Most readers have an opinion about Israel. Few could name the countries that border it, explain why the peace process has collapsed twice, or say what actually separates Hamas from the Palestinian Authority.

This book closes that gap: from the archaeological record behind the historical claim to the land, to the 1948 war that produced two refugee populations instead of the one most people hear about, to the ceasefire holding today.

Every claim is sourced. Every contested point is flagged as contested. The book doesn’t tell readers what to conclude about Israel; it gives them enough to reach a conclusion of their own.