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Customer Reviews
A real eye opener, 13 Jul 2008
A real eye opener.
This book may be a little difficult for some to come to terms with and for others even more difficult to accept. It is something that has been placed in the psyche of us in Europe after the horrors of the holocaust that any criticism of the state of Israel or Zionism is equal to anti semitism. That the state of Israel was created out of the ashes of the second world war in order to provide a safe and free land for Jews the world over and a place of return for the Jews to their historical homeland.
This book dispels the myth. Pappe rather presents the establishment of the state of Israel as being not only created by men whose ideology was every equal of the extreme nationalism that European Jews had suffered under but also created out of the ethnic cleansing of the native population of that land, the Palestinians.
Pappe begins his book by providing us with with definitions of ethnic cleansing quoting from the United Nations amongst others. unfortunately his use of wikipedia, an 'encyclopedia' by his own admissions is edited by anyone in order to further his argument greatly diminishes his own introduction. While he may choose to use this in his own words to gauge public opinion on how genocide and ethnic cleansing is defined the fact that wikipedia is more of a soap box for anyone with a grudge makes the website frankly worthless.
According to Pappe, ethnic cleansing is something that requires planning and pre-thought before execution and in the first few chapters Pappe documents how Zionist leaders wrote up maps of Palestinian areas, their populations and numbers. Pappe is also quick to point out however, how some Palestinian leaders were only too happy to sell off land to Zionist settlers believing that the greater threat to their land was the colonialism of the British. For some, the Zionists were the poor of Europe and offered little threat, little were they to know that these people would be one and the same who orchestrated their own extinction from their own lands.
Pappe goes on to examine the execution of the Zionist plans of forced expulsion of Palestinians under threats of murder, how the response of Arab militias resulted in further excuses for Zionist outrages on civilian populations. Pappe gives examples of Palestinian villages of both Christian and Muslim who were wiped from the map. Further examples of man (Defined as aged between 10 and 50) being separated from their women folk and executed. Examples of mass rape, destruction of Churches, Mosques, orchards are also given.
Another interesting point is the Arab-Israeli war which Pappe defines as a 'phony war' Pointing out that Jordan had no intention of defending Palestinians rather in protecting its agreed annexation of the West Bank. How the poorly armed and trained Arab armies were no match for the Zionist forces due to the Egyptians while large in numbers (Swelled by the Muslim brotherhood whose lack of any military training made them more a liability than help) The Syrians lack of modern arms, the Lebanese whose numbers were so small they were more concerned with holding onto their own land and Iraqis. Most of these forces were tied down by their own political leaders who had no intentions of seeing them defend the Palestinian people.
I believe it was Robert Fisk in his book 'Pity the nation' who once pointed out the irony of the victims of genocide often being the most enthusiastic perpetrators of it. It is interesting that most of the criticism of this book is that it is 'anti semitic' (Strange considering the author is Jewish!) and reminds me of how Serbs would point out the massacres that were committed against their people in World War 2 by Croatian militias as though that somehow justifies the slaughter of thousands in Bosnia and Kosovo. Similarly Zionists use the holocaust to deflect war crimes in Lebanon and the ethnic cleansing of an entire people in Palestine.
Thankfully Pappe has brought this to the worlds attention in a book that while filled with information that will be shocking and disturbing is also clear and easy to read.
Brilliant book, 07 May 2008
It took courage to write this book and puts Ilan Pappe in the same category as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn lived in a different time and place; however his exposure of an unjust system with a manipulated history had significant impact on changing it.
During the past century a number of milestones have been put in place including the formation of the League of Nations, the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions. These define the standards to which we are expected to adhere (or be judged by) in both peace and war. We cannot compare what was acceptable behaviour in biblical times, ancient empires or the middle ages with a 20th Century ethnic cleansing.
If Pappe's book contributes towards peace in the Middle East through truth and reconciliation, then may history remember him well. He will have achieved what the United Nations and the world's leading superpower failed to do.
How A Racist State Was Formed., 27 Mar 2008
In The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, PappƩ explains and documents that the true goal of the founders of Zionism had always been to create a majority Jewish state, emptied as much as possible of the native Palestinian population. He meticulously (and painfully) reconstructs the story of how Zionist leaders, over many decades, carefully laid the groundwork for this expulsion and how they intiated their plan in 1948 when the British finally decided to leave.
Israel's official version of the story of 1948 claims that Jewish settlers in Palestine never intended to expel their Palestinian Arab neighbours; that Zionist leaders were willing to accept UN resolution 181 of November 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but that it was the Palestinians who rejected that plan; and that the Palestinians became refugees when they "voluntarily" fled their homes to make room for the Arab armies that invaded Palestine in May 1948 to carry out what they called a "second Holocaust" against Jews.
PappƩ decided to debunk the Israeli myths by relying almost exclusively on declassified Israeli military archives and the memoirs of Israel's "founding fathers." These sources leave no doubt that, in the decades before 1948, the leaders of Zionism concocted a premeditated plan to expel the native Palestinian population. PappƩ details how these Israeli "heroes" executed the plan in the period from December 1947 to March 1949 through the use of massacres, rapes, demolition of villages, and forced expulsion of the native population. In doing so, he manages to vindicate and corroborate the story that the Palestinians have been trying to get out to the Western world for the past sixty years.
Zionist leaders drew up Plan D, or dalet in Hebrew. These leaders ordered their militias and gangs to start implementing Plan D only hours after the UN issued resolution 181 in November 1947. The long nightmare for the Palestinians would only get worse. Zionist militias began to attack and expel villagers with or without provocation inside lands allocated to either the Jewish or Arab state.
Declassified Israeli military archives confirm that the Zionist militias carried out at least thirty-seven large-scale massacres in that period. Some of the worst massacres and rape cases took place in villages such as Deir Yassin.
By the spring of 1949, Israel had conquered up to 80 percent of historic Palestine. It expelled 800,000 Palestinians, or 75 percent of the native Arab population, from their homeland, turning them into refugees and preventing them from coming back at the end of the war. The founding fathers had finally succeeded in securing a Jewish state with a Jewish majority.
Excellent and essential reading.
The begining of a disaster., 03 Mar 2008
Anyone wishing to understand the roots of the Arab Israeli conflict from an historical perspective must read this book. Pappe presents an alternate course of events that lead up to the creation of the state of Israel and to me at least he seems to have hit on a vein of truth and one that, if a fraction is true, makes for depressing reading. What is really upsetting is that there is little hope of any improvement for the Palestinian people whilst the other versions on the story are presented as the sole historic truth.
The REAL history of the Israeli state, 02 Nov 2007
An excellent and meticulously researched historical text.
The level of cold, calculated brutality and unprovoked savagery used against a largely peaceful peasant population usually offering little or no resistance, a population quite unprepared for a war, who were usually just 'going about their business', is absolutely shocking. As is the clinical pre-planning and ruthless, cold efficiency with which the plan was then carried out. It is no exaggeration to compare what happened with the Nazi push into the Baltic states and Russia in the early 1940's.
The reality of what actually happened during the years 1948-49, compared with the 'official' Israeli version, is astonishing. This is a subject I have had an interest in for some considerable time now, but despite my interest and knowledge of the subject, I was not prepared for the detail. The unnecessary nastiness and inhumanity of the jewish forces, is really hard to come to terms with.
It is also interesting to compare the present day horror and outrage that is expressed at the actions of a 'suicide bomber' with events in early 1948 [when there was no war]. The Stern Gang and Hagana routinely threw bombs into CIVILIAN Palestinian gatherings and blew up houses with all the occupants asleep inside, often killing scores of people, simply to terrorise the population into fleeing Palestine.
I am also deeply ashamed of the role [or non-role] played by the British forces, with one or two notable exceptions, [and the Bevin Government] who, until May 1948, were still officially charged with upholding law and order in Palestine.
Anyone who still buys the notion that the events at Quana, the murder of the UN workers [despite hours of telephone conversations], the very high civilian casualty rates during the 2006 push into Lebanon, the deaths on the beach in Gaza and so on, were all REALLY accidental, should read this book. This particular brand of terror is long established practice by the Israelis.
In fact, it is hard to understand how most of our media and politicians, people who have chosen to make a career informing the rest of us about what goes on, in and around the world, seem remarkably oblivious to this information. Well, there are no excuses now are there ?
I am not sure how anyone could [intelligently] argue that this is 'a piece of anti-zionist fiction' as one of your reviewers suggests, it is far too factually based and closely referenced. It IS a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby and their campaign of distortion and misinformation that we are still presented by most of the media for most of the time the image of Israel as the victim in the Middle East. Now THAT is a piece of PRO-zionist fiction. Excellent, though disturbing book.
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Customer Reviews
A real eye opener, 13 Jul 2008
A real eye opener.
This book may be a little difficult for some to come to terms with and for others even more difficult to accept. It is something that has been placed in the psyche of us in Europe after the horrors of the holocaust that any criticism of the state of Israel or Zionism is equal to anti semitism. That the state of Israel was created out of the ashes of the second world war in order to provide a safe and free land for Jews the world over and a place of return for the Jews to their historical homeland.
This book dispels the myth. Pappe rather presents the establishment of the state of Israel as being not only created by men whose ideology was every equal of the extreme nationalism that European Jews had suffered under but also created out of the ethnic cleansing of the native population of that land, the Palestinians.
