Palestine to Israel: Mandate to State, 1945-1948 (Volume I)

“Prominent American historian Monty Noam Penkower, who has previously written a number of books about British-ruled Palestine and the international diplomacy surrounding the ‘Palestine question’, traces and assesses developments inside and outside of Palestine during the final years of the British mandate in this thorough and perceptive two-volume history. Whilst the author’s intention is to contribute to historical knowledge about the Arab–Israeli conflict rather than to refute historical myths about it, his penetrating dissection of developments from 1945 through 1948 pertaining to this question most certainly accomplishes the latter task. … This two-volume set represents an exhaustive inquiry into how and why the Jewish state came into existence—an inquiry that is enthusiastically recommended for students of this period.” —David Rodman, Israel Affairs

Alex Grobman:

“This year, Monty Noam Penkower, professor emeritus of Jewish History at the Machon Lander Graduate School of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, has continued his major contribution to the field of Middle East studies, providing an in-depth analysis of the conditions surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel. … Given the plethora of studies on the creation of Israel, it is tempting to downplay the possibility that Penkower’s two latest volumes can add to the understanding of what has become an intractable conflict. That would be a mistake.” —Dr. Alex Grobman, The Jewish Link

Rafael Medoff:
"With the publication of Palestine to Israel: Mandate to State, 1945-1948, Monty N. Penkower completes his magisterial trilogy on the rise of the modern State of Israel. This is a scholarly achievement many years in the making, as the depth of the author’s research and keen analysis clearly demonstrate. The expanse of Penkower’s historical landscape testifies to his broad scholarly vision." —Rafael Medoff, The David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, H-Judaic

"Monty Penkower presents a well-paced, dramatic narrative detailing how Zionists in Palestine and the United States successfully mobilized to create a Jewish state. Penkower highlights the complicated relationships that bound and divided different Zionist factions and leaders. He is a superb storyteller." —Aaron Berman, Professor of History, Hampshire College

"Monty Noam Penkower’s pathbreaking volumes Palestine to Israel: Mandate to State, 1945–1948 are an important contribution to our understanding of the final years of the British mandate in Palestine. His first volume deals with the years from the end of World War II in Europe until the World Zionist Congress of December 1946; the second volume covers the crucial period from when the British submitted the Palestine conundrum to the United Nations until the official establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948. Based on extensive archival research, the book is a must for anyone interested in this decisive historical period." —Judy Baumel-Schwartz, Director of the Arnold and Leona Finkler Institute of Holocaust Research and Professor of Jewish History, Bar-Ilan University

"Monty Noam Penkower has written yet another definitive account of the tumultuous years preceding the establishment of the State of Israel. His masterful analysis is marked by nuanced assessment and a limpid prose. A must read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Israeli history and the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict." —Efraim Karsh, Professor Emeritus of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, King’s College London & Bar-Ilan University, author of Palestine Betrayed