The Siege: The Saga of Israel and Zionism

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Faber & Faber Limited, Mar 19, 2015 - History - 806 pages

'Highly recommended . . . The title of the book reflects its focus: the international, political, religious, social, and diplomatic forces affecting the history of the Jews who identified with Zionism and later with the state of Israel.' "Library Journal"

'As Ireland's representative to United Nations discussions of Palestinian refugees, Conor Cruise O'Brien sat between Israel and Iraq . . . O'Brien now suggests that a solution to Middle East anguish may not even be possible. That so bleak a view is the basis for so enlightening a book can be attributed to the author's capabilities as a historian, journalist and political analyst, not to mention storyteller.' "Time"

'One is hard pressed to recall another [book] which deals in depth with this vast and prickly subject that is as bold or as readable.' "Publishers Weekly"

'It bears the mark of a restless, original, idiosyncratic mind.' Abba Eban, "Los Angeles Times"

'A fine work of scholarship whose analysis stands up well in the light of later events.' Oliver Kamm, from his preface to this edition

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About the author (2015)

Writer and diplomat Conor Cruise O'Brien was born in Dublin, Ireland on November 3, 1917. He studied history at Trinity College and found a job in the civil service. While working as a civil servant, he wrote two books Maria Cross (1952) and Parnell and His Party (1957). As a diplomat, he focused on creating an independent position for Ireland in the United Nations and played a critical role in the United Nations intervention in Congo in 1961. In 1969, he won a seat in Ireland's Parliament. He also was editor in chief of The Observer and was a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books, The Atlantic, and The Irish Independent. He wrote numerous books throughout his lifetime including To Katanga and Back, The Great Melody, Memoir: My Life and Themes, and The Long Affair. He died on December 18, 2008 at the age of 91.

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