Asaf Siniver, a professor of international studies at the University of Birmingham in England, has produced a clear and levelheaded volume, a vast improvement over the only other Eban biography... Abba Eban: A Biography is the first attempt to examine this unusual man's life and work and use them as a lens for the history of Israel. [Siniver's] book is a straightforward account of Eban's personal story interwoven with Israel's diplomatic and political history. Both stories are pretty extraordinary. * The New York Times * Siniver's principal achievement is his artful documentation of the tension between Eban the intellectual and Eban the politician. Such lofty thoughts do not distract Mr. Siniver from listing the indiscretions and dishonesty to which Eban, in his politician's guise, occasionally succumbed. -- Ben Cohen * The Wall Street Journal * In this engrossing, impressively researched biography, Siniver traces the career of a statesman acclaimed more outside of his country than within. Based on interviews with dozens of people and research in more than 20 archival collections, Siniver's sympathetic, cleareyed biography deserves to be called definitive. -- Starred Review * Kirkus * Siniver's levelheaded account looks at the history of Israel through the life of the country s eloquent defender. * New York Times Sunday Book Review, Editor's Choice * This rigorous and long-overdue examination of Abba Eban as the voice of Israel during the critical first decades of the Jewish state proves the adage that there are no second acts in politics. Asaf Siniver, in a highly readable and thoroughly researched biography, grasps the essential contradictions in Israeli society by showing how Eban failed to bridge the humanistic principles of Jewish life... Siniver's realistic but also sympathetic portrait radiates the wit, brilliance, and vanities of Eban. -- Patrick Tyler, author of Fortress Israel and former Chief Correspondent of The New York Times Siniver offers a fascinating observation of a unique statesman that stood next to cradle of the state of Israel. Eban's biography is one of the best stories of one of the 20th century's greatest miracles and enigmas. -- Akiva Eldar, CEO, Israel Conference on Peace An elegant and thoughtful biography of the political contradictions that drove Abba Eban... An invaluable primer for those seeking to understand politics within Israel. -- Janice Gross Stein, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto This penetrating look at one of Israel's most paradoxical figures should be read by anyone interested in the state's emergence and early history. As Siniver persuasively demonstrates, Eban's career and Israel's diplomatic history are so intertwined that this incisive biography of Eban is inevitably also a compelling portrait of that history. The analysis also convincingly shows how very qualities that underlay Eban's international luminescence were those that undermined his domestic image and standing. This is beyond question the definitive work on Eban, and is likely to remain so for a very long time. -- Dr. Alan Dowty, Professor Emeritus, University of Notre Dame Abba Eban, once heralded as the Voice of Israel and widely praised as one of greatest diplomats of the twentieth century, has quickly become a forgotten figure. Asaf Siniver provides a fascinating portrayal of Eban's life and reminds us of his unique contribution to Israeli diplomacy. Essential reading for anyone interested in Israeli foreign policy, especially during Israel's formative years. * Joel Peters, School of Public International Affairs, Virginia Tech * In reading Siniver's insightful biography, I contemplated what might have happened had the Israeli public and politicians listened to Abba Eban. Would Israel and her relationship with her neighbors been any different? One can only wonder. * Reform Judiasm *