Mandate Days: British Lives in Palestine, 1918-1948 - Softcover

Sherman, Dr. A. J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801866200 ISBN 13: 9780801866203

Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001

Synopsis

One of the great dramas in British imperial history, the strife-torn three decades of British rule in Palestine, known as the Mandate, remain controversial even now, more than fifty years after the last British High Commissioner left Jerusalem. British policies, promises, and the mere presence of Britain in the Holy Land are still passionately debated and deplored. The thousands of British citizens who actually lived and worked in Palestine have, however, been overlooked. Here for the first time is their story, drawn largely from personal letters, diaries, and memoirs that vividly describe their success in adapting to life in Palestine, their attitudes toward Arabs and Jews, their accomplishments and missteps, and their strong sense of imperial mission. This powerful account brings to life a notable chapter in the history of the Middle East and provides a new perspective on the struggle there for independence and nationhood.

About this title

Review

The British ruled over Palestine, the state that would become Israel, from the end of World War I to 1948. In those three decades, writes A.J. Sherman, British colonial administrators "dimly appreciated that Palestine might present something of a problem, since it contained not merely a native Arab population firmly attached to their lands and traditions, but also a European-educated, sophisticated class of Zionist Jewish immigrants and settlers." That dim recognition, and the fond hope that Palestine would somehow fit into the scheme of a worldwide Pax Britannica, quickly gave way to resignation in the face of guerrilla war conducted by Arabs and Jews alike, waged against each other and against their occupiers, whose story Sherman ably tells. --Gregory McNamee

About the Author

A. J. Sherman, born in Jerusalem under the Mandate, lives in Vermont. He is an associate fellow of St. Antony's College, Oxford, where he was for some years Research Fellow. Among his books is Island Refuge: Britain and Refugees from the Third Reich, 1933-1939.

Edition details

• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0801866200
• ISBN 13: 9780801866203
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 264