Pappe begins his book by providing us with with definitions of ethnic cleansing quoting from the United Nations amongst others. unfortunately his use of wikipedia, an 'encyclopedia' by his own admissions is edited by anyone in order to further his argument greatly diminishes his own introduction. While he may choose to use this in his own words to gauge public opinion on how genocide and ethnic cleansing is defined the fact that wikipedia is more of a soap box for anyone with a grudge makes the website frankly worthless.
According to Pappe, ethnic cleansing is something that requires planning and pre-thought before execution and in the first few chapters Pappe documents how Zionist leaders wrote up maps of Palestinian areas, their populations and numbers. Pappe is also quick to point out however, how some Palestinian leaders were only too happy to sell off land to Zionist settlers believing that the greater threat to their land was the colonialism of the British. For some, the Zionists were the poor of Europe and offered little threat, little were they to know that these people would be one and the same who orchestrated their own extinction from their own lands.
Pappe goes on to examine the execution of the Zionist plans of forced expulsion of Palestinians under threats of murder, how the response of Arab militias resulted in further excuses for Zionist outrages on civilian populations. Pappe gives examples of Palestinian villages of both Christian and Muslim who were wiped from the map. Further examples of man (Defined as aged between 10 and 50) being separated from their women folk and executed. Examples of mass rape, destruction of Churches, Mosques, orchards are also given.
Another interesting point is the Arab-Israeli war which Pappe defines as a 'phony war' Pointing out that Jordan had no intention of defending Palestinians rather in protecting its agreed annexation of the West Bank. How the poorly armed and trained Arab armies were no match for the Zionist forces due to the Egyptians while large in numbers (Swelled by the Muslim brotherhood whose lack of any military training made them more a liability than help) The Syrians lack of modern arms, the Lebanese whose numbers were so small they were more concerned with holding onto their own land and Iraqis. Most of these forces were tied down by their own political leaders who had no intentions of seeing them defend the Palestinian people.
I believe it was Robert Fisk in his book 'Pity the nation' who once pointed out the irony of the victims of genocide often being the most enthusiastic perpetrators of it. It is interesting that most of the criticism of this book is that it is 'anti semitic' (Strange considering the author is Jewish!) and reminds me of how Serbs would point out the massacres that were committed against their people in World War 2 by Croatian militias as though that somehow justifies the slaughter of thousands in Bosnia and Kosovo. Similarly Zionists use the holocaust to deflect war crimes in Lebanon and the ethnic cleansing of an entire people in Palestine.
Thankfully Pappe has brought this to the worlds attention in a book that while filled with information that will be shocking and disturbing is also clear and easy to read.
Brilliant book, 07 May 2008
It took courage to write this book and puts Ilan Pappe in the same category as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn lived in a different time and place; however his exposure of an unjust system with a manipulated history had significant impact on changing it.
During the past century a number of milestones have been put in place including the formation of the League of Nations, the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions. These define the standards to which we are expected to adhere (or be judged by) in both peace and war. We cannot compare what was acceptable behaviour in biblical times, ancient empires or the middle ages with a 20th Century ethnic cleansing.
If Pappe's book contributes towards peace in the Middle East through truth and reconciliation, then may history remember him well. He will have achieved what the United Nations and the world's leading superpower failed to do.
How A Racist State Was Formed., 27 Mar 2008
In The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, PappƩ explains and documents that the true goal of the founders of Zionism had always been to create a majority Jewish state, emptied as much as possible of the native Palestinian population. He meticulously (and painfully) reconstructs the story of how Zionist leaders, over many decades, carefully laid the groundwork for this expulsion and how they intiated their plan in 1948 when the British finally decided to leave.
Israel's official version of the story of 1948 claims that Jewish settlers in Palestine never intended to expel their Palestinian Arab neighbours; that Zionist leaders were willing to accept UN resolution 181 of November 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but that it was the Palestinians who rejected that plan; and that the Palestinians became refugees when they "voluntarily" fled their homes to make room for the Arab armies that invaded Palestine in May 1948 to carry out what they called a "second Holocaust" against Jews.
PappƩ decided to debunk the Israeli myths by relying almost exclusively on declassified Israeli military archives and the memoirs of Israel's "founding fathers." These sources leave no doubt that, in the decades before 1948, the leaders of Zionism concocted a premeditated plan to expel the native Palestinian population. PappƩ details how these Israeli "heroes" executed the plan in the period from December 1947 to March 1949 through the use of massacres, rapes, demolition of villages, and forced expulsion of the native population. In doing so, he manages to vindicate and corroborate the story that the Palestinians have been trying to get out to the Western world for the past sixty years.
Zionist leaders drew up Plan D, or dalet in Hebrew. These leaders ordered their militias and gangs to start implementing Plan D only hours after the UN issued resolution 181 in November 1947. The long nightmare for the Palestinians would only get worse. Zionist militias began to attack and expel villagers with or without provocation inside lands allocated to either the Jewish or Arab state.
Declassified Israeli military archives confirm that the Zionist militias carried out at least thirty-seven large-scale massacres in that period. Some of the worst massacres and rape cases took place in villages such as Deir Yassin.
By the spring of 1949, Israel had conquered up to 80 percent of historic Palestine. It expelled 800,000 Palestinians, or 75 percent of the native Arab population, from their homeland, turning them into refugees and preventing them from coming back at the end of the war. The founding fathers had finally succeeded in securing a Jewish state with a Jewish majority.
Excellent and essential reading.
The begining of a disaster., 03 Mar 2008
Anyone wishing to understand the roots of the Arab Israeli conflict from an historical perspective must read this book. Pappe presents an alternate course of events that lead up to the creation of the state of Israel and to me at least he seems to have hit on a vein of truth and one that, if a fraction is true, makes for depressing reading. What is really upsetting is that there is little hope of any improvement for the Palestinian people whilst the other versions on the story are presented as the sole historic truth.
The REAL history of the Israeli state, 02 Nov 2007
An excellent and meticulously researched historical text.
The level of cold, calculated brutality and unprovoked savagery used against a largely peaceful peasant population usually offering little or no resistance, a population quite unprepared for a war, who were usually just 'going about their business', is absolutely shocking. As is the clinical pre-planning and ruthless, cold efficiency with which the plan was then carried out. It is no exaggeration to compare what happened with the Nazi push into the Baltic states and Russia in the early 1940's.
The reality of what actually happened during the years 1948-49, compared with the 'official' Israeli version, is astonishing. This is a subject I have had an interest in for some considerable time now, but despite my interest and knowledge of the subject, I was not prepared for the detail. The unnecessary nastiness and inhumanity of the jewish forces, is really hard to come to terms with.
It is also interesting to compare the present day horror and outrage that is expressed at the actions of a 'suicide bomber' with events in early 1948 [when there was no war]. The Stern Gang and Hagana routinely threw bombs into CIVILIAN Palestinian gatherings and blew up houses with all the occupants asleep inside, often killing scores of people, simply to terrorise the population into fleeing Palestine.
I am also deeply ashamed of the role [or non-role] played by the British forces, with one or two notable exceptions, [and the Bevin Government] who, until May 1948, were still officially charged with upholding law and order in Palestine.
Anyone who still buys the notion that the events at Quana, the murder of the UN workers [despite hours of telephone conversations], the very high civilian casualty rates during the 2006 push into Lebanon, the deaths on the beach in Gaza and so on, were all REALLY accidental, should read this book. This particular brand of terror is long established practice by the Israelis.
In fact, it is hard to understand how most of our media and politicians, people who have chosen to make a career informing the rest of us about what goes on, in and around the world, seem remarkably oblivious to this information. Well, there are no excuses now are there ?
I am not sure how anyone could [intelligently] argue that this is 'a piece of anti-zionist fiction' as one of your reviewers suggests, it is far too factually based and closely referenced. It IS a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby and their campaign of distortion and misinformation that we are still presented by most of the media for most of the time the image of Israel as the victim in the Middle East. Now THAT is a piece of PRO-zionist fiction. Excellent, though disturbing book.
Superb book, 19 Nov 2008
This is an intelligent and insightful look at our ageing world. A great read and to be highly recommended. :)
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Customer Reviews
A real eye opener, 13 Jul 2008
A real eye opener.
This book may be a little difficult for some to come to terms with and for others even more difficult to accept. It is something that has been placed in the psyche of us in Europe after the horrors of the holocaust that any criticism of the state of Israel or Zionism is equal to anti semitism. That the state of Israel was created out of the ashes of the second world war in order to provide a safe and free land for Jews the world over and a place of return for the Jews to their historical homeland.
This book dispels the myth. Pappe rather presents the establishment of the state of Israel as being not only created by men whose ideology was every equal of the extreme nationalism that European Jews had suffered under but also created out of the ethnic cleansing of the native population of that land, the Palestinians.
Pappe begins his book by providing us with with definitions of ethnic cleansing quoting from the United Nations amongst others. unfortunately his use of wikipedia, an 'encyclopedia' by his own admissions is edited by anyone in order to further his argument greatly diminishes his own introduction. While he may choose to use this in his own words to gauge public opinion on how genocide and ethnic cleansing is defined the fact that wikipedia is more of a soap box for anyone with a grudge makes the website frankly worthless.
According to Pappe, ethnic cleansing is something that requires planning and pre-thought before execution and in the first few chapters Pappe documents how Zionist leaders wrote up maps of Palestinian areas, their populations and numbers. Pappe is also quick to point out however, how some Palestinian leaders were only too happy to sell off land to Zionist settlers believing that the greater threat to their land was the colonialism of the British. For some, the Zionists were the poor of Europe and offered little threat, little were they to know that these people would be one and the same who orchestrated their own extinction from their own lands.
