Support Any Friend: Kennedy's Middle East and the Making of the U.S. Israel Alliance (Council on Foreign Relations Book)

Rating:
Summary: Superlative History
Review: "Support Any Friend" explains the genesis of the American-Israeli
relationship in clear and engaging prose and makes good use of details that
will fascinate any student of the Middle East. The research is original, and
weaved expertly into prevailing wisdom on recent Middle Eastern history. One
wouldn't think of this as a fast read, but it was.

Rating:
Summary: A winning historical effort!
Review: A winning historical effort proves that storytelling magic translates easily into contemporary tales. Rich with emotion and complexity on issues and situations where authenticity is a must. There is some smart, dedicated scenes about trees and if you enjoy more depressing historical truths, you'll find the arms sales to Israel which was met by chilly Ike-Dulles stern efforts a bit dishearting. If you like true historical facts, and a writer being a bit gutsy, this will be your cup of tea, it was mine. This wasn't read for film prospects, but for my own personal enjoyment. I do recommend it for a solid read.

Rating:
Summary: Superb view of Kennedy's Middle East policies
Review: This book and "Death of a Generation" are the two best I've read about President Kennedy's foreign policy record. If you have any interest in how the United States and Israel got into the relationship that exists now, this book will be of great interest. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Presidential history.

Rating:
Summary: A Tour de Force
Review: This book is both a great read and a significant work of scholarship. Bass covers the territory with panache and depth, providing a thoughtful, nuanced look at the origins of the US-Israel relationship. His writing is crisp, inviting and colorful - it is hard to forget the manifold and varied picture he creates of the giants of history who forged the very policies whose repercussions we feel so stunningly today. It is also very hard to put the book down. Such a combination is rare and welcome, and makes this book a must for anyone even remotely interested in the Middle East and America (which should be all of us, these days...).

Rating:
Summary: A very important connection
Review: This definitely fills the gap in scholarship that surrounds the nature of the American relationship with Israel. Although The Israelis were told to not be 'the first nation to employ nuclear weapons in the middle east' Mr. Eban replied to Mr. Rusk saying 'We wont be the second either'. Thus this book describes the complicated political game that was the 1960s relationship with Israel in which America looked the other way at the Dimona project while JFK declared he would support 'any friend'. Nasser helped cement the relationship by excepting Czech arms. Thus this books shows the truth behind Americas ties to Israel wasn't 'Jewish influence' but rather cold war politics. A fascinating and important account.

Seth J. Frantzman