The Road to Jerusalem : Glubb Pasha, Palestine and the Jews

This book examines the personal vision of General Sir John Glubb, British pro-Consul in the Middle East and commander of the Arab Legion between 1936-1956. It offers the first in-depth account of Glubb's thinking and actions during 1948, as he led his small army into Palestine and war against Israel. His aims and actions, which lie at the very heart of the controversy between "Old" and "New" historians of the Arab-Israeli conflict, are carefully detailed using, for the first time, contemporary British, Arab Legion, and Israel Defence Forces intelligence sources. General Sir John Glubb, the last British pro-Consul in the region, could be seen as midwife to the birth of the modern Middle East - a birth as painful and tortuous as its subsequent history. Glubb Pasha was the British commander of the Arab Legion during those crucial years between 1936 and 1956 which were to witness the collapse of Palestine and the final foundation and establishment of the State of Israel. As well as analysing Glubb's personal vision of the Middle East and its peoples - a surprisingly racial vision that would condition his politics - this book examines his reactions to the Arab Revolt in Palestine and the periodic plans to partition Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. It offers the first in-depth account of his thinking and actions during 1948, as he led his small army into Palestine and war against Israel. His aims and actions - which lie at the very heart of the controversy between'Old'and'New'historians of the Arab-Israeli conflict - are carefully detailed using, for the first time, contemporary British, Arab and Israeli intelligence sources. This masterful account of Glubb the soldier, strategist and pro-Arab mouth-piece, based on hitherto unseen classified documents, will become a vital addition to the literature on this defining period in Middle Eastern history. It is required reading for students, academics and anyone interested in the impasse which has dominated Middle Eastern affairs for over half a century.'an intriguing and valuable contribution to the history of the 1948 conflict'- Times Literary Supplement“This masterful account...will become a vital addition to the literature on this defining period in the Middle Eastern history'Fred Rhodes, Middle East Journal General Sir John Glubb, the last British pro-Consul in the region, could be seen as midwife to the birth of the modern Middle East - a birth as painful and tortuous as its subsequent history. Glubb Pasha was the British commander of the Arab Legion during those crucial years between 1939 and 1956, which were to witness the collapse of the Palestine Mandate and the establishment of the State of Israel. As well as analysing Glubb's personal vision of the Middle East and its peoples - a surprisingly racial vision that would condition his politics - this book examines his reactions to the Arab Revolt and the periodic plans to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. It offers the first in-depth account of his thinking and actions during 1948, as he led his small army into Palestine and war against Israel. His aims and actions - which lie at the very heart of the controversy between 'Old' and 'New' Israeli historians of the Arab-Israeli conflict - are carefully detailed using contemporary British, Arab and Israeli sources. This masterful account of Glubb the soldier, strategist and pro-Arab mouth-piece, based on hitherto unseen classified documents, will become a vital addition to the literature on this defining period in Middle Eastern history. It will be required reading for students, academics and anyone interested in the impasse which has dominated Middle Eastern affairs for over half a century. This book examines the personal vision of General Sir John Glubb, British pro-Consul in the Middle East and commander of the Arab Legion between 1936-1956. It offers the first in-depth account of Glubb's thinking and actions during 1948, as he led his small army into Palestine and war against Israel. His aims and actions, which lie at the very heart of the controversy between "Old" and "New" historians of the Arab-Israeli conflict, are carefully detailed using, for the first time, contemporary British, Arab Legion, and Israel Defense Forces intelligence sources ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 CONTENTS 5 Abbreviations 6 INTRODUCTION 7 Chapter 1- GLUBB ON ARABS AND JEWS 15 Chapter 2- THE ARAB REVOLT 1936-39 39 Chapter 3- WORLD WAR II and its AFTERMATH 62 Chapter 4- THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM 97 Chapter 5- THE INVASION 151 Chapter 6- BORDER WARS, 1949-56 215 CONCLUSION (AFTER 1956) 239 BIBLIOGRAPHY 249 NOTES 253 INDEX 295 Machine generated contents note: 1 Glubb on Arabs and Jews 2 The Arab Revolt 1936-39 3 World War II and its Aftermath 4 The Road to Jerusalem 5 The Invasion 6 Border Wars, 1949 - 1956 Conclusion (After 1956). Crucial to understanding Glubb's thinking and actions during his years in the Arab Legion is his attitude toward 'the Arabs.'