Pappe goes on to examine the execution of the Zionist plans of forced expulsion of Palestinians under threats of murder, how the response of Arab militias resulted in further excuses for Zionist outrages on civilian populations. Pappe gives examples of Palestinian villages of both Christian and Muslim who were wiped from the map. Further examples of man (Defined as aged between 10 and 50) being separated from their women folk and executed. Examples of mass rape, destruction of Churches, Mosques, orchards are also given.
Another interesting point is the Arab-Israeli war which Pappe defines as a 'phony war' Pointing out that Jordan had no intention of defending Palestinians rather in protecting its agreed annexation of the West Bank. How the poorly armed and trained Arab armies were no match for the Zionist forces due to the Egyptians while large in numbers (Swelled by the Muslim brotherhood whose lack of any military training made them more a liability than help) The Syrians lack of modern arms, the Lebanese whose numbers were so small they were more concerned with holding onto their own land and Iraqis. Most of these forces were tied down by their own political leaders who had no intentions of seeing them defend the Palestinian people.
I believe it was Robert Fisk in his book 'Pity the nation' who once pointed out the irony of the victims of genocide often being the most enthusiastic perpetrators of it. It is interesting that most of the criticism of this book is that it is 'anti semitic' (Strange considering the author is Jewish!) and reminds me of how Serbs would point out the massacres that were committed against their people in World War 2 by Croatian militias as though that somehow justifies the slaughter of thousands in Bosnia and Kosovo. Similarly Zionists use the holocaust to deflect war crimes in Lebanon and the ethnic cleansing of an entire people in Palestine.
Thankfully Pappe has brought this to the worlds attention in a book that while filled with information that will be shocking and disturbing is also clear and easy to read.
Brilliant book, 07 May 2008
It took courage to write this book and puts Ilan Pappe in the same category as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn lived in a different time and place; however his exposure of an unjust system with a manipulated history had significant impact on changing it.
During the past century a number of milestones have been put in place including the formation of the League of Nations, the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions. These define the standards to which we are expected to adhere (or be judged by) in both peace and war. We cannot compare what was acceptable behaviour in biblical times, ancient empires or the middle ages with a 20th Century ethnic cleansing.
If Pappe's book contributes towards peace in the Middle East through truth and reconciliation, then may history remember him well. He will have achieved what the United Nations and the world's leading superpower failed to do.
How A Racist State Was Formed., 27 Mar 2008
In The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, PappƩ explains and documents that the true goal of the founders of Zionism had always been to create a majority Jewish state, emptied as much as possible of the native Palestinian population. He meticulously (and painfully) reconstructs the story of how Zionist leaders, over many decades, carefully laid the groundwork for this expulsion and how they intiated their plan in 1948 when the British finally decided to leave.
Israel's official version of the story of 1948 claims that Jewish settlers in Palestine never intended to expel their Palestinian Arab neighbours; that Zionist leaders were willing to accept UN resolution 181 of November 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but that it was the Palestinians who rejected that plan; and that the Palestinians became refugees when they "voluntarily" fled their homes to make room for the Arab armies that invaded Palestine in May 1948 to carry out what they called a "second Holocaust" against Jews.
PappƩ decided to debunk the Israeli myths by relying almost exclusively on declassified Israeli military archives and the memoirs of Israel's "founding fathers." These sources leave no doubt that, in the decades before 1948, the leaders of Zionism concocted a premeditated plan to expel the native Palestinian population. PappƩ details how these Israeli "heroes" executed the plan in the period from December 1947 to March 1949 through the use of massacres, rapes, demolition of villages, and forced expulsion of the native population. In doing so, he manages to vindicate and corroborate the story that the Palestinians have been trying to get out to the Western world for the past sixty years.
Zionist leaders drew up Plan D, or dalet in Hebrew. These leaders ordered their militias and gangs to start implementing Plan D only hours after the UN issued resolution 181 in November 1947. The long nightmare for the Palestinians would only get worse. Zionist militias began to attack and expel villagers with or without provocation inside lands allocated to either the Jewish or Arab state.
Declassified Israeli military archives confirm that the Zionist militias carried out at least thirty-seven large-scale massacres in that period. Some of the worst massacres and rape cases took place in villages such as Deir Yassin.
By the spring of 1949, Israel had conquered up to 80 percent of historic Palestine. It expelled 800,000 Palestinians, or 75 percent of the native Arab population, from their homeland, turning them into refugees and preventing them from coming back at the end of the war. The founding fathers had finally succeeded in securing a Jewish state with a Jewish majority.
Excellent and essential reading.
The begining of a disaster., 03 Mar 2008
Anyone wishing to understand the roots of the Arab Israeli conflict from an historical perspective must read this book. Pappe presents an alternate course of events that lead up to the creation of the state of Israel and to me at least he seems to have hit on a vein of truth and one that, if a fraction is true, makes for depressing reading. What is really upsetting is that there is little hope of any improvement for the Palestinian people whilst the other versions on the story are presented as the sole historic truth.
The REAL history of the Israeli state, 02 Nov 2007
An excellent and meticulously researched historical text.
The level of cold, calculated brutality and unprovoked savagery used against a largely peaceful peasant population usually offering little or no resistance, a population quite unprepared for a war, who were usually just 'going about their business', is absolutely shocking. As is the clinical pre-planning and ruthless, cold efficiency with which the plan was then carried out. It is no exaggeration to compare what happened with the Nazi push into the Baltic states and Russia in the early 1940's.
The reality of what actually happened during the years 1948-49, compared with the 'official' Israeli version, is astonishing. This is a subject I have had an interest in for some considerable time now, but despite my interest and knowledge of the subject, I was not prepared for the detail. The unnecessary nastiness and inhumanity of the jewish forces, is really hard to come to terms with.
It is also interesting to compare the present day horror and outrage that is expressed at the actions of a 'suicide bomber' with events in early 1948 [when there was no war]. The Stern Gang and Hagana routinely threw bombs into CIVILIAN Palestinian gatherings and blew up houses with all the occupants asleep inside, often killing scores of people, simply to terrorise the population into fleeing Palestine.
I am also deeply ashamed of the role [or non-role] played by the British forces, with one or two notable exceptions, [and the Bevin Government] who, until May 1948, were still officially charged with upholding law and order in Palestine.
Anyone who still buys the notion that the events at Quana, the murder of the UN workers [despite hours of telephone conversations], the very high civilian casualty rates during the 2006 push into Lebanon, the deaths on the beach in Gaza and so on, were all REALLY accidental, should read this book. This particular brand of terror is long established practice by the Israelis.
In fact, it is hard to understand how most of our media and politicians, people who have chosen to make a career informing the rest of us about what goes on, in and around the world, seem remarkably oblivious to this information. Well, there are no excuses now are there ?
I am not sure how anyone could [intelligently] argue that this is 'a piece of anti-zionist fiction' as one of your reviewers suggests, it is far too factually based and closely referenced. It IS a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby and their campaign of distortion and misinformation that we are still presented by most of the media for most of the time the image of Israel as the victim in the Middle East. Now THAT is a piece of PRO-zionist fiction. Excellent, though disturbing book.
Superb book, 19 Nov 2008
This is an intelligent and insightful look at our ageing world. A great read and to be highly recommended. :)
Moving to the United States, 05 Jan 2009
An easy to read book on moving to the US. The author has a dry semse of humor that can be annoying, but its packed full of up to date information on everything you will encounter. The sections on Eductaion and schools I found very interesting.
Useful but incomplete, 28 Sep 2008
Don't get me wrong, this book has a good level of information about a lot of the issues that you need to consider if making the move to the US: house purchase, tax, visa, credit score etc.
It is easy to easy and quick to read and written in a simple and informal way.
The section I think I would like to see is something about healthcare. This isn't mentioned at all and I think it must be up high on most people's priorities when thinking of making this move, as the US system is so different from the one in the UK. Definitely a big omission.
Even with this though it is a good buy.
Moving to America and working, 12 Sep 2008
I can not imagine how you would move or buy a home in the U.S without this book. If you are thinking about it, you need to get this. It breaks it down little by little on all the details on what you will need to know to make the move. I enjoyed the style of writing not like a text book, but with some humor.
Moving to the United States of America and Immigration, 17 Jun 2008
Moving to the United States of America and Immigration. If you are thinking of buying a home, living and working or Moving to America. This is the book you need. Nothing else to add. 10 out of 10.
Very nice book full of good information, 06 Jun 2008
This is a very nice book full of valuable information. I was impressed by the details contained, the author seemed to cover everything that you will encounter. If you are just buying a home or making the move to live in the U.S.
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Customer Reviews
A real eye opener, 13 Jul 2008
A real eye opener.
This book may be a little difficult for some to come to terms with and for others even more difficult to accept. It is something that has been placed in the psyche of us in Europe after the horrors of the holocaust that any criticism of the state of Israel or Zionism is equal to anti semitism. That the state of Israel was created out of the ashes of the second world war in order to provide a safe and free land for Jews the world over and a place of return for the Jews to their historical homeland.
This book dispels the myth. Pappe rather presents the establishment of the state of Israel as being not only created by men whose ideology was every equal of the extreme nationalism that European Jews had suffered under but also created out of the ethnic cleansing of the native population of that land, the Palestinians.
