Illegal Jewish immigration to Palestine prior to the founding of the State of Israel forms one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of Zionism and modern Jewish history. Bringing Jews from Europe to Palestine by land and by sea in defiance of restrictive British immigration policies was partly an undertaking of national rescue and partly a calculated strategy of political brinksmanship. In this compelling analysis; Ofer examines various illegal immigration and rescue efforts organized by the Palestinian Jewish community in both the beginning and latter phases of the war. Making exhaustive use of archival sources; Ofer provides invaluable insight into the struggles of the immigrants; the activists and supporters of the movement; the logistical obstacles; and the political forces working to halt or exploit the flow of refugees.
#163508 in Books 1989-10-19Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.20 x 2.20 x 9.40l; #File Name: 0195037944970 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Enjoyable and InformativeBy Laocoon143This is a enjoyable and informative read that aids the reader in thinking about sociocultural norms in the U.S. I've found it very helpful in providing background on the culture and practices of various family lines that I've been researching. It's also more entertaining than I expected. For anyone wondering why there are so many political and social divides in this country; taking a step back to the folkways of four major British settlement vectors can yield tremendous insights into why we are who we are today.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The New AmericansBy BrokenArrowGood book. The history of our eastern seaboard being populated by our english-speaking ancestors: There were four groups. The Anglican Pilgrims in Mass Bay; the VA tidewater folks; the Penn Quakers and the back country "Borderers." The northern border people included "my people;" the Scots-Irish; and I focused on those chapters. They are the ones who mostly settled in the back country (a buffer between the Indians and the more gentle Americans). A good history book and quite readable.12 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Anthropology - not historyBy Tom BlairDavid Hackett Fisher's Albion's Seed is an enlightening and fascinating book.The reason it had such a powerful impact on me is because I was expecting a history book and it's not - it's an anthropology book. It is a study of nature - human nature as it arose in England and settled in America 400 years ago.At its core Albion's Seed accepts the conservative belief that what people ARE is more important to history than what people DO. It is surprising to see this book coming from a sociology professor at Brandeis University - a place generally racially hostile to indigenous European peoples such as the English.Albion's Seed is about the English settlers of America in the 1600s and 1700s. And it contains not a trace of hostility or condescension towards them. In the case of the Quakers of the Delaware Valley it is openly admiring - so much so that Fisher almost loses his academic detachment.In addition to the Quakers who emigrated from the North Midlands fleeing persecution; it studies the Puritan Congregationalists who settled New England from East England seeking to create a perfect society; the royalist elites from the South of England who left because of population pressure and formed Virginian society; and the war-like; clan-like families from the English/Scottish border fleeing famine and persecution who settled the American backcountries.Fisher brilliantly and deeply describes the varied folkways of these people and (especially in the case of the English/Scotch border folk) how those ways arose from the history of their homeland. In America they were free from the pressures of England - but they brought their nature and culture with them and carved out unique; successful; and cultured societies in the new world.This book is deeply researched and thoroughly footnoted. It is both scholarly and easy to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who believes that history changes - but people do not.
