Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Israel

Subtitle: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

Author: Daniel Gordis

Narrator: Fred Sanders

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-18-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 247 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

The first comprehensive yet accessible history of the state of Israel from its inception to present day, from Daniel Gordis, "one of the most respected Israel analysts" (The Forward) living and writing in Jerusalem.

Israel is a tiny state, and yet it has captured the world's attention, aroused its imagination, and lately, been the object of its opprobrium. Why does such a small country speak to so many global concerns? More pressingly: Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future?

We cannot answer these questions until we understand Israel's people and the questions and conflicts, the hopes and desires, that have animated their conversations and actions. Though Israel's history is rife with conflict, these conflicts do not fully communicate the spirit of Israel and its people: they give short shrift to the dream that gave birth to the state, and to the vision for the Jewish people that was at its core. Guiding us through the milestones of Israeli history, Gordis relays the drama of the Jewish people's story and the creation of the state. Clear-eyed and erudite, he illustrates how Israel became a cultural, economic and military powerhouse - but also explains where Israel made grave mistakes and traces the long history of Israel's deepening isolation.

With Israel, public intellectual Daniel Gordis offers us a brief but thorough account of the cultural, economic, and political history of this complex nation, from its beginnings to the present. Accessible, levelheaded, and rigorous, Israel sheds light on Israel's past so we can understand its future. The result is a vivid portrait of a people, and a nation, reborn.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Excellent, mildly but honestly biased, terrible narration

I'm sorry, I just can't forgive the decision to cast narrators who don't know how to pronounce even basic Hebrew names or words in a book about Israel. I'm not looking for ultra-authentic native accent, but jeez, are these readings assigned to narrators by pure chance like judges to court cases?

Excellent history in a format I haven't really seen done elsewhere - comprehensive but concise. It definitely reflects a desire to tell a story from the point of view of Jews (Zionist and non-Zionist alike), but provides sufficient context generally that there's enough material upon which to base arguments against if one were so inclined. I put this under the entirely proper category of an author acknowledging from the outset that he is biased but will earnestly attempt to write in a manner that is fair to all sides. It's left to the reader to decide how well he succeeds in that, but there's no obfuscation or misinformation.

Great read; shows history, current story & nuance

Great well-written book. Daniel Gordis does a great job in presenting a long history in a brief manner, relating the trajectory and path that led Israel and the Jewish people to where they are today. He does a wonderful job of keeping impartial and just presents the facts of both sides of the coin, relating a people's history to their actions and describing both their successes and missteps along the way.