The Life and Times of Menachem Begin

Perlmutter, Amos

ISBN 10: 0385189265 / ISBN 13: 9780385189262

Published by Doubleday & Company, Garden City, N. Y., 1987

About this Item

Stated First Edition. "Now, in this extraordinary work, distinguished political scientist and journalist Amos Perlmutter offers the first comprehensive biography of Menachem Begin to boldly explore the inner man behind the complex leader." Ships same or next business day. Text block is pulled away from spine head. Minor edge wear. Small bumps on spine ends. Tiny dents on tail edge of back board and head edge of front board. Pages are clean and tight. Dust jacket has moderate edge and shelf wear. Two 1/4-inch tears on spine tail. Tiny tear on spine head. 1/3-inch tear with crease on tail edge of back cover. Slightly yellowed. ; B&W Photographs; Large 8vo 9" - 10" tall; 444 pages. Seller Inventory # 72183

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Life and Times of Menachem Begin

Publisher: Doubleday & Company, Garden City, N. Y.

Publication Date: 1987

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good+

Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good

Edition: First Edition.

About this title

Synopsis:

Documented by in-depth research into Begin's family origins in Poland, his Holocaust experiences and his years as a guerrilla leader in Palestine, this biography draws together the threads of Begin's life and career in Israeli politics

Reviews:

Perlmutter (Israel: The Partitioned State, etc.) has written a tedious, repetitious, political biography of the controversial former Israeli prime minister. Despite a strong, self-admitted ideological bias against his subject, he takes a sympathetic approach to demythologize Begin: "He over the years, has been labeled a Fascist, a threat to Israeli democracy and a militarist, but in fact he was a democrat, a liberal and a parliamentary politician . . . a man of high moral standards . . . committed to justice." Perlmutter also maintains that Begin was, repeatedly, a victim of passivity during crises, and that as a young man, he "was a classic . . . party apparatchik . . . with few original ideas of his own." The author makes some sound points, but they are imbedded in a confusing history of political intrigue and often are accompanied by speculation (for example, on Begin's feelings toward his mentor Vladimir Jabotinsky and rival Ben-Gurion, he writes: "Deep in his heart, Begin believed he never quite measured up to either man"). Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The last few years have seen a flood of personal and "official" assessments of Begin's life and times. No wonder, since Begin has done everything to cloak his own past in mysterious and vague terms. Perlmutter ( Israel: the partitioned state ), a political scientist who knows well the history of Zionism and Israel, has written the first serious biography of Begin. He relies on documentation and evidence, though he also makes full use of oral history. The book traces Begin from his early days in Poland to his last days as prime minister of Israel. It explores the complexity of the man and tries to uncover what lies behind the public facade. Perlmutter obviously has a good grasp on how to write biography. The subtitle of Temko's book indicates that it is a "personal" portrait, and indeed that is so in both meanings of the term. The book concentrates on Begin's personal life, and it is written from a personal point of view, as Temko tries to unravel Begin as a human man and political actor. The author is less familiar with the larger story of Zionism and Israel. The book is based on published sources and many interviews, quite a few of them with Begin's friends and even some with members of his family. Like Perlmutter's book it is well written, but Perlmutter's should be the first choice for most libraries.Jehuda Reinharz, Near Eastern & Judaic Studies Dept., Brandeis Univ., Waltham, Mass.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.