For those of you who would like to get to know Israel through literature, we suggest picking up a book or two from the following list.

The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Its History in Maps - Martin Gilbert
A visual history with maps

The Bible
A number of translations exist; among the most readable is Tanakh published by the Jewish Publication Society

Exodus - Leon Uris
A riveting story about Israel's War of Independence in 1948

From Beirut to Jerusalem - Thomas L. Friedman
A political history outlining the relationship between Lebanon and Israel

History of Israel - Howard M. Sachar, v.1 1976, v.2
A history of the modern state

In the Land of Israel - Amoz Oz
Israel's celebrated novelist Amoz Oz traveled throughout his country, recording its history as spoken by its inhabitants.

Israelis: Founders and Sons - Amos Elon

My Life - Golda Meir
The former Prime Minister's autobiography about her journey to Israel and her ascent through the ranks of the government

O Jerusalem - Larry Collins, Dominique Lapierre
A minute by minute history of the struggle for Jerusalem and the State of Israel

Poems of Jerusalem - Yehuda Amichai
The treasures and conflicts of Jerusalem as related by the city's poet laureate.

The Source - James Michener
A fictionalized history of Israel from ancient times through the 20th century

The Zionist Idea - Arthur Hertzberg
A historical narrative and anthology. Hertzberg's introduction is considered to be unsurpassed.

1949, The First Israelis -Tom Segev
Reveals the lofty aspirations that guided the state's leaders as well as the darker side of the Zionist utopia.