Pappe begins his book by providing us with with definitions of ethnic cleansing quoting from the United Nations amongst others. unfortunately his use of wikipedia, an 'encyclopedia' by his own admissions is edited by anyone in order to further his argument greatly diminishes his own introduction. While he may choose to use this in his own words to gauge public opinion on how genocide and ethnic cleansing is defined the fact that wikipedia is more of a soap box for anyone with a grudge makes the website frankly worthless.
According to Pappe, ethnic cleansing is something that requires planning and pre-thought before execution and in the first few chapters Pappe documents how Zionist leaders wrote up maps of Palestinian areas, their populations and numbers. Pappe is also quick to point out however, how some Palestinian leaders were only too happy to sell off land to Zionist settlers believing that the greater threat to their land was the colonialism of the British. For some, the Zionists were the poor of Europe and offered little threat, little were they to know that these people would be one and the same who orchestrated their own extinction from their own lands.
Pappe goes on to examine the execution of the Zionist plans of forced expulsion of Palestinians under threats of murder, how the response of Arab militias resulted in further excuses for Zionist outrages on civilian populations. Pappe gives examples of Palestinian villages of both Christian and Muslim who were wiped from the map. Further examples of man (Defined as aged between 10 and 50) being separated from their women folk and executed. Examples of mass rape, destruction of Churches, Mosques, orchards are also given.
Another interesting point is the Arab-Israeli war which Pappe defines as a 'phony war' Pointing out that Jordan had no intention of defending Palestinians rather in protecting its agreed annexation of the West Bank. How the poorly armed and trained Arab armies were no match for the Zionist forces due to the Egyptians while large in numbers (Swelled by the Muslim brotherhood whose lack of any military training made them more a liability than help) The Syrians lack of modern arms, the Lebanese whose numbers were so small they were more concerned with holding onto their own land and Iraqis. Most of these forces were tied down by their own political leaders who had no intentions of seeing them defend the Palestinian people.
I believe it was Robert Fisk in his book 'Pity the nation' who once pointed out the irony of the victims of genocide often being the most enthusiastic perpetrators of it. It is interesting that most of the criticism of this book is that it is 'anti semitic' (Strange considering the author is Jewish!) and reminds me of how Serbs would point out the massacres that were committed against their people in World War 2 by Croatian militias as though that somehow justifies the slaughter of thousands in Bosnia and Kosovo. Similarly Zionists use the holocaust to deflect war crimes in Lebanon and the ethnic cleansing of an entire people in Palestine.
Thankfully Pappe has brought this to the worlds attention in a book that while filled with information that will be shocking and disturbing is also clear and easy to read.
Brilliant book, 07 May 2008
It took courage to write this book and puts Ilan Pappe in the same category as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn lived in a different time and place; however his exposure of an unjust system with a manipulated history had significant impact on changing it.
During the past century a number of milestones have been put in place including the formation of the League of Nations, the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions. These define the standards to which we are expected to adhere (or be judged by) in both peace and war. We cannot compare what was acceptable behaviour in biblical times, ancient empires or the middle ages with a 20th Century ethnic cleansing.
If Pappe's book contributes towards peace in the Middle East through truth and reconciliation, then may history remember him well. He will have achieved what the United Nations and the world's leading superpower failed to do.
How A Racist State Was Formed., 27 Mar 2008
In The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, PappƩ explains and documents that the true goal of the founders of Zionism had always been to create a majority Jewish state, emptied as much as possible of the native Palestinian population. He meticulously (and painfully) reconstructs the story of how Zionist leaders, over many decades, carefully laid the groundwork for this expulsion and how they intiated their plan in 1948 when the British finally decided to leave.
Israel's official version of the story of 1948 claims that Jewish settlers in Palestine never intended to expel their Palestinian Arab neighbours; that Zionist leaders were willing to accept UN resolution 181 of November 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but that it was the Palestinians who rejected that plan; and that the Palestinians became refugees when they "voluntarily" fled their homes to make room for the Arab armies that invaded Palestine in May 1948 to carry out what they called a "second Holocaust" against Jews.
PappƩ decided to debunk the Israeli myths by relying almost exclusively on declassified Israeli military archives and the memoirs of Israel's "founding fathers." These sources leave no doubt that, in the decades before 1948, the leaders of Zionism concocted a premeditated plan to expel the native Palestinian population. PappƩ details how these Israeli "heroes" executed the plan in the period from December 1947 to March 1949 through the use of massacres, rapes, demolition of villages, and forced expulsion of the native population. In doing so, he manages to vindicate and corroborate the story that the Palestinians have been trying to get out to the Western world for the past sixty years.
Zionist leaders drew up Plan D, or dalet in Hebrew. These leaders ordered their militias and gangs to start implementing Plan D only hours after the UN issued resolution 181 in November 1947. The long nightmare for the Palestinians would only get worse. Zionist militias began to attack and expel villagers with or without provocation inside lands allocated to either the Jewish or Arab state.
Declassified Israeli military archives confirm that the Zionist militias carried out at least thirty-seven large-scale massacres in that period. Some of the worst massacres and rape cases took place in villages such as Deir Yassin.
By the spring of 1949, Israel had conquered up to 80 percent of historic Palestine. It expelled 800,000 Palestinians, or 75 percent of the native Arab population, from their homeland, turning them into refugees and preventing them from coming back at the end of the war. The founding fathers had finally succeeded in securing a Jewish state with a Jewish majority.
Excellent and essential reading.
The begining of a disaster., 03 Mar 2008
Anyone wishing to understand the roots of the Arab Israeli conflict from an historical perspective must read this book. Pappe presents an alternate course of events that lead up to the creation of the state of Israel and to me at least he seems to have hit on a vein of truth and one that, if a fraction is true, makes for depressing reading. What is really upsetting is that there is little hope of any improvement for the Palestinian people whilst the other versions on the story are presented as the sole historic truth.
The REAL history of the Israeli state, 02 Nov 2007
An excellent and meticulously researched historical text.
The level of cold, calculated brutality and unprovoked savagery used against a largely peaceful peasant population usually offering little or no resistance, a population quite unprepared for a war, who were usually just 'going about their business', is absolutely shocking. As is the clinical pre-planning and ruthless, cold efficiency with which the plan was then carried out. It is no exaggeration to compare what happened with the Nazi push into the Baltic states and Russia in the early 1940's.
The reality of what actually happened during the years 1948-49, compared with the 'official' Israeli version, is astonishing. This is a subject I have had an interest in for some considerable time now, but despite my interest and knowledge of the subject, I was not prepared for the detail. The unnecessary nastiness and inhumanity of the jewish forces, is really hard to come to terms with.
It is also interesting to compare the present day horror and outrage that is expressed at the actions of a 'suicide bomber' with events in early 1948 [when there was no war]. The Stern Gang and Hagana routinely threw bombs into CIVILIAN Palestinian gatherings and blew up houses with all the occupants asleep inside, often killing scores of people, simply to terrorise the population into fleeing Palestine.
I am also deeply ashamed of the role [or non-role] played by the British forces, with one or two notable exceptions, [and the Bevin Government] who, until May 1948, were still officially charged with upholding law and order in Palestine.
Anyone who still buys the notion that the events at Quana, the murder of the UN workers [despite hours of telephone conversations], the very high civilian casualty rates during the 2006 push into Lebanon, the deaths on the beach in Gaza and so on, were all REALLY accidental, should read this book. This particular brand of terror is long established practice by the Israelis.
In fact, it is hard to understand how most of our media and politicians, people who have chosen to make a career informing the rest of us about what goes on, in and around the world, seem remarkably oblivious to this information. Well, there are no excuses now are there ?
I am not sure how anyone could [intelligently] argue that this is 'a piece of anti-zionist fiction' as one of your reviewers suggests, it is far too factually based and closely referenced. It IS a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby and their campaign of distortion and misinformation that we are still presented by most of the media for most of the time the image of Israel as the victim in the Middle East. Now THAT is a piece of PRO-zionist fiction. Excellent, though disturbing book.
Superb book, 19 Nov 2008
This is an intelligent and insightful look at our ageing world. A great read and to be highly recommended. :)
Moving to the United States, 05 Jan 2009
An easy to read book on moving to the US. The author has a dry semse of humor that can be annoying, but its packed full of up to date information on everything you will encounter. The sections on Eductaion and schools I found very interesting.
Useful but incomplete, 28 Sep 2008
Don't get me wrong, this book has a good level of information about a lot of the issues that you need to consider if making the move to the US: house purchase, tax, visa, credit score etc.
It is easy to easy and quick to read and written in a simple and informal way.
The section I think I would like to see is something about healthcare. This isn't mentioned at all and I think it must be up high on most people's priorities when thinking of making this move, as the US system is so different from the one in the UK. Definitely a big omission.
Even with this though it is a good buy.
Moving to America and working, 12 Sep 2008
I can not imagine how you would move or buy a home in the U.S without this book. If you are thinking about it, you need to get this. It breaks it down little by little on all the details on what you will need to know to make the move. I enjoyed the style of writing not like a text book, but with some humor.
Moving to the United States of America and Immigration, 17 Jun 2008
Moving to the United States of America and Immigration. If you are thinking of buying a home, living and working or Moving to America. This is the book you need. Nothing else to add. 10 out of 10.
Very nice book full of good information, 06 Jun 2008
This is a very nice book full of valuable information. I was impressed by the details contained, the author seemed to cover everything that you will encounter. If you are just buying a home or making the move to live in the U.S.
