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Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour Audiobook
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(3.04) - 226 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Barbara Tuchman explores the complex relationship of Britain to Palestine that led to the founding of the modern Jewish state—and to many of the problems that plague the Middle East today.
From early times the British people have been drawn to the Holy Land through two major influences: the translation of the Bible into English and, later, the imperial need to control the road to India and access to the oil in the Middle East. Under these influences, one cultural and the other political, countless Englishmen—pilgrims, crusaders, missionaries, merchants, explorers, and surveyors—have made their way to the land of the ancient Hebrews.
With the lucidity and vividness that characterizes her work, Barbara Tuchman brings to life the development of these twin motives—the Bible and the sword—in the consciousness of the British people. They were finally brought together at the end of World War I, when Britain's conquest of Palestine from the Turks and the solemn moment of entering Jerusalem were imminent. Requiring a gesture of matching significance, that event evoked the Balfour Declaration of 1917—establishing a British-sponsored national home for the modern survivors of the people of the Old Testament.
In her account, first published in 1956, Ms. Tuchman demonstrates that the seeds of today's troubles in the Middle East were planted long before the first efforts at founding a modern state of Israel.
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"Fascinating account of the ties between England and the Holy Land ranging from the Richard the Lionheart and the Third Crusade in the 12th Century to the First World War and the Balfour Declaration of 1917 establishing a Jewish Homeland (the basis of modern Israel). "
— Shep (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“In her métier as a narrative popular historical writer, Barbara Tuchman is supreme.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Barbara Tuchman is a wise and witty writer, a shrewd observer with a lively command of high drama.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer -
“An interesting appraisal of the various religious and political interests which historically have influenced the British attitude toward Palestine.”
— Foreign Affairs -
“This book is outstanding for its historical grasp and originality...A provocative piece of research and interpretation.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Bible and Sword Listener Reviews
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" Not Tuchman's most engaging work. Still, she writes an accessible history of Britain's entanglements in the Middle East that culminated in the Balfour Declaration. Think Suez Canal and an affinity of key players with the Old Testament. "
— Dennis, 6/3/2013 -
" Drags a little toward the end, with the murkiness of British politics. Overall, a fascinating read. "
— James, 11/11/2012 -
" Ms Tuchman does a great job with her research. A very readable history and background to the Levant and its relationship with England and why Isreal was created. "
— Chris, 10/20/2012 -
" Fascinating account of the ties between England and the Holy Land ranging from the Richard the Lionheart and the Third Crusade in the 12th Century to the First World War and the Balfour Declaration of 1917 establishing a Jewish Homeland (the basis of modern Israel). "
— William, 7/29/2012 -
" Tuchman's sympathetic account of the English role in the re-establishment of the Jewish state. "
— Tony, 8/4/2011 -
" Barbara Tuchman usually gets into the fine detail the make bigger things happen. In this book she follows the development of first the concept and then the formation of Israel. Very good read! "
— Rw, 6/24/2011 -
" Meh. I found it difficult to concentrate on this book, and it was a chore to finish. Some of it was interesting. Some passages hinted at an anti-Arab bias. I'm glad I finished. I hope to move on to more interesting books on the subject. "
— Damon, 12/5/2010 -
" There was the odd bit of interest near the front, but more than half the book (basically the last half+) was really just people making statements etc that was incredibly boring and I didn't really care for. "
— Joseph, 7/3/2010 -
" Great book-very informative and interesting. "
— Yvonne, 5/23/2010
About Barbara W. Tuchman
Barbara W. Tuchman (1912–1989) was a self-trained historian and author who achieved prominence with The Zimmerman Telegram and international fame with The Guns of August, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963. She received her BA degree from Radcliffe College in 1933 and worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Pacific Relations in New York and Tokyo from 1934 to 1935. She then began working as a journalist and contributed to publications including The Nation, for which she covered the Spanish Civil War as a foreign correspondent in 1937. Her other books, include The Proud Tower, A Distant Mirror, Practicing History, The March of Folly, The First Salute, and Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-45, also awarded the Pulitzer Prize. In 1980 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected her to deliver the Jefferson Lecture, the US government’s highest honor for intellectual achievement in the humanities.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.