Three Worlds
Memoirs of an Arab-jew - WINNER OF THE PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE
Oneworld Publications · Print & ebook · May 7, 2024
A unique coming-of-age story from the lost world of Arab-Jews In July 1950, Avi Shlaim, only five, and his family were forced into exile, fleeing their beloved Iraq to the new state of Israel.
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- Who it’s for
- A memoir shaped by Jewish history, Middle East context, and the neat complications of belonging.
- Genres
- Jewish Lives, Middle Eastern History, Personal Memoirs
- Published
- Oneworld Publications, May 7, 2024
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A unique coming-of-age story from the lost world of Arab-Jews In July 1950, Avi Shlaim, only five, and his family were forced into exile, fleeing their beloved Iraq to the new state of Israel. 'Remarkable.' Max Hastings, THE SUNDAY TIMES Today the once flourishing Jewish community of Iraq, at one time numbering over 130,000 and tracing its history back 2,600 years, has all but vanished. Why so?
Continue reading
One explanation speaks of the timeless clash between Arab and Jewish civilisations and a heroic Zionist mission to rescue Eastern Jews from backward nations and unceasing persecution. Avi Shlaim tears up this script. His parents had many Muslim friends in Baghdad and no interest in Zionism. As anti-Semitism surged in Iraq, the Zionist underground fanned the flames. Yet when Iraqi Jews fled to Israel, they faced an uncertain future, their history was rewritten to serve a Zionist narrative. This memoir breathes life into an almost forgotten world. Weaving together the personal and the political, Three Worlds offers a fresh perspective on Arab-Jews, caught in the crossfire of Zionism and nationalism. *** A TLS AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 A NOVARA BEST BOOK OF 2024 'A beautifully written book which artfully blends the personal with the political.' Justin Marozzi, SPECTATOR 'Three Worlds, by the Oxford historian of the modern Middle East Avi Shlaim, is an often enchanting memoir of his childhood in Baghdad... A gripping account... A lost world in Iraq is brilliantly brought back to life in this fascinating memoir.' David Abulafia, FINANCIAL TIMES
Why this clicks
Come here for
- cultural-literacy crosscurrents
- memoir with a history-and-identity lens
Expect
- steady insight
- easy to pick up in pieces
Where it sits
| Jewish Lives | 40% |
|---|---|
| Middle Eastern History | 27% |
| Personal Memoirs | 27% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Arab & Middle Eastern Lives
- Personal Memoirs
- Jewish Lives
- Jewish History
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Middle Eastern History
- 20th-Century History
- Social History
- Nationalism & Patriotism
- Authors
- Avi Shlaim
- Publisher
- Oneworld Publications
- Published
- May 7, 2024
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Arab & Middle Eastern Lives