Poor, 10 Sep 2008
I read the book cover to cover in a couple of hours. This is mostly down to the vast majority of content being pretty basic and useless. I agree with the critical reviews already published. There's an awful lot of generalisation, little facts or detail. Says tax is higher, but not what the rates are, says wages are lower - but not how much in proportion to cost of living. Gives advice to research in advance, but mostly refers to the Govt immigration website. Advice on jobs and/or careers is poor. So in terms of decision making, it doesn't help one way or another. It's ok for a second-hand book to read, but if you're looking for a serious book to give you the hard facts of living and working in Australia, this isn't the one!
A Hugely Helpful Book, 22 Apr 2008
My decision to take the plunge and move to Australia was a rather last minute one! This book turned out to be my lifeline - it outlined everything I needed to consider and do before leaving and on arrival. Thank you!
I could not have done without it!, 08 Apr 2008
If you are looking for a travel book then this is not for you, but if you are serious about moving to Australia then you must read it! I found the section on obtaining a Visa extremely helpful and the advice about renting a property and healthcare were indispensable. This is not information and advice to be found easily once you are in the country. I really could not have done without it!
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!, 16 Mar 2008
It is the biggest waste of money ever. Part One "a general overview of living in Austrlia" contains such gems as "Australia has an incredibly high taxation system - a fact few people realise before they arrive in Australia". That's it, so what's the tax rates then , where do I go to find them? Or "Gaining credit can be problematic for non-residents. It is unlikely that any financial institution will offer this facility as a matter of course....". However there is no mention of how useful it is to get credit reports from your bank etc, in the Uk and take them with you.
The second section "Australia's Main Cities" I think has been sponsored by the Australian Tourist Board. There is apparently no problems in any of the australian cities, it is, if you took this book at face value. Utopia. Rents are quoted from 2005 - despite this being a 2007 print - so are completely unrealistic. I loved the coment " Metro Light rail.....is fairly limited at present , therefore it is generally only used by people comuting between the areas it currently services:..." - well, yeah, obviously.
I didn't buy this book thinking it would contain all the answers, I saw it as a jumping of point with ideas for good websites and lists of Before You Go's.
Save your money, Google "Living in Sydney/Adelaide/Perth", use Cityhobo and Australia Expat Forum and actually get some up to date advice.
Dissapointed, 10 Mar 2008
Given previous reviews which had been written on this book I had high hopes for it. However the information tended to be a bit general, and didn't supply me with much more than I already knew from the internet etc.
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Customer Reviews
A real eye opener, 13 Jul 2008
A real eye opener.
This book may be a little difficult for some to come to terms with and for others even more difficult to accept. It is something that has been placed in the psyche of us in Europe after the horrors of the holocaust that any criticism of the state of Israel or Zionism is equal to anti semitism. That the state of Israel was created out of the ashes of the second world war in order to provide a safe and free land for Jews the world over and a place of return for the Jews to their historical homeland.
This book dispels the myth. Pappe rather presents the establishment of the state of Israel as being not only created by men whose ideology was every equal of the extreme nationalism that European Jews had suffered under but also created out of the ethnic cleansing of the native population of that land, the Palestinians.
Pappe begins his book by providing us with with definitions of ethnic cleansing quoting from the United Nations amongst others. unfortunately his use of wikipedia, an 'encyclopedia' by his own admissions is edited by anyone in order to further his argument greatly diminishes his own introduction. While he may choose to use this in his own words to gauge public opinion on how genocide and ethnic cleansing is defined the fact that wikipedia is more of a soap box for anyone with a grudge makes the website frankly worthless.
According to Pappe, ethnic cleansing is something that requires planning and pre-thought before execution and in the first few chapters Pappe documents how Zionist leaders wrote up maps of Palestinian areas, their populations and numbers. Pappe is also quick to point out however, how some Palestinian leaders were only too happy to sell off land to Zionist settlers believing that the greater threat to their land was the colonialism of the British. For some, the Zionists were the poor of Europe and offered little threat, little were they to know that these people would be one and the same who orchestrated their own extinction from their own lands.
Pappe goes on to examine the execution of the Zionist plans of forced expulsion of Palestinians under threats of murder, how the response of Arab militias resulted in further excuses for Zionist outrages on civilian populations. Pappe gives examples of Palestinian villages of both Christian and Muslim who were wiped from the map. Further examples of man (Defined as aged between 10 and 50) being separated from their women folk and executed. Examples of mass rape, destruction of Churches, Mosques, orchards are also given.
Another interesting point is the Arab-Israeli war which Pappe defines as a 'phony war' Pointing out that Jordan had no intention of defending Palestinians rather in protecting its agreed annexation of the West Bank. How the poorly armed and trained Arab armies were no match for the Zionist forces due to the Egyptians while large in numbers (Swelled by the Muslim brotherhood whose lack of any military training made them more a liability than help) The Syrians lack of modern arms, the Lebanese whose numbers were so small they were more concerned with holding onto their own land and Iraqis. Most of these forces were tied down by their own political leaders who had no intentions of seeing them defend the Palestinian people.
I believe it was Robert Fisk in his book 'Pity the nation' who once pointed out the irony of the victims of genocide often being the most enthusiastic perpetrators of it. It is interesting that most of the criticism of this book is that it is 'anti semitic' (Strange considering the author is Jewish!) and reminds me of how Serbs would point out the massacres that were committed against their people in World War 2 by Croatian militias as though that somehow justifies the slaughter of thousands in Bosnia and Kosovo. Similarly Zionists use the holocaust to deflect war crimes in Lebanon and the ethnic cleansing of an entire people in Palestine.
Thankfully Pappe has brought this to the worlds attention in a book that while filled with information that will be shocking and disturbing is also clear and easy to read.
Brilliant book, 07 May 2008
It took courage to write this book and puts Ilan Pappe in the same category as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn lived in a different time and place; however his exposure of an unjust system with a manipulated history had significant impact on changing it.
During the past century a number of milestones have been put in place including the formation of the League of Nations, the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions. These define the standards to which we are expected to adhere (or be judged by) in both peace and war. We cannot compare what was acceptable behaviour in biblical times, ancient empires or the middle ages with a 20th Century ethnic cleansing.
If Pappe's book contributes towards peace in the Middle East through truth and reconciliation, then may history remember him well. He will have achieved what the United Nations and the world's leading superpower failed to do.
How A Racist State Was Formed., 27 Mar 2008
In The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, PappƩ explains and documents that the true goal of the founders of Zionism had always been to create a majority Jewish state, emptied as much as possible of the native Palestinian population. He meticulously (and painfully) reconstructs the story of how Zionist leaders, over many decades, carefully laid the groundwork for this expulsion and how they intiated their plan in 1948 when the British finally decided to leave.
Israel's official version of the story of 1948 claims that Jewish settlers in Palestine never intended to expel their Palestinian Arab neighbours; that Zionist leaders were willing to accept UN resolution 181 of November 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but that it was the Palestinians who rejected that plan; and that the Palestinians became refugees when they "voluntarily" fled their homes to make room for the Arab armies that invaded Palestine in May 1948 to carry out what they called a "second Holocaust" against Jews.
PappƩ decided to debunk the Israeli myths by relying almost exclusively on declassified Israeli military archives and the memoirs of Israel's "founding fathers." These sources leave no doubt that, in the decades before 1948, the leaders of Zionism concocted a premeditated plan to expel the native Palestinian population. PappƩ details how these Israeli "heroes" executed the plan in the period from December 1947 to March 1949 through the use of massacres, rapes, demolition of villages, and forced expulsion of the native population. In doing so, he manages to vindicate and corroborate the story that the Palestinians have been trying to get out to the Western world for the past sixty years.
Zionist leaders drew up Plan D, or dalet in Hebrew. These leaders ordered their militias and gangs to start implementing Plan D only hours after the UN issued resolution 181 in November 1947. The long nightmare for the Palestinians would only get worse. Zionist militias began to attack and expel villagers with or without provocation inside lands allocated to either the Jewish or Arab state.
Declassified Israeli military archives confirm that the Zionist militias carried out at least thirty-seven large-scale massacres in that period. Some of the worst massacres and rape cases took place in villages such as Deir Yassin.
By the spring of 1949, Israel had conquered up to 80 percent of historic Palestine. It expelled 800,000 Palestinians, or 75 percent of the native Arab population, from their homeland, turning them into refugees and preventing them from coming back at the end of the war. The founding fathers had finally succeeded in securing a Jewish state with a Jewish majority.
Excellent and essential reading.
The begining of a disaster., 03 Mar 2008
Anyone wishing to understand the roots of the Arab Israeli conflict from an historical perspective must read this book. Pappe presents an alternate course of events that lead up to the creation of the state of Israel and to me at least he seems to have hit on a vein of truth and one that, if a fraction is true, makes for depressing reading. What is really upsetting is that there is little hope of any improvement for the Palestinian people whilst the other versions on the story are presented as the sole historic truth. The REAL history of the Israeli state, 02 Nov 2007
An excellent and meticulously researched historical text.
The level of cold, calculated brutality and unprovoked savagery used against a largely peaceful peasant population usually offering little or no resistance, a population quite unprepared for a war, who were usually just 'going about their business', is absolutely shocking. As is the clinical pre-planning and ruthless, cold efficiency with which the plan was then carried out. It is no exaggeration to compare what happened with the Nazi push into the Baltic states and Russia in the early 1940's.
