As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Period
c. 1,948–1,967
Modern Israel begins with the declaration of independence in May 1948 and the creation of new political, military and civil institutions during war. The state absorbed large waves of Jewish immigration from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa while confronting severe economic pressure, social division and repeated military conflict.
The period is inseparable from the displacement and dispossession experienced by Palestinians in 1948 and from the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It also includes parliamentary politics, changing relations between religious and secular communities, economic development, regional diplomacy and debates over borders, security and national identity.
Herman Wouk’s The Hope and The Glory use fictional soldiers, diplomats and families to follow the first decades of the state while placing real political and military leaders within the narrative. The books connect private relationships with the wars of 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, the Entebbe rescue and later moves towards peace.
Series
The Hope and Glory sequence presents the history of modern Israel through four fictional officers, their partners and their children. The Hope covers the state’s formation in 1948, the Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War, combining battlefield operations with intelligence work, diplomacy and the strains placed on families…
Books
Bestselling authors first, then star rating.
Non Fiction
Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.
