Fathom – Topic – Book Reviews

The Three Best Books on Understanding Evil

By Stephen de Wijze
Stephen de Wijze is senior lecturer in political philosophy at the University of Manchester and the co-editor with... Read more > May 2022

Book Review | The European Left and the Jewish Question 1848-1993: Between Zionism and Antisemitism

By Colin Shindler
While many look to the rise of both Bolshevik Russia and Nazi Germany to understand the Left's evolution... Read more > February 2022

The Israel Question and the Left: A Review Essay

By Barry Finger
Barry Finger is a frequent contributor to US socialist journals, a former shop steward and activist with the Public... Read more > January 2022

Rereading | The Idea of the Jewish State by Ben Halpern

By Donna Robinson Divine
Donna Robinson Divine is Morningstar Family Professor of Jewish Studies and Emirita Professor of Government at Smith College.... Read more > January 2022

Book Review | The Passport as Home: Comfort in Rootlessness

By Philip Spencer
The subtitle of this interesting memoir is ‘comfort in rootlessness’. This formulation is, as the author suggests, a... Read more > December 2021

Thomas Mann’s Philo-Semitism and Colm Toibin’s Thomas Mann

By Shalom Goldman
In January 1934, the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior revoked the novelist Thomas Mann’s German citizenship, in... Read more > December 2021

Book Review | War of Shadows: Codebreakers, Spies, and the Secret Struggle to Drive the Nazis from the Middle East

By Efraim Halevy
Gershom Gorenberg, a historian and journalist, has spent years researching and writing this account of dramatic events in... Read more > November 2021

The Fourth Window, or the Wounds of Amos Oz

By Liam Hoare
Liam Hoare says The Fourth Window, a new documentary about Amos Oz by the Israeli filmmaker Yair Qedar,... Read more > November 2021

Book Review | Growing up Jewish in India: Synagogues, Customs and Communities from the Bene Israel to the Art of...

By Khinvraj Jangid
Growing up Jewish in India is a book about the Jews of India told from a variety of... Read more > October 2021

Book Review | Hidden Heroes: One Woman's Story of Resistance and Rescue in The Soviet Union

By Yisrael Medad
From 1962, when Matzot for Russia’s Jews for the upcoming Passover holiday were dumped on the pavement in... Read more > October 2021

Book Review | More Than I Love My Life

By Liam Hoare
In October 1951, Rade Panić—who had fought for Josip Broz Tito’s partisans during the Second World War—committed suicide... Read more > September 2021

Rereadings | The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership by Yehuda Avner

By Liam Hoare
‘The ultimate insider’s account’ wrote George Gruen on the release of Yehuda Avner’s book The Prime Ministers in... Read more > July 2021

UK-Israel 2021 | Mandate: The Palestine Crucible 1919-1939

By Colin Shindler
Three years ago, a retired British army officer, Ian Westerman, wrote an article in Ha'aretz, entitled 'What did... Read more > July 2021

Book Review | Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machines, Artificial Intelligence, and the Battle for the Future

By Justin Bronk
Drone Wars is an ambitious attempt to provide a narrative framework for the development, combat usage and future... Read more > July 2021

The Three Best Books on Antisemitism, recommended by Dave Rich

By Dave Rich
Fathom is inviting experts to select their three favourite books about a subject. The series began with Sara... Read more > June 2021

Book Review | Not in Kansas Anymore: Academic Freedom in Palestinian Universities

By Eve Garrard
Academic freedom is the liberty which academics have, within the confines of the law, to question and test... Read more > June 2021

Book Review| The CIA War in Kurdistan: The Untold Story of the Northern Front in the Iraq War

By Paul Iddon
Sam Faddis's recent account of his time as a CIA operations officer in Iraq in the run-up to... Read more > June 2021

Book Review | The Star and the Scepter: A Diplomatic History of Israel

By David Rodman
The State of Israel has existed for a little over 70 years. A medium power by global standards,... Read more > April 2021

Three best books on Zionism, recommended by Gil Troy

By Gil Troy
Fathom is inviting experts to select their three favourite books about a subject. The series began with Sara... Read more > April 2021

Book Review | The Wondering Jew

By Robin Moss
In the spring and summer of 2017, Micah Goodman caused something of a publishing sensation with Milkud 67,... Read more > March 2021

Book Review | Jews Don’t Count

By Sarah Brown
The premise of Jews Don’t Count is that antisemitism is too often glossed over – blanked out –... Read more > March 2021

Book Review | Judaism Straight Up, Why Real Religion Endures

By Daniel Goldman
Professor Moshe Koppel is the founder and executive chairman of Forum Kohelet, an influential think tank instrumental in... Read more > March 2021

Book Review | The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions

By Kyle Orton
A little over a year ago, U.S. President Donald Trump gave the order to kill Qassem Soleimani, the... Read more > March 2021

Book Review | Matzpen: A History of Israeli Dissidence

By Colin Shindler
Lutz Fiedler's highly informative book about the far Left group, Matzpen, is a welcome addition to the recording... Read more > March 2021

Why you should read the two Israeli novels on the New York Times list of 100 notable books of 2020

By Liam Hoare
Two Israeli novels — The Memory Monster by Yishai Sarid and The Tunnel by A.B. Yehoshua — made... Read more > February 2021

Book Review | Since 1948: Israeli Literature in the Making

By Liam Hoare
In 2013, the New York-based Israeli novelist Rudy Namdar published The Ruined House. Both upon its initial Hebrew... Read more > December 2020

Book Review | The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace

By Alex Ryvchin
There is perhaps no aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is subject to greater distortion than the so-called... Read more > June 2020

From Gil Troy to Susie Linfeld: Fathom writers share their favourite films and books about Israel (Week 8)