The reality of what actually happened during the years 1948-49, compared with the 'official' Israeli version, is astonishing. This is a subject I have had an interest in for some considerable time now, but despite my interest and knowledge of the subject, I was not prepared for the detail. The unnecessary nastiness and inhumanity of the jewish forces, is really hard to come to terms with.
It is also interesting to compare the present day horror and outrage that is expressed at the actions of a 'suicide bomber' with events in early 1948 [when there was no war]. The Stern Gang and Hagana routinely threw bombs into CIVILIAN Palestinian gatherings and blew up houses with all the occupants asleep inside, often killing scores of people, simply to terrorise the population into fleeing Palestine.
I am also deeply ashamed of the role [or non-role] played by the British forces, with one or two notable exceptions, [and the Bevin Government] who, until May 1948, were still officially charged with upholding law and order in Palestine.
Anyone who still buys the notion that the events at Quana, the murder of the UN workers [despite hours of telephone conversations], the very high civilian casualty rates during the 2006 push into Lebanon, the deaths on the beach in Gaza and so on, were all REALLY accidental, should read this book. This particular brand of terror is long established practice by the Israelis.
In fact, it is hard to understand how most of our media and politicians, people who have chosen to make a career informing the rest of us about what goes on, in and around the world, seem remarkably oblivious to this information. Well, there are no excuses now are there ?
I am not sure how anyone could [intelligently] argue that this is 'a piece of anti-zionist fiction' as one of your reviewers suggests, it is far too factually based and closely referenced. It IS a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby and their campaign of distortion and misinformation that we are still presented by most of the media for most of the time the image of Israel as the victim in the Middle East. Now THAT is a piece of PRO-zionist fiction. Excellent, though disturbing book. Superb book, 19 Nov 2008
This is an intelligent and insightful look at our ageing world. A great read and to be highly recommended. :) Moving to the United States, 05 Jan 2009
An easy to read book on moving to the US. The author has a dry semse of humor that can be annoying, but its packed full of up to date information on everything you will encounter. The sections on Eductaion and schools I found very interesting. Useful but incomplete, 28 Sep 2008
Don't get me wrong, this book has a good level of information about a lot of the issues that you need to consider if making the move to the US: house purchase, tax, visa, credit score etc.
It is easy to easy and quick to read and written in a simple and informal way.
The section I think I would like to see is something about healthcare. This isn't mentioned at all and I think it must be up high on most people's priorities when thinking of making this move, as the US system is so different from the one in the UK. Definitely a big omission.
Even with this though it is a good buy. Moving to America and working, 12 Sep 2008
I can not imagine how you would move or buy a home in the U.S without this book. If you are thinking about it, you need to get this. It breaks it down little by little on all the details on what you will need to know to make the move. I enjoyed the style of writing not like a text book, but with some humor. Moving to the United States of America and Immigration, 17 Jun 2008
Moving to the United States of America and Immigration. If you are thinking of buying a home, living and working or Moving to America. This is the book you need. Nothing else to add. 10 out of 10. Very nice book full of good information, 06 Jun 2008
This is a very nice book full of valuable information. I was impressed by the details contained, the author seemed to cover everything that you will encounter. If you are just buying a home or making the move to live in the U.S. Poor, 10 Sep 2008
I read the book cover to cover in a couple of hours. This is mostly down to the vast majority of content being pretty basic and useless. I agree with the critical reviews already published. There's an awful lot of generalisation, little facts or detail. Says tax is higher, but not what the rates are, says wages are lower - but not how much in proportion to cost of living. Gives advice to research in advance, but mostly refers to the Govt immigration website. Advice on jobs and/or careers is poor. So in terms of decision making, it doesn't help one way or another. It's ok for a second-hand book to read, but if you're looking for a serious book to give you the hard facts of living and working in Australia, this isn't the one! A Hugely Helpful Book, 22 Apr 2008
My decision to take the plunge and move to Australia was a rather last minute one! This book turned out to be my lifeline - it outlined everything I needed to consider and do before leaving and on arrival. Thank you! I could not have done without it!, 08 Apr 2008
If you are looking for a travel book then this is not for you, but if you are serious about moving to Australia then you must read it! I found the section on obtaining a Visa extremely helpful and the advice about renting a property and healthcare were indispensable. This is not information and advice to be found easily once you are in the country. I really could not have done without it! DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!, 16 Mar 2008
It is the biggest waste of money ever. Part One "a general overview of living in Austrlia" contains such gems as "Australia has an incredibly high taxation system - a fact few people realise before they arrive in Australia". That's it, so what's the tax rates then , where do I go to find them? Or "Gaining credit can be problematic for non-residents. It is unlikely that any financial institution will offer this facility as a matter of course....". However there is no mention of how useful it is to get credit reports from your bank etc, in the Uk and take them with you.
The second section "Australia's Main Cities" I think has been sponsored by the Australian Tourist Board. There is apparently no problems in any of the australian cities, it is, if you took this book at face value. Utopia. Rents are quoted from 2005 - despite this being a 2007 print - so are completely unrealistic. I loved the coment " Metro Light rail.....is fairly limited at present , therefore it is generally only used by people comuting between the areas it currently services:..." - well, yeah, obviously.
I didn't buy this book thinking it would contain all the answers, I saw it as a jumping of point with ideas for good websites and lists of Before You Go's.
Save your money, Google "Living in Sydney/Adelaide/Perth", use Cityhobo and Australia Expat Forum and actually get some up to date advice. Dissapointed, 10 Mar 2008
Given previous reviews which had been written on this book I had high hopes for it. However the information tended to be a bit general, and didn't supply me with much more than I already knew from the internet etc. a special heritage, 22 Dec 2008
Essential reading for all expat parents and their children. This book resonated so profoundly for me that I bought a copy for everyone in my birth family: children of expats who were themselves children of expats.
It examines and explains the common experiences of those who spend a significant part of their development years outside their parents' home culture. Pros and cons are addressed, together with practical advice on how to deal with problems. The authors' understanding of the unique interpersonal and intrapersonal needs of children coming and going from culture to culture is both first-hand and well researched.
As a result of this book, I also suddenly realised that all my friends are TCKs and why so many of us are global nomads; some of us physically, all of us mentally so. There is so much clarification about our shared attitudes and beliefs.
Helpful and informative., 16 Aug 2008
A very positive resource for parents who will be faced with many of these now clearly defined and common issues and experiences. Especially useful for parents who won't have the expeiences their child will know.
Sometimes though it seems a bit anecdotal and also too flattering - many children who aren't TCK often feel the same way as those described by the authors. It's like reading a description of your horoscope sign and saying "OMG that's so me!"
I'd have liked a more researched read - the 'Endnotes' are usually autobiographical in nature. Perhaps there is not a lot of formal research conducted on this topic. If so then this is an encouraging guidebook for the increasing numbers of parents of TCKs. a life changing book for the "third culture kids", 13 Nov 2006
This book is absolutely amazing to read for any TCK, or a person "who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture" ("The TCK profile" seminar material, Interaction, Inc, 1981, 1). At first reading the book had been very difficult simply because I was crying so much reading it that I could not even see the letters anymore. This is because that book puts into words what many TCK knew unconsciously but never put words on it, like the feeling of being different and awkward in one own culture, not having a sense of where home is, etc...
The book has a very positive approach to the analysis of TCKs, and will refer to these issues as challenges rather than problems, and gives keys to transform these challenges into useful tools for everyday life. It also outline well the advantages one gains from such an experience, and it will probably help people maximise the use of these particular skills in their life.
It also gives advice about moving abroad by explaining the different emotional steps a person goes through when moving to a new country, and how to deal with relationship issues related to the TCK way of life and many other useful advices.
In addition, it has a great section on what relatives and friends can do to help the TCK with eventual problems that may arise from that particular experience.
I really recommend this book particularly for adult TCKs as it will help them put in words what has been in their heart all along.
Third Culture Kids, 07 Jan 2005
This is a must-read for anyone who has grown up in several countries and has been exposed to different cultures or who is bringing a child up under these circumstances. The book is based on sound reaserch and is an easy read, without the usual psychobabble. It lays out both the positive and the negative impacts of such a lifestyle and exposes clearly the characteristics of "Third Culture Kids". The book concludes with very practical recommendations on how to overcome the negative aspects and encourage the positive, when bringing up a "Third Culture Kid". There is also much sound advice for adult TCKs. As an adult TCK myself, the most gratifying - and reassuring - part of reading "Third Culture Kids" was finding out that there are so many others who have encountered the same difficulties, shared the same joys and have come out of a TCK childhood with very similar experiences to mine... I couldn't recommend this book more.
This is a brilliant book!, 27 May 2001
Having read a borrowed copy, I couldn't resist buying one for myself. This is an excellent book for anyone having had to deal with growing up in more than one cultural setting. If you've ever wondered why possessions become so important, why it's harder being 'back home' than it was living abroad, where this constant drive for pastures new comes from or why people seem to think you're stuck-up, then this book is for you! Similarly, if you've had more addresses than you have birthdays or changed schools more often than you care to remember, buying this book could prove to be the best money you ever spent. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to any parent considering moving abroad, anyone having been shifted from one place to another and anyone dealing with people who have (partners, grand-parents, youth group leaders, teachers,...). Every school, church, mission base and embassy library should have a copy. An Lannoo
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Customer Reviews
A real eye opener, 13 Jul 2008
A real eye opener.
