State at Any Cost: The Life of David Ben-Gurion

David Ben-Gurion, the founder of Israel, is the subject of a new biography by Tom Segev that uses previously unreleased archival material to give an original, nuanced account of his life. The book reveals Ben-Gurion's secret negotiations with the British on the eve of Israel's independence, his willingness to countenance the forced transfer of Arab neighbors, his relative indifference to Jerusalem, and his occasional eccentric moments. Segev's Ben-Gurion is neither a saint nor a villain but a twentieth-century leader whose iron will and complex temperament left a contentious legacy and one of the world's most intractable national conflicts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 816 pages
Publication date: 12 November 2020
Publisher: Head of Zeus

David Ben-Gurion, the founder of Israel, has long been recognized as a significant figure of the twentieth century. He was determined to establish a Jewish state and took control of the Zionist movement, declaring Israel's independence and navigating his country through wars, controversies, and remarkable achievements. In this definitive biography, Tom Segev uses previously unreleased archival material to provide an original, nuanced account that transcends the myths and legends that have built up around the man. Segev reveals Ben-Gurion's secret negotiations with the British on the eve of Israel's independence, his willingness to countenance the forced transfer of Arab neighbors, his relative indifference to Jerusalem, and his occasional eccentric moments, from UFO sightings to plans for Israel to acquire territory in South America. The result is a full and startling portrait of a man who sought a state at any cost, at times through risk-taking, violence, and unpredictability, and at other times through compromise, moderation, and reason. Segev's Ben-Gurion is neither a saint nor a villain but a twentieth-century leader whose iron will and complex temperament left a contentious legacy and one of the world's most intractable national conflicts. Praise for A State at Any Cost: "A must for anybody interested in both the glorious and the dark pages of the history of Zionism and Israel, as reflected throughout the life and times of the Jewish State's most important founding father." - Saul Friedländer "The story of a hard-headed, pragmatic, and ruthless politician, told without sentimentality or nostalgia. It also serves as a key to understanding today's Israel, which is still struggling to come to terms with its past." - David Ben-Gurion

Weight: 846g
Dimension: 146 x 227 x 55 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789544633