Ben-Gurion: A Biography by Michael Bar-Zohar

Ben-Gurion: A Biography Reviews

• 
  Jonathan

  Probably the best English-language biography of Israel's first Prime Minister, Michael Bar-Zohar was Ben Gurion's official biographer and, as such, had access to all of BG's personal papers, letters, and his vast diary. We really get to know both the leader and politician and the inner man. David Ben Gurion was one of the greatest national leaders of the 20th century (ranked right up there with Ataturk, De Valera, Ho Chi Minh and Churchill); who led his people's struggle for independence in the shadow of the Jewish People's greatest catastrophe, and then established and commanded the nascent Israeli state and its War of Independence. If this weren't enough, he then ran the country during its stressful early era of economic austerity and the doubling of its population as many thousands of Jews returned to their ancestral homeland. 'Stressful' also characterizes the contact sport-like atmosphere of Israeli politics, and BG was certainly in the thick of it as he had to deal with obstreperous coalition partners, outraged opposition politicians and less-than-loyal fellow members of his own party. Ben Gurion was nothing if not a hands-on type of leader: Golda Meir once remarked that he gave his political colleagues the impression that he didn't really need them. In the midst of it all, he left politics to set a personal example of making his home in a remote Negev desert kibbutz. He was part of a generation of giants that has passed from the scene, but Ben Gurion's work is still with us, and his life story is one worth knowing, if not emulating. A first-class biography.
• 
  Relstuart

  While I've read books that mentioned Ben-Gurion this is the first book centered on his life I've read. Interested in that he was born in Russia in a mainly Jewish village and his father talked about how wonderful it would be if the Jews had their homeland back and could live in their own land. He adopted this dream and moved to the Palestine before the Russian revolution and lived in poverty farming and going to school. He was an inveterate reader. But more, he dedicated his life to the vision of creating a Jewish nation. He worked towards that in political parties. He was shy and quiet until he had to speak. Then he was a forceful speaker passionate speaker who became a skilled orator with practice. It took the sacrifice of many people to bring Israel into the world as a nation. But, it is possible without Ben-Gurion it would not have happened. He took the lead when others did not have a vision and made people consider daring options that lead to the creation of the nation. He was the main author of their declaration of independence. To understand the story of the nation of Israel coming back into being one must understand the story of Ben-Gurion.
  
  Many people in the world may now think of the USA as close friends with Israel. And, there is no doubt Israel has many friends in the USA and always has, but the US government has not always been friends or helpful to Israel, especially in the early years after Truman left office.
  
  Two things of note/quotes stood out to me while reading I highlighted in my copy of this:
  
  The first was Ben-Gurion's attitude towards affairs by married men in positions of authority/influence. Ben-Guion believed that that the love affairs of a public figure were no sin, no do they harm a man's public image (in the figures ability to serve the public). In response to a letter from an irate husband accusing one of Ben-Gurion's top generals of seducing his wife he wrote, "I hope that you will not be angry with me, if I make a distinction between the intimate, personal aspect, and the public side... Not only in our times, but in the previous generations and even in ancient times. A distinction was made - and such a distinction must be made - between the two planes... A man can be an ascete and a saint all his life and be unfitted for public tasks; and the opposite is also possible." Ben-Gurion cited King David and Admiral Nelson as two examples and went on to say that the secret intimate life of a person does not determine their standing in society and that great men and women's private and public lives make run on parallel planes but never meet.
  
  This idea is interesting as it flies in the face of the now more popular notion that tends to think that someone who is not faithful in their personal life cannot be trusted in their public life. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between thinking of these two possibilities as absolutes in every case and situation.
  
  The second stand out portion was discussion of FDR and his relations with the Arabs. Ben-Gurion believed that had FDR remained president thru the end of WWII and when the question of whether Israel could create their own nation that he would have opposed the formation of the Jewish nation based on his promise to Ibn Saud that the US would not undertake any action hostile to the Arab people when Saud visited the US and spoke to FDR about the situation with the Jewish question.
• 
  James

  I just finished Ben-Gurion by Michael Bar-Zohar. I never tire of reading books focused around the founding of the modern State of Israel. Indeed, one of the book's disappointments is not exploring how Ben-Gurion unilaterally picked the Jewish State's name when he announced its independence of May 15, 1948. I have often wondered why it was named Israel rather than after Israel's more successful sister kingdom, Judah. Indeed, we call ourselves Jews after the kingdom of Judah.
  
  This book is a miraculous story about a miraculous man. Compared to most authorized biographies it is far from a hagiography. It does not elevate Ben-Gurion in death above what he was in life. Indeed, the description of the Lavon Affair and the beginning of his tragic, though inevitable decline was brutally honest.
  
  A few quibbles. Like most biographies this book spends too much time on the subject's younger days, which were just not that different from other people's younger days. Like books about other prominent statesmen, too much time is spent discussing tawdry extramarital affairs, and the ebb and flow of marriages.
  
  I will not spoil the book for others. The real shame is that most newly independent countries, after WW II, could not have been blessed with a totally incorruptible man of courage and, despite flaws, decency.
• 
  Amy Goldman

  I thought all along it could have been better edited. I’m not Israeli and I’m not a particularly detailed oriented person and this book was VERY detail oriented, which made it a difficult read given I didn’t know the story of many of the people who play a large part in Ben-Gurion’s political life. I learned a lot and Bar-Zohar gives a very real picture of Ben-Gurion, the good and the bad. It certainly did not seem a blessing to be a member of his family. I thought it was a fair representation of Israel’s beginning and the wars fought, to which I learned a lot as I thought it was always Israel protecting herself and not initiating unnecessary attacks to which I was wrong. A true sense of his relationship with many international people, the shocking lack of support of the US in establishing the state of Israel and the close relationship Israel had with France. Ben-Gurion was truly a pioneer, a genius, an intellect, capable of learning beyond my wildest dreams. Glad he was not my father!
• 
  Yossi Khebzou

  Bar-Zohar paints a very complete image of Ben-Gurion in this classic about “the Old Man.” The author depicts The First Prime Minister of Israel objectively, with his flaws and virtues, good and bad decisions. It also follows a fine train of thought, and one can get an insight of Ben-Gurion’s thought processes. Its depiction of the building of Israel alliances with the West is particularly interesting. The only “negative” I found it’s that it’s very detail and military-oriented. However, that doesn’t stop it from being captivating. If you want to get a good and complete introduction to David Ben-Gurion’s character, this is a must read.
• 
  daniel dirnfeld

  Good book
  
  Is pretty interesting everything Israel has to go through to where is today.Even though I prefer begin politics Ben Gurion commuted a crime with the Yemenite Jews
• 
  John

  Outstanding. Well written, and from a fascinating perspective. The only shortcoming, IMHO, is that there was very little information on his personal & family life. But, a very worthwhile read.