revered historians, the first major history of contemporary Jerusalem ""Gilbert is a first-rate storyteller."" --The Wall Street Journal ""Fascinating and admirably readable . . . unmatched for sheer breadth of acutely observed historical detail."" --Christopher Walker, The Times (London) ""Most noteworthy for its richness of letters, journals and anecdotes . . . the major events of this century come alive in eyewitness accounts."" --The New York Times Book Review ""Extraordinarily vivid glimpses of Jerusalem life."" --Atlanta Journal Constitution
One of our most eminent historians presents a powerful look at the buildup to and aftermath of one of the most decisive moments of World War II - Kristallnacht - not only for the Jewish population suddenly identified as a group to be destroyed, but also in terms of the international response it inspired and its larger implications. In 'Kristallnacht', Martin Gilbert seamlessly combines a moving account of the suffering of the victims of the Nazi regime with a sophisticated analysis of the gradual process which made the horrors of the Third Reich possible. Broadening his canvas, Gilbert also powerfully depicts how the rest of the world failed Europe's increasingly desperate Jewish population: in the aftermath to Kristallnacht almost every country was asked to help; most would not do so, despite the transport of a staggering 10,000 German Jewish children to Britain. This international indifference had direct implications for future German policy, while the events of Kristallnacht went on to radically influence the attitudes of governments - and people - outside Germany towards Nazism.
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The renowned historian weaves a definitive account of the Holocaust—from Hitler’s rise to power to the final defeat of the Nazis in 1945. Rich with eyewitness accounts, incisive interviews, and first-hand source materials—including documentation from the Eichmann and Nuremberg war crime trials—this sweeping narrative begins with an in-depth historical analysis of the origins of anti-Semitism in Europe, and tracks the systematic brutality of Hitler’s “Final Solution” in unflinching detail. It brings to light new source materials documenting Mengele’s diabolical concentration camp experiments and documents the activities of Himmler, Eichmann, and other Nazi leaders. It also dem...
“A travelogue, spanning two weeks, of the essential sites of the Holocaust, by the venerable historian and author . . . [A] soul-searching trip” (Kirkus Reviews). In 1996, prominent Holocaust historian Sir Martin Gilbert embarked on a fourteen-day journey into the past with a group of his graduate students from University College, London. Their destination? Places where the terrible events of the Holocaust had left their mark in Europe. From the railway lines near Auschwitz to the site of Oskar Schindler’s heroic efforts in Cracow, Poland, Holocaust Journey features intimate personal meditations from one of our greatest modern historians, and is supported by wartime documents, letters, and diaries—as well as over fifty photographs and maps by the author—all of which help interweave Gilbert’s trip with his students with the surrounding history of the towns, camps, and other locations visited. The result is a narrative of the Holocaust that ties the past to the present with poignancy and power. “Gilbert . . . is a dedicated guide to this difficult material. We can be grateful for his thoroughness, courage and guidance.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
A thorough analysis of Allied actions after learning about the horrors of Nazi concentration camps—includes survivors’ firsthand accounts. Why did they wait so long? Among the myriad questions of what the Allies could have done differently in World War II, understanding why it took them so long to respond to the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps—specifically Auschwitz—remains vital today. In Auschwitz and the Allies, Martin Gilbert presents a comprehensive look into the series of decisions that helped shape this particular course of the war, and the fate of millions of people, through his eminent blend of exhaustive devotion to the facts and accessible, graceful writing. Featuring twenty maps prepared specifically for this history and thirty-four photographs, along with firsthand accounts by escaped Auschwitz prisoners, Gilbert reconstructs the span of time between Allied awareness and definitive action in the face of overwhelming evidence of Nazi atrocities. “An unforgettable contribution to the history of the last war.” —Jewish Chronicle
“The most comprehensive account of Israeli history yet published” (Efraim Karsh, The Sunday Telegraph). Fleeing persecution in Europe, thousands of Jewish immigrants settled in Palestine after World War II. Renowned historian Martin Gilbert crafts a riveting account of Israel’s turbulent history, from the birth of the Zionist movement under Theodor Herzl to the unexpected declaration of its statehood in 1948, and through the many wars, conflicts, treaties, negotiations, and events that have shaped its past six decades—including the Six Day War, the Intifada, Suez, and the Yom Kippur War. Drawing on a wealth of first-hand source materials, eyewitness accounts, and his own personal and...
In 1928, Winston Churchill seemed to be at the very height of his career. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer and when he spoke in the House of Commons, MPs of every party flocked to hear his oratory. The leadership of the all-powerful Conservative party seemed within his grasp. A year later, however, all had changed. The Conservatives themselves were defeated, and out of office, Churchill found himself at odds with the leadership, especially over the future of India. When the National Government was formed in 1931, Churchill was not asked to join it. Thereafter, though out on his own, Churchill's acute political sense, foresight and courage were undiminished. Fed with secret inside informati...