Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

Concise but not short; the prose reads a bit like a textbook. A good introductory survey of internal Israeli and Zionist politics especially, but know that it is decidedly pro-Israel and pro-Zionist, frequently giving apologetic defenses of any critiques of the state of Israel and often openly dismissive of “the Arabs.”

Probably the best one volume history of Israel. On the plus side, the writing is generally clear and politics-free. The bits of poetry are welcome. On the negative side, the outlook is a little to the left of center but not obnoxiously so.