Reviews
"Sherman has given us a stylishly written and sympathetic account, enriched with quotations, that provides the best picture yet of British lives in Palestine, and an essential purchase for anyone interested in modern Middle East history."--Ralph Amelan, Jerusalem Post Magazine, "Sherman has written a most valuable book which adds an important dimension to the history of the mandate, based throughout on sound scholarship and a deep understanding of the issues involved... Sherman's study is most readable and, enhanced as it is by a number of evocative photographs, overall it forms a valuable addition to the social history of Britain's twentieth-century empire."--Briton C. Busch, Albion, "Sherman does a remarkable job of examining books, correspondences and manuscripts for passages that illuminate the attitudes of British government officials toward their duties in the Mandate... With an engaging writing style and a superb eye for the telling quotation, Sherman conveys the unraveling of the British Mandate with flair and understanding."--Jon B. Alterman, Middle East Journal, ''An intimate picture of the lives of British officials and their families from the time that the British instituted their military occupation in 1918 through the last bitter days of the British evacuation in May 1948... The value of Sherman's book lies not in analyzing or describing actual British policies but in revealing the personal views of the increasingly beleaguered British, as expressed in their diaries and letters home. These personal records are particularly revealing in depicting their frayed nerves during the final years... They bewailed the catastrophic ending of the mandate, angry that they had simply abandoned power and fled instead of smoothly transferring the administrative systems to their Jewish and/or Arab successors.'' -- Ann M. Lesch, MESA Bulletin, "An enjoyable and learned read... This work accomplishes its objective by providing a fresh view of the history of Palestine under the mandate in several ways... Perhaps what is most eye-catching are the descriptions by the British of Jews and Arabs, their professional relationships, personal friendships and acquaintances at all levels of society and, at the same time, their overt and covert prejudices... This book, without question, should be included in any library that collects in the areas of Middle East Studies, Modern Jewish History, or British History."--Peter L. Kraus, MELA Notes, "An intimate picture of the lives of British officials and their families from the time that the British instituted their military occupation in 1918 through the last bitter days of the British evacuation in May 1948... The value of Sherman's book lies not in analyzing or describing actual British policies but in revealing the personal views of the increasingly beleaguered British, as expressed in their diaries and letters home. These personal records are particularly revealing in depicting their frayed nerves during the final years... They bewailed the catastrophic ending of the mandate, angry that they had simply abandoned power and fled instead of smoothly transferring the administrative systems to their Jewish and/or Arab successors."--Ann M. Lesch, MESA Bulletin, "An intimate look at what it was like to serve in the Mandate... [Has] great value for students of British imperialism. Through an examination of private letters and diaries, the author reveals men and women who were firm and sincere supporters of the mission of the empire, which they saw as bringing the blessings of British civilization to lesser developed people."--Daniel C. Williamson, H-Diplo, N-Net Reviews