This book may be a little difficult for some to come to terms with and for others even more difficult to accept. It is something that has been placed in the psyche of us in Europe after the horrors of the holocaust that any criticism of the state of Israel or Zionism is equal to anti semitism. That the state of Israel was created out of the ashes of the second world war in order to provide a safe and free land for Jews the world over and a place of return for the Jews to their historical homeland.
This book dispels the myth. Pappe rather presents the establishment of the state of Israel as being not only created by men whose ideology was every equal of the extreme nationalism that European Jews had suffered under but also created out of the ethnic cleansing of the native population of that land, the Palestinians.
Pappe begins his book by providing us with with definitions of ethnic cleansing quoting from the United Nations amongst others. unfortunately his use of wikipedia, an 'encyclopedia' by his own admissions is edited by anyone in order to further his argument greatly diminishes his own introduction. While he may choose to use this in his own words to gauge public opinion on how genocide and ethnic cleansing is defined the fact that wikipedia is more of a soap box for anyone with a grudge makes the website frankly worthless.
According to Pappe, ethnic cleansing is something that requires planning and pre-thought before execution and in the first few chapters Pappe documents how Zionist leaders wrote up maps of Palestinian areas, their populations and numbers. Pappe is also quick to point out however, how some Palestinian leaders were only too happy to sell off land to Zionist settlers believing that the greater threat to their land was the colonialism of the British. For some, the Zionists were the poor of Europe and offered little threat, little were they to know that these people would be one and the same who orchestrated their own extinction from their own lands.
Pappe goes on to examine the execution of the Zionist plans of forced expulsion of Palestinians under threats of murder, how the response of Arab militias resulted in further excuses for Zionist outrages on civilian populations. Pappe gives examples of Palestinian villages of both Christian and Muslim who were wiped from the map. Further examples of man (Defined as aged between 10 and 50) being separated from their women folk and executed. Examples of mass rape, destruction of Churches, Mosques, orchards are also given.
Another interesting point is the Arab-Israeli war which Pappe defines as a 'phony war' Pointing out that Jordan had no intention of defending Palestinians rather in protecting its agreed annexation of the West Bank. How the poorly armed and trained Arab armies were no match for the Zionist forces due to the Egyptians while large in numbers (Swelled by the Muslim brotherhood whose lack of any military training made them more a liability than help) The Syrians lack of modern arms, the Lebanese whose numbers were so small they were more concerned with holding onto their own land and Iraqis. Most of these forces were tied down by their own political leaders who had no intentions of seeing them defend the Palestinian people.
I believe it was Robert Fisk in his book 'Pity the nation' who once pointed out the irony of the victims of genocide often being the most enthusiastic perpetrators of it. It is interesting that most of the criticism of this book is that it is 'anti semitic' (Strange considering the author is Jewish!) and reminds me of how Serbs would point out the massacres that were committed against their people in World War 2 by Croatian militias as though that somehow justifies the slaughter of thousands in Bosnia and Kosovo. Similarly Zionists use the holocaust to deflect war crimes in Lebanon and the ethnic cleansing of an entire people in Palestine.
Thankfully Pappe has brought this to the worlds attention in a book that while filled with information that will be shocking and disturbing is also clear and easy to read.
Brilliant book, 07 May 2008
It took courage to write this book and puts Ilan Pappe in the same category as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn lived in a different time and place; however his exposure of an unjust system with a manipulated history had significant impact on changing it.
During the past century a number of milestones have been put in place including the formation of the League of Nations, the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions. These define the standards to which we are expected to adhere (or be judged by) in both peace and war. We cannot compare what was acceptable behaviour in biblical times, ancient empires or the middle ages with a 20th Century ethnic cleansing.
If Pappe's book contributes towards peace in the Middle East through truth and reconciliation, then may history remember him well. He will have achieved what the United Nations and the world's leading superpower failed to do.
How A Racist State Was Formed., 27 Mar 2008
In The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, PappƩ explains and documents that the true goal of the founders of Zionism had always been to create a majority Jewish state, emptied as much as possible of the native Palestinian population. He meticulously (and painfully) reconstructs the story of how Zionist leaders, over many decades, carefully laid the groundwork for this expulsion and how they intiated their plan in 1948 when the British finally decided to leave.
Israel's official version of the story of 1948 claims that Jewish settlers in Palestine never intended to expel their Palestinian Arab neighbours; that Zionist leaders were willing to accept UN resolution 181 of November 1947, which called for the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but that it was the Palestinians who rejected that plan; and that the Palestinians became refugees when they "voluntarily" fled their homes to make room for the Arab armies that invaded Palestine in May 1948 to carry out what they called a "second Holocaust" against Jews.
PappƩ decided to debunk the Israeli myths by relying almost exclusively on declassified Israeli military archives and the memoirs of Israel's "founding fathers." These sources leave no doubt that, in the decades before 1948, the leaders of Zionism concocted a premeditated plan to expel the native Palestinian population. PappƩ details how these Israeli "heroes" executed the plan in the period from December 1947 to March 1949 through the use of massacres, rapes, demolition of villages, and forced expulsion of the native population. In doing so, he manages to vindicate and corroborate the story that the Palestinians have been trying to get out to the Western world for the past sixty years.
Zionist leaders drew up Plan D, or dalet in Hebrew. These leaders ordered their militias and gangs to start implementing Plan D only hours after the UN issued resolution 181 in November 1947. The long nightmare for the Palestinians would only get worse. Zionist militias began to attack and expel villagers with or without provocation inside lands allocated to either the Jewish or Arab state.
Declassified Israeli military archives confirm that the Zionist militias carried out at least thirty-seven large-scale massacres in that period. Some of the worst massacres and rape cases took place in villages such as Deir Yassin.
By the spring of 1949, Israel had conquered up to 80 percent of historic Palestine. It expelled 800,000 Palestinians, or 75 percent of the native Arab population, from their homeland, turning them into refugees and preventing them from coming back at the end of the war. The founding fathers had finally succeeded in securing a Jewish state with a Jewish majority.
Excellent and essential reading.
The begining of a disaster., 03 Mar 2008
Anyone wishing to understand the roots of the Arab Israeli conflict from an historical perspective must read this book. Pappe presents an alternate course of events that lead up to the creation of the state of Israel and to me at least he seems to have hit on a vein of truth and one that, if a fraction is true, makes for depressing reading. What is really upsetting is that there is little hope of any improvement for the Palestinian people whilst the other versions on the story are presented as the sole historic truth. The REAL history of the Israeli state, 02 Nov 2007
An excellent and meticulously researched historical text.
The level of cold, calculated brutality and unprovoked savagery used against a largely peaceful peasant population usually offering little or no resistance, a population quite unprepared for a war, who were usually just 'going about their business', is absolutely shocking. As is the clinical pre-planning and ruthless, cold efficiency with which the plan was then carried out. It is no exaggeration to compare what happened with the Nazi push into the Baltic states and Russia in the early 1940's.
The reality of what actually happened during the years 1948-49, compared with the 'official' Israeli version, is astonishing. This is a subject I have had an interest in for some considerable time now, but despite my interest and knowledge of the subject, I was not prepared for the detail. The unnecessary nastiness and inhumanity of the jewish forces, is really hard to come to terms with.
It is also interesting to compare the present day horror and outrage that is expressed at the actions of a 'suicide bomber' with events in early 1948 [when there was no war]. The Stern Gang and Hagana routinely threw bombs into CIVILIAN Palestinian gatherings and blew up houses with all the occupants asleep inside, often killing scores of people, simply to terrorise the population into fleeing Palestine.
I am also deeply ashamed of the role [or non-role] played by the British forces, with one or two notable exceptions, [and the Bevin Government] who, until May 1948, were still officially charged with upholding law and order in Palestine.
Anyone who still buys the notion that the events at Quana, the murder of the UN workers [despite hours of telephone conversations], the very high civilian casualty rates during the 2006 push into Lebanon, the deaths on the beach in Gaza and so on, were all REALLY accidental, should read this book. This particular brand of terror is long established practice by the Israelis.
In fact, it is hard to understand how most of our media and politicians, people who have chosen to make a career informing the rest of us about what goes on, in and around the world, seem remarkably oblivious to this information. Well, there are no excuses now are there ?
I am not sure how anyone could [intelligently] argue that this is 'a piece of anti-zionist fiction' as one of your reviewers suggests, it is far too factually based and closely referenced. It IS a testament to the power of the Israeli lobby and their campaign of distortion and misinformation that we are still presented by most of the media for most of the time the image of Israel as the victim in the Middle East. Now THAT is a piece of PRO-zionist fiction. Excellent, though disturbing book. Superb book, 19 Nov 2008
This is an intelligent and insightful look at our ageing world. A great read and to be highly recommended. :) Moving to the United States, 05 Jan 2009
An easy to read book on moving to the US. The author has a dry semse of humor that can be annoying, but its packed full of up to date information on everything you will encounter. The sections on Eductaion and schools I found very interesting. Useful but incomplete, 28 Sep 2008
Don't get me wrong, this book has a good level of information about a lot of the issues that you need to consider if making the move to the US: house purchase, tax, visa, credit score etc.
It is easy to easy and quick to read and written in a simple and informal way.
The section I think I would like to see is something about healthcare. This isn't mentioned at all and I think it must be up high on most people's priorities when thinking of making this move, as the US system is so different from the one in the UK. Definitely a big omission.
