Theo Horesh

Excellent Reconstruction of Jewish Arab Identity

Revisado: 02-15-25

The author, raised by Egyptian and Tunisian Jews in Los Angelas, reconstructs a Jewish Arab identity that has has been systematically undermined and obliterated by Zionists. And in the process, he humanizes his family and his own outlook on the world.

Essential reading for Mizrahi Jews and critics of Zionism as an ideology.

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The True Spirit of Christianity

Revisado: 01-29-25

This is an extraordinary book that every Christian should read, because it situates Christianity in the context of the same sort of occupation that Jesus confronted. And it grapples with the scriptures in light of its oppression and injustice. But this is also a wonderful introduction to the role of Christianity in the Palestinian struggle, and the way they are used and manipulated by Christian Zionists.

Palestinian Christians have always been well integrated into Palestinian society and a central pillar in the Palestinian struggle. Now, we have a new theology of Palestinian liberation, which speaks to the spirit of Jesus, to deepen the struggle while further enriching humanity.

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Most Thorough Research Into Israel’s Crimes Yet

Revisado: 01-17-25

Having read almost all of the major historical works on Palestinian and Israeli history, this book is in my opinion the most thorough in its research into Israel’s crimes, particularly its use of extralegal pre-state terror in the 1930s and 1940s.

Suarez is also a lucid writer with the capacity for powerful moral argumentation, which is subdued until the last part of the conclusion. If there is any drawback to the book it would lie in its recitation of one damn crime after another with minimal commentary and context. But to those of us with some familiarity of Israel’s history of crimes against Palestinians, it is not needed.

Altogether, this book is an extraordinary achievement. Hopefully, there are many more to come.

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Extraordinary

Revisado: 01-15-25

This is the best biography of several I have read on the Prophet.

I strongly recommend it for its literary clarity, its spiritual depth, its vivid portrayal of the world at the time of the Prophet, and its fascinating portraits of Muhammad’s institution building and liberality.

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The Heart of Islam

Revisado: 10-31-24

I have read or listened to the Qur’an seven times and read many biographies of Muhammad, along with deep introductions to Islam. And I would say this is easily the best introduction to the religion I have come across. But it is also unusually deep, and I would also recommend it to many intelligent practicing Muslims who I know. That makes this a rare gem that gets to the heart of Islam.

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Informative, With a Massive Flaw

Revisado: 04-23-24

This is a highly informative explanation of the ancient history of the Samaritans. But it is only in the last line of the text that the author touches on the last 2,000 years of Samaritan history, and he is wrong. He says that less than a thousand Samaritans continue to reside in the land of Israel. But he is wrong. I interviewed the head of the community in the West Bank city of Nablus. They reside in Palestine, and the consider themselves to be Palestinian Hebrews. If the ancient history is to mean anything, it must be related to the present reality, which the author obscured. And it appears he obscured it through an inherent Zionist bias.

I know this work is unlikely to get many reviews, so the author should feel free to contact me to change this to a five star review if he adds this crucial information and places it within the context of the ancient history.

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Deserves a Nobel Prize in Literature

Revisado: 03-27-24

This is the best novel I have read in my life. It was just as good the second time through. And the narration is simply extraordinary.

Listening to it will give you an intimate feel for the Palestinian experience as it has evolved over time. But it is filled with wisdom and insight into the human experience itself.

Truly extraordinary.

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Essential Outline of Ukraine By Master Strategist

Revisado: 06-14-22

Lawrence Freedman tends to be treated as the top strategist among political scientists, and his concise insights and clear thinking are on full display with this work.

It begins with a brief overview of key concepts in strategy, which may seem irrelevant to those who just want to learn about Ukraine. However, Freedman soon begins to lay out the most concise and essential history of Ukraine’s recent history I have yet to come across (and I have read the vast majority of major works on Ukraine). Freedman then applies his insights to an examination of Putin’s strategy, which looks surprisingly ill conceived.

If you want to acquire a foundational understanding of what’s been happening in Ukraine, or if you want an extraordinary analysis of Putin’s strategy, read this book right away. And if you are wondering whether you need to know more about Ukraine, read it as well.

Ukraine is pivotal to the future of freedom in the world.

~ Theo Horesh, author of The Holocausts We All Deny

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Solid Review of the Transatlantic Partnership

Revisado: 05-29-22

If you have not put much thought into what binds together the transatlantic relationship between Europe and America, this is a good place to start. Hanhimaki points out that the relationship is grounded in Nato, and it can be expected to endure. It is also rooted in shared culture and political trends insofar as both regions tend to swing between liberal and conservative governments, while being bound to an unwavering center, in much the same way.

Unfortunately, in making his argument, he goes too fat in dismissing the threat to democracy posed by rightwing nationalists and fascists like Trump. It in not the grand narrative of Francis Fuluyama’s End of History thesis, but it is equally complacent. Hanhimaki also fails to take the threats posed by inequality seriously, eliding rightwing populism and leftwing populism in the same dopey way that became customary when Trump first took office.

In spite of the importance of the relationship he adumbrates, it is this unwillingness to get his hands dirty with advocacy in a contingent world, that ultimately makes this book worth reading only to a select few.

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Insider View on Complexity in Nato

Revisado: 05-16-22

Most readers will probably come to this book to learn more about the inner workings of Nato, because there are not many books on Nato, and insider accounts of its workings are scant. But it is hard to say a lot about an opaque consensus based organization with 30 member states. Stavridis described it as one of the most conservative organizations in the world as a result of its decision making process. Yet, it was hard to get a feel for how it actually makes decisions, because he never shined a spotlight on any specific decision when he was there.

The nature of the organization seems to impart a sort of structural incoherence to the book. It is a little bit lessons in leadership, commentary on a complex world, insider account of Nato, and life in naval service. This will probably leave everyone a little dissatisfied, except perhaps American military officers working in coalitions. That’s because Stavridis has a lot to say about leadership in complex shifting organizational settings. All this is fascinating, and he shares much wisdom about navigating it, but it also feels a bit random.

He generally comes across as a genial and humane man, who cares about human rights. He brings to his writings a passion for preventing human rights abuses in Libya, for instance. But his ideals are marred by his excessive praise for Israel, an apartheid state actively engaged in ethnic cleansing and colonialism. Somehow, he is able to jump from speaking about stopping human rights abuses in Libya and Syria to protecting Israel without skipping a beat, and it left this generally enthusiastic supporter of Nato wanting to expose its hypocrisy. It also left me with the sense that Stavridis may be far more of an opportunist than he let’s on. Steadfast support for Israel when they don't deserve it is a great way to get ahead in Washington, after all. So, it left me wondering what else could not be trusted in his account. Whatever the reality, officers perusing this book should be forewarned. The days when you can get away with praising serial human rights abuses while talking about protecting vulnerable populations are over.

Hopefully, as an innovative thinker, who is able to look within and change directions fast, Stavridis will take this feedback to heart and consider how this kind of hypocrisy might hurt the goals of the organization he did such an otherwise great job of leading. That aside, he has a lot of important things to say about leadership n the twenty-first century.

~ Theo Horesh, author of The Holocausts We All Deny

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