The invention of a Nation - Zionist Thought and the Making of Modern Israel (Paperback)

The Invention of a Nation recounts the tortuous ordeal through which the Jews reacted to the challenge of modernity. While some contributed to the development of capitalism and put their talents at the service of European states, others threw themselves into revolutionary movements. Yet others imagined ways of 're-nationalising' Jews by transforming them into a nation. Thus the Jews were formidable experimenters who participated in causes with contradictory agendas: assimilation on the one hand and nationalism on the other. The Invention of a Nation provides a riveting history and an account of the various ideologies that make up Zionism, ranging from Marxist to National Religious Zionism and the far-right Abba Achimeir.