Plowshares Into Swords: From Zionism to Israel

The latest from professor and author Mayer (Why Did the Heavens Not Darken?: The ""Final Solution"" in History) is an exhaustive historical investigation into the origins and evolution of the Zionist movement, born in the late 19th Century with a mission to establish a Jewish state, and carried on in never-ending Arab-Israeli conflicts over the Holy Land. Mayer sheds much light on the history of the movement and the region while keeping an eye toward world events, and offers plenty of considered editorializing on policies and actions (like radical retaliation) taken by both sides. As these two groups struggle, drawing in the interest of world powers, Mayer highlights past downfalls and draws simple lessons suggesting that a one-state solution is within grasp. Though Mayer's research is thorough and his opinionated voice engaging, his delivery is erratic, switching topics distractedly and losing focus in copious rants and asides; if readers don't mind some whiplash, they'll find a great deal of intriguing information on the Holy Land's long-standing state of turmoil.