Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #596337 in Books
• Published on: 1975
• Binding: Hardcover
• 480 pages

Review
In contrast to most politicians' self-portraits, this autobiography of Israel's former premier is both frank and very revealing of her personality and goals. Her total lack of pretense is especially winning. At age sixteen she worked as a dressmaker and "even today I find myself automatically giving a quick glance at the hems of skirts and can run one up with total confidence." "Never forget who you are," her sister warned her, but she needn't have worried. "I have never forgotten that I came from a poor family or ever fooled myself into thinking that I was honored anywhere for my beauty, wisdom or erudition." MeWs practical idealism can be seen in efforts as diverse as the beautification of kibbutzim and her strong advocacy of unemployment benefits. The work that "most concerned and interested me," she writes, was "the translation of socialist principles into the down-to-earth terminology of everyday life." The roots of MeWs political "inflexibility" come from her life experience - from her first memory of a pogrom through the series of international betrayals she witnessed in the 1930's - Munich was only one capitulation among many - to the Holocaust itself. A preoccupation, obsession, some might say, with Israel's survival and self-reliance were the logical outgrowth. She has much to say on the special problems of women in politics, who "carry such a heavy double burden" of maintaining career and home. Although the political events narrated are well known they are recounted with drama and spirit. Don't mistake this for just chicken soup with riposte-noodles: it's a model of its kind and a sure crowd-pleaser. (Kirkus Reviews)

Customer Reviews

Memoirs of Golda Meir
My Life by Golda Meir is a compelling autobiography, which tells of the life of this amazing woman, from her early poverty-stricken childhood in Kiev, to her tenure as Prime Minister of Israel, from 1969 to 1974.
It is also the story of Zionism, and the State of Israel-it's struggle to be born, amidst Arab and British hostility, and its struggle to survive against the venomous hatred of the Arab world, and the treachery of the international community.

She writes at length about the struggle against the British, who did their dammdest during the 1930's and 1940's to ensure that the Jewish State would be stillborn in blood. The British barred millions of Jewish men, women and children fleeing Hitler, from entering Israel, turning them back to perish in the Nazi ovens.
And even today the attitude of the British establishment towards Israel, is one of uncompromising callous poison.

Written in 1975, the world still made a lot more sense then, as this was before it became so illogically fashionable to so viciously hate tiny, democratic Israel. But still the trends that would intensify where beginning. Gold Meir was a lifelong Socialist, but spared no punches in condemning the Soviet Union for it's perfidious backing of all Arab attempts to destroy Israel. She also condemns the New Left, which at the time the book was written, where beginning their hate campaign against Israel.

She refers to her disgust at the honoring by the UN of mass murderer, Yasser Arafat: " It is bitter to write...now, in a world that has chosen to endow Arab terrorism with glamour, and to admit to the so-called council of nations, a man like Yasser Arafat, who has not one constructive thought or action to his credit, and to put it quite plainly, is only a consumed multiple murderer, heading a movement dedicated solely to the destruction of the State of Israel."

Today this has not changed, except that Arafat has claimed millions of more victims, and has the support of world academia, the world media, and countless Arab and Third world regimes.

Meir also rejected the creation of a third Palestinian state between Iraq and the Mediterranean, but was prepared to countenance the ceding of parts of the West Bank to Jordan. Sadly, the decision to reverse this stand by her Labour Party has caused the spilling of much blood.

She writes much about her work in bettering the lives of both Jews and Arabs in Israel , and her work in helping with the development of much of newly independent Africa in the 1960's and early 70's (before the African States turned on Israel after the Yom Kippur War of 1973).

But the primary message of this book is this: " I have seen my five grandchildren grow up as Jews, in a country that is their own. Let no one have any doubts about this. Our children and our children's children will never settle for anything less."

A Great Historical Text.
This was a very good history book as well as a touching novel. You are able to trace the life of Golda Meir from her days as a school teacher in Milwaukee to her days as prime minister of Israel. Through this book you are also exposed to a great deal of Israeli history. This book also gives you insight into some of the great leaders as well as the great events that helped to shape the nation of Israel. It was especially entertaining to read her opinions of David Ben Gurion and Moshe Dayan. The Yom Kippur war also makes for interesting reading. All in all this is an interesting book that you will certainly enjoy reading.

20th century Hero
This is a first rate account of the history of Israel told through a compelling and modest voice of one of its most important founders. This book greatly deserves a new printing and extensive circulation.

Golda Meir's autobiography is simply and powerfully written. Her account of her childhood in Russia and youth in the USA is straightfoward and unsentimental and shows the early roots of one of the most dedicated and ethical leaders of the century. While free of self-aggrandizement her gifts as a speaker and reprentative of the Jewish people are clearly presented (through speech excepts), and her account of the development of the state of Israel and its first 30 years.