Theodor Herzl, Founder of Political Zionism #264796

The Establishment Of The State Of Israel Is An Event Of such far-reaching importance, both in international affairs in general as well as in developments in the Middle East in particular, that it is obviously desirable to have an adequate knowledge of the man who founded the political Zionist movement, which resulted in that event. The material available for the presentation of such an account is voluminous, for probably no other national leader kept so detailed a record of his labors and struggles as did Theodor Herzl. His Diaries, which extend to eighteen hundred printed pages, form a comprehensive and candid record of all his thoughts and actions, his plans and interviews, his hopes and depressions, his successes and setbacks, from the day when he first conceived the Jewish State as the solution of the Jewish problem until mortal sickness overtook him nine years later. They are considerably supplemented by his works and numerous letters, speeches, and addresses, as well as by the writings (in the form either of brief biographies or of articles) by his relatives, friends, and a host of other contemporaries. Moreover, in addition to the wealth of material upon which this book is based, I have had the advantage of a contemporary who had the privilege of seeing and speaking to Theodor Herzl several times in both London and Basle, and have been able to embody in it my personal impressions and recollections of that man of destiny.