Even with this though it is a good buy. Moving to America and working, 12 Sep 2008
I can not imagine how you would move or buy a home in the U.S without this book. If you are thinking about it, you need to get this. It breaks it down little by little on all the details on what you will need to know to make the move. I enjoyed the style of writing not like a text book, but with some humor. Moving to the United States of America and Immigration, 17 Jun 2008
Moving to the United States of America and Immigration. If you are thinking of buying a home, living and working or Moving to America. This is the book you need. Nothing else to add. 10 out of 10. Very nice book full of good information, 06 Jun 2008
This is a very nice book full of valuable information. I was impressed by the details contained, the author seemed to cover everything that you will encounter. If you are just buying a home or making the move to live in the U.S. Poor, 10 Sep 2008
I read the book cover to cover in a couple of hours. This is mostly down to the vast majority of content being pretty basic and useless. I agree with the critical reviews already published. There's an awful lot of generalisation, little facts or detail. Says tax is higher, but not what the rates are, says wages are lower - but not how much in proportion to cost of living. Gives advice to research in advance, but mostly refers to the Govt immigration website. Advice on jobs and/or careers is poor. So in terms of decision making, it doesn't help one way or another. It's ok for a second-hand book to read, but if you're looking for a serious book to give you the hard facts of living and working in Australia, this isn't the one! A Hugely Helpful Book, 22 Apr 2008
My decision to take the plunge and move to Australia was a rather last minute one! This book turned out to be my lifeline - it outlined everything I needed to consider and do before leaving and on arrival. Thank you! I could not have done without it!, 08 Apr 2008
If you are looking for a travel book then this is not for you, but if you are serious about moving to Australia then you must read it! I found the section on obtaining a Visa extremely helpful and the advice about renting a property and healthcare were indispensable. This is not information and advice to be found easily once you are in the country. I really could not have done without it! DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!, 16 Mar 2008
It is the biggest waste of money ever. Part One "a general overview of living in Austrlia" contains such gems as "Australia has an incredibly high taxation system - a fact few people realise before they arrive in Australia". That's it, so what's the tax rates then , where do I go to find them? Or "Gaining credit can be problematic for non-residents. It is unlikely that any financial institution will offer this facility as a matter of course....". However there is no mention of how useful it is to get credit reports from your bank etc, in the Uk and take them with you.
The second section "Australia's Main Cities" I think has been sponsored by the Australian Tourist Board. There is apparently no problems in any of the australian cities, it is, if you took this book at face value. Utopia. Rents are quoted from 2005 - despite this being a 2007 print - so are completely unrealistic. I loved the coment " Metro Light rail.....is fairly limited at present , therefore it is generally only used by people comuting between the areas it currently services:..." - well, yeah, obviously.
I didn't buy this book thinking it would contain all the answers, I saw it as a jumping of point with ideas for good websites and lists of Before You Go's.
Save your money, Google "Living in Sydney/Adelaide/Perth", use Cityhobo and Australia Expat Forum and actually get some up to date advice. Dissapointed, 10 Mar 2008
Given previous reviews which had been written on this book I had high hopes for it. However the information tended to be a bit general, and didn't supply me with much more than I already knew from the internet etc. a special heritage, 22 Dec 2008
Essential reading for all expat parents and their children. This book resonated so profoundly for me that I bought a copy for everyone in my birth family: children of expats who were themselves children of expats.
It examines and explains the common experiences of those who spend a significant part of their development years outside their parents' home culture. Pros and cons are addressed, together with practical advice on how to deal with problems. The authors' understanding of the unique interpersonal and intrapersonal needs of children coming and going from culture to culture is both first-hand and well researched.
As a result of this book, I also suddenly realised that all my friends are TCKs and why so many of us are global nomads; some of us physically, all of us mentally so. There is so much clarification about our shared attitudes and beliefs.
Helpful and informative., 16 Aug 2008
A very positive resource for parents who will be faced with many of these now clearly defined and common issues and experiences. Especially useful for parents who won't have the expeiences their child will know.
Sometimes though it seems a bit anecdotal and also too flattering - many children who aren't TCK often feel the same way as those described by the authors. It's like reading a description of your horoscope sign and saying "OMG that's so me!"
I'd have liked a more researched read - the 'Endnotes' are usually autobiographical in nature. Perhaps there is not a lot of formal research conducted on this topic. If so then this is an encouraging guidebook for the increasing numbers of parents of TCKs. a life changing book for the "third culture kids", 13 Nov 2006
This book is absolutely amazing to read for any TCK, or a person "who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture" ("The TCK profile" seminar material, Interaction, Inc, 1981, 1). At first reading the book had been very difficult simply because I was crying so much reading it that I could not even see the letters anymore. This is because that book puts into words what many TCK knew unconsciously but never put words on it, like the feeling of being different and awkward in one own culture, not having a sense of where home is, etc...
The book has a very positive approach to the analysis of TCKs, and will refer to these issues as challenges rather than problems, and gives keys to transform these challenges into useful tools for everyday life. It also outline well the advantages one gains from such an experience, and it will probably help people maximise the use of these particular skills in their life.
It also gives advice about moving abroad by explaining the different emotional steps a person goes through when moving to a new country, and how to deal with relationship issues related to the TCK way of life and many other useful advices.
In addition, it has a great section on what relatives and friends can do to help the TCK with eventual problems that may arise from that particular experience.
I really recommend this book particularly for adult TCKs as it will help them put in words what has been in their heart all along.
Third Culture Kids, 07 Jan 2005
This is a must-read for anyone who has grown up in several countries and has been exposed to different cultures or who is bringing a child up under these circumstances. The book is based on sound reaserch and is an easy read, without the usual psychobabble. It lays out both the positive and the negative impacts of such a lifestyle and exposes clearly the characteristics of "Third Culture Kids". The book concludes with very practical recommendations on how to overcome the negative aspects and encourage the positive, when bringing up a "Third Culture Kid". There is also much sound advice for adult TCKs. As an adult TCK myself, the most gratifying - and reassuring - part of reading "Third Culture Kids" was finding out that there are so many others who have encountered the same difficulties, shared the same joys and have come out of a TCK childhood with very similar experiences to mine... I couldn't recommend this book more.
This is a brilliant book!, 27 May 2001
Having read a borrowed copy, I couldn't resist buying one for myself. This is an excellent book for anyone having had to deal with growing up in more than one cultural setting. If you've ever wondered why possessions become so important, why it's harder being 'back home' than it was living abroad, where this constant drive for pastures new comes from or why people seem to think you're stuck-up, then this book is for you! Similarly, if you've had more addresses than you have birthdays or changed schools more often than you care to remember, buying this book could prove to be the best money you ever spent. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to any parent considering moving abroad, anyone having been shifted from one place to another and anyone dealing with people who have (partners, grand-parents, youth group leaders, teachers,...). Every school, church, mission base and embassy library should have a copy. An Lannoo
A depressing, but much needed book, 08 Oct 2008
It`s a depressing read, but it`s a necessary read. It`s true that`s there`s a lack of written sources and documentation in a scholary way, but it`s not intended to be that kind of book.
If you`re familiar with the scandinavian media, and watch international news on a regular basis, you`ve heard and seen much of what he refers to. You could also do your own research on names, events etc.
Theo van Gogh was killed, many Europeans and scandinavians are Anti American, the statistics he qoute are real, etc... all the events are basicly well documented elsewhere, even if they`re not in his book, or at least as some would have it. You know to nuance, be openminded and deconstruct what he is saying.
If you want to read a book where "The magic integration fairy" works and everybody is happy, then this book is not for you. If you dismiss it as just his oppinion or experiences, you`re missing the point. He`s a reporter/journalist, it`s his job to report his experiences as he sees them.
This book is about muslim integration in europe, why it failed, seen through the eyes of an american who was tired of New York and the american way, only to find a europe that was and to some extent still is in denial about the growing rift between muslims and non-muslims in europe.
Missinformation, 04 Sep 2008
Mr Thaker trots out as much dis-information as he claims Mr Wheeler does. Let look at that list again:-
The internet - yes, a US originated network intended to withstand nuclear attack, but The World Wide Web - UK invention at CERN labs Geneva - US invented non
The calculator - well the first fully electronic calculator was UK invented in 1961, prior to this the Japanese created the first electric calculator in 1957 (Casio of course), and prior to this the US (IBM) invented the first transistor based calculator in 1954 (but it filled several cabinets). Before any of this there were numerous developments in electromechanical machines which can trace their origins back to the abacus (chinese?), US invented - non
The computer - this is a biggy. The first programmable automatic calculator (i.e. computer) to be designed and partially built was Charles Babbage's (UK) 'difference engine'. The world's first computer programmer was a British women Ada Lovelace. The very first electro-mechanical computer was German invented Zuse Z3 invented during WWII (1941). Later that year the US invented the Atanasoff-Berry, but arguably this was not a true computer since it was not programmable (so more of a calculator). In 1944 the UK invented the Colossus, this was the first true modern computer since it was both fully electronic and programmable. In fact Wikkipedia cites that of the first 10 landmark computers 4 were US in origin and 4 were UK. So no, the US cannot claim to have invented the computer any more than it can claim to have invented the car, or the TV, or radio, or the jet engine etc etc. US invented - non.
DNA - I see he does not attempt to refute this point, nor CDs.
It is rather silly for people to get bogged do | | |