Mandated Landscape: British Imperial Rule in Palestine 1929-1948

by Roza El-Eini

In this ground-breaking authoritative study, a highly documented and incisive analysis is made of the galvanising changes wrought to the people and landscape of British Mandated Palestine (1929-1948). Using a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, the book’s award-winning author examines how the British imposed their rule, dominated by the clashing dualities of their Mandate obligations towards the Arabs and the Jews, and their own interests. The rulers’ Empire-wide conceptions of the ‘White man’s burden’ and preconceptions of the Holy Land were potent forces of change, influencing their policies. Lucidly written, Mandated Landscape is also a rich source of information supported by numerous maps, tables and illustrations, and has 66 appendices, a considerable bibliography and extensive index. With a theoretical and historical backdrop, the ramifications of British rule are highlighted in their impact on town planning, agriculture, forestry, land, the partition plans and a case study, presenting discussions on such issues as development, ecological shock, law and the controversial division of village lands, as the British operated in a politically turbulent climate, often within their own administration. This book is a major contribution to research on British Palestine and will interest those in Middle East, history, geography, development and colonial/postcolonial studies.

Hardcover

First published January 11, 2004

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good book for a research project on the Mandate-era government in Palestine, but a hard slog to read and a bit of a disappointment for me, as I was hoping for a description of the "landscape" in the country during that period, and not an excruciatingly detailed explanation of how various departments in the Mandate government worked, interacted and tried to plan. The Brits had plenty of experience in Imperial government, so many of their policies and methods had already been established in India and other colonies. Because of the author's concentration on the plans and activities of the British, local initiatives by the Jews and Arabs are summarily dealt with. Until the book delves into the situation in the Shephelah as a detailed test case, we actually learn very little on how the British really changed things in the Land of Israel. El-Eini thoughtfully accompanies her less-than-sparkling writing with plenty of photos, maps, charts, tables and statistics. For some reason, she gives much space over to the various proposals for partition which, while historically interesting, had no affect on the landscape involved. If nothing else, I learned why Umm-el-Fahm is so-called, and that Gezer, my old kibbutz, won first prize in the British annual soil conservation competition in 1947. Serious students of the history of the Mandate should read this, but they'd better be pretty serious.