By Fathom Editors
Each fortnight Fathom writers have been recommending Israel-related books, films or podcasts to help our readers through the lockdown. This... Read more > June 2020

Book Review | Arafat and Abbas: Portraits of Leadership in a State Postponed

By Khinvraj Jangid
The Palestinian national movement has been in disarray for a long time. The failings of its political leadership... Read more > June 2020

From Matti Friedman to Einat Wilf: Fathom writers share their favourite films and books about Israel (Week 7)

By Fathom Editors
Each fortnight Fathom writers have been recommending Israel-related books, films or podcasts to help our readers through the lockdown. This... Read more > May 2020

Book Review | Your Sons Are at Your Service: Tunisia's Missionaries of Jihad

By Kyle Orton
Early in his new book, Your Sons Are At Your Service: Tunisia’s Missionaries of Jihad, The Washington Institute’s... Read more > May 2020

Book Review | Paradigm Lost: From Two-State Solution to One-State Reality

By Yisrael Medad
This slim volume traces Ian Lustick's thinking on why the two-state solution, which he terms the TSS, has... Read more > May 2020

BICOM Staffers Book and Film Lockdown Recommendations (Week 6)

By BICOM
Each week Fathom writers have been recommending Israel-related books, films or podcasts to help our readers through the lockdown. This... Read more > May 2020

From Eve Garrard to Dave Rich: Fathom writers share their favourite books and films about Israel (Week 4)

By Fathom Editors
Each week Fathom writers will recommend five Israel-related books, films or podcasts to help our readers through the... Read more > April 2020

Book Review | The Making of the Israeli Far-Right: Abba Ahimeir and Zionist Ideology

By Donna Robinson Divine
It is hard to imagine a more fitting time for a study of Abba Ahimeir, not only because... Read more > April 2020

From Stephen De Wijze to Matthew Levitt, Fathom writers share their favourite books and films (Week 3)

By Fathom Editors
Each week Fathom writers will recommend five Israel-related books, films or podcasts to help our readers through the... Read more > April 2020

Book Review | Israel’s Jewish Identity Crisis: State and Politics in the Middle East

By Michael Wegier
Yadgar’s book was born out of a difficulty he found while teaching at Berkeley of recommending reading that... Read more > April 2020

From Jo-Ann Mort to Donna Robinson Divine: Fathom writers share their favourite books and films (Week 2)

By Fathom Editors
Each week Fathom writers will recommend five Israel-related books, films or podcasts to help our readers through the... Read more > April 2020

Book Review | Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny

By David Rodman
Israel faces a fateful decision. What should be the final status of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria... Read more > March 2020

From Hamutal Gouri to Andrei Markovits: Fathom writers share their favourite books and films about Israel (Week 1)

By Fathom Editors
Each week Fathom writers will recommend five Israel-related books, films or podcasts to help our readers through the... Read more > March 2020

Book Reviews

The Three Best Books on Understanding Evil

Book Review | The European Left and the Jewish Question 1848-1993: Between Zionism and Antisemitism

The Israel Question and the Left: A Review Essay

Rereading | The Idea of the Jewish State by Ben Halpern

Book Review | The Passport as Home: Comfort in Rootlessness

Thomas Mann’s Philo-Semitism and Colm Toibin’s Thomas Mann

Book Review | War of Shadows: Codebreakers, Spies, and the Secret Struggle to Drive the Nazis from the Middle East

The Fourth Window, or the Wounds of Amos Oz

Book Review | Growing up Jewish in India: Synagogues, Customs and Communities from the Bene Israel to the Art of...

Book Review | Hidden Heroes: One Woman's Story of Resistance and Rescue in The Soviet Union

Book Review | More Than I Love My Life

Rereadings | The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership by Yehuda Avner

UK-Israel 2021 | Mandate: The Palestine Crucible 1919-1939

Book Review | Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machines, Artificial Intelligence, and the Battle for the Future

The Three Best Books on Antisemitism, recommended by Dave Rich

Book Review | Not in Kansas Anymore: Academic Freedom in Palestinian Universities

Book Review| The CIA War in Kurdistan: The Untold Story of the Northern Front in the Iraq War

Book Review | The Star and the Scepter: A Diplomatic History of Israel

Three best books on Zionism, recommended by Gil Troy

Book Review | The Wondering Jew

Book Review | Jews Don’t Count

Book Review | Judaism Straight Up, Why Real Religion Endures

Book Review | The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions

Book Review | Matzpen: A History of Israeli Dissidence

Why you should read the two Israeli novels on the New York Times list of 100 notable books of 2020

Book Review | Since 1948: Israeli Literature in the Making

Book Review | The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace

From Gil Troy to Susie Linfeld: Fathom writers share their favourite films and books about Israel (Week 8)

Book Review | Arafat and Abbas: Portraits of Leadership in a State Postponed

From Matti Friedman to Einat Wilf: Fathom writers share their favourite films and books about Israel (Week 7)

Book Review | Your Sons Are at Your Service: Tunisia's Missionaries of Jihad

Book Review | Paradigm Lost: From Two-State Solution to One-State Reality

BICOM Staffers Book and Film Lockdown Recommendations (Week 6)

From Eve Garrard to Dave Rich: Fathom writers share their favourite books and films about Israel (Week 4)

Book Review | The Making of the Israeli Far-Right: Abba Ahimeir and Zionist Ideology

From Stephen De Wijze to Matthew Levitt, Fathom writers share their favourite books and films (Week 3)

Book Review | Israel’s Jewish Identity Crisis: State and Politics in the Middle East

From Jo-Ann Mort to Donna Robinson Divine: Fathom writers share their favourite books and films (Week 2)

Book Review | Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny

From Hamutal Gouri to Andrei Markovits: Fathom writers share their favourite books and films about Israel (Week 1)

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