Israel

Israel (1974) – H. Dennis-Jones
Collins | ISBN: 000435737X
Condition: Good | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Israel. A small country occupying a remarkably large proportion of the world’s historical, religious and political attention. Situated at the meeting point of three continents and associated with three major world religions, it possesses enough ancient history, archaeological treasures and modern controversy to keep historians, diplomats, theologians and newspaper editors permanently employed. And that’s before anybody starts arguing about the borders.

In Israel, H. Dennis-Jones takes readers back to the country as it appeared in the early 1970s, when the modern state was barely a quarter of a century old, the Middle East remained an exceptionally complicated neighbourhood, and international politics could turn a relatively modest stretch of territory into the principal subject of diplomatic discussion from Washington to Moscow.

Published in 1974 by Collins, this volume offers an intriguing opportunity to encounter Israel through the perspective of its own era, before decades of subsequent political, demographic and economic developments transformed the country and its international relationships.

The historical background alone is extraordinary. Ancient cities, biblical landscapes, successive empires, religious traditions and archaeological remains combine to create a region in which almost every square mile seems to have attracted the attention of a prophet, conqueror, merchant or ambitious military commander at some point during the preceding three thousand years.

Jerusalem, naturally, occupies a particularly remarkable position. Few cities can claim such profound importance to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, or such an extraordinary history of conquest, rebuilding, destruction and competing claims to sacred territory. It is a place where history is never very far beneath the surface, sometimes quite literally.

Modern Israel, established in 1948, brought an entirely new political reality to this ancient landscape. Immigration, agricultural development, expanding towns, industrial growth and the challenges of building a modern state existed alongside unresolved conflicts, the displacement of Palestinians and continuing regional tensions.

The timing of this 1974 publication is particularly significant. The country had recently experienced the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, following the earlier conflicts of 1948, 1956 and 1967. The political circumstances of the Middle East were changing rapidly, and many questions that would shape subsequent decades remained unanswered.

There is something especially valuable about older books on countries undergoing profound transformation. They preserve not merely geographical descriptions and historical information but also the assumptions, perspectives and expectations of the period in which they were written. What appears obvious with hindsight may have seemed anything but certain to contemporary observers.

And, as the Middle East has repeatedly demonstrated, predictions about its political future are best undertaken with considerable caution and a readily available eraser.

This 1974 Collins edition, offered in Good condition by Crappy Old Books, will appeal to collectors of vintage geographical literature, readers interested in Israeli history and anyone studying how the country was presented to English-speaking audiences during the 1970s.

A fascinating period publication concerning one of the world’s most historically significant and politically complex countries.

Because while some nations can enjoy decades of relative obscurity, Israel has seldom had that particular luxury.

Even its ancient stones seem incapable of escaping an argument.

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