"Kessler’s history is key to understanding the current situation between Israelis and Palestinians." —Booklist, Starred Review

Palestine 1936 chronicles the 1936–1939 Great Arab Revolt, a seminal but forgotten uprising a decade before Israel’s birth that has cast the trajectory for the Middle East conflict ever since.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 07 January 2025
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

[Kessler] has done an exceptional job and opened new vistas on troubles past and present. — Wall Street Journal Kesslers history is key to understanding the current situation between Israelis and Palestinians. — Booklist ,Starred Review A gripping,profoundly human,yet even-handed narrative of the origins of the Middle East conflict,with enduring resonance and relevance for our time. In spring 1936,the Holy Land erupted in a rebellion that targeted both the local Jewish community and the British Mandate authorities that for two decades had midwifed the Zionist project. The Great Arab Revolt would last three years,cost thousands of lives—Jewish,British,and Arab—and cast the trajectory for the Middle East conflict ever since. Yet incredibly,no history of this seminal,formative first “Intifada” has ever been published for a general audience. The 1936–1939 revolt was the crucible in which Palestinian identity coalesced,uniting rival families,city and country,rich and poor in a single struggle for independence. Yet the rebellion would ultimately turn on itself,shredding the social fabric,sidelining pragmatists in favor of extremists,and propelling waves of refugees from their homes. British forces aggressive counterinsurgency took care of the rest,finally quashing the uprising on the eve of World War II. The revolt to end Zionism had instead crushed the Arabs themselves,leaving them crippled in facin.

2024 Winner, Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, The Sami Rohr Jewish Literary Institute

One of the Wall Street Journal's 10 Best Books of 2023

Named a Booklist Editors' Choice in History: Adult Books, 2023

Finalist, Writing Based on Archival Material: National Jewish Book Awards, 2023

Finalist, Sophie Brody Medal, American Library Association

Kessler

has done an exceptional job and opened new vistas on troubles past and present.

— Wall Street Journal

Kessler's history is key to understanding the current situation between Israelis and Palestinians.

— Booklist

Starred Review

A gripping, profoundly human, yet even-handed narrative of the origins of the Middle East conflict, with enduring resonance and relevance for our time.

In spring 1936, the Holy Land erupted in a rebellion that targeted both the local Jewish community and the British Mandate authorities that for two decades had midwifed the Zionist project.

The Great Arab Revolt would last three years, cost thousands of lives—Jewish, British, and Arab—and cast the trajectory for the Middle East conflict ever since.

Yet incredibly, no history of this seminal, formative first “Intifada” has ever been published for a general audience.

The 1936–1939 revolt was the crucible in which Palestinian identity coalesced, uniting rival families, city and country, rich and poor in a single struggle for independence.

Yet the rebellion would ultimately turn on itself, shredding the social fabric, sidelining pragmatists in favor of extremists, and propelling waves of refugees from their homes.

British forces' aggressive counterinsurgency took care of the rest, finally quashing the uprising on the eve of World War II.

The revolt to end Zionism had instead crushed the Arabs themselves, leaving them crippled in facin.

[Kessler] has done an exceptional job and opened new vistas on troubles past and present.

— Wall Street Journal

Kessler's history is key to understanding the current situation between Israelis and Palestinians.

— Booklist

Starred Review

A gripping, profoundly human, yet even-handed narrative of the origins of the Middle East conflict, with enduring resonance and relevance for our time.

In spring 1936, the Holy Land erupted in a rebellion that targeted both the local Jewish community and the British Mandate authorities that for two decades had midwifed the Zionist project.

The Great Arab Revolt would last three years, cost thousands of lives—Jewish, British, and Arab—and cast the trajectory for the Middle East conflict ever since.

Yet incredibly, no history of this seminal, formative first “Intifada” has ever been published for a general audience.

The 1936–1939 revolt was the crucible in which Palestinian identity coalesced, uniting rival families, city and country, rich and poor in a single struggle for independence.

Yet the rebellion would ultimately turn on itself, shredding the social fabric, sidelining pragmatists in favor of extremists, and propelling waves of refugees from their homes.

British forces' aggressive counterinsurgency took care of the rest, finally quashing the uprising on the eve of World War II.

The revolt to end Zionism had instead crushed the Arabs themselves, leaving them crippled in facin.

Weight: 514g
Dimension: 228 x 152 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538193709