Book Reviews : Britain and Palestine 1914-1948: Archival Sources for the History of the British Mandate, compiled by Philip Jones. Published for the British Academy by Oxford University Press, 1979. £15.00, 246pp
Date | 01 October 1979 |
DOI | 10.1177/004711787900600411 |
Published date | 01 October 1979 |
Subject Matter | Articles |
717
finally
contradictory
of
common
sense
and
normal
criteria.
How
can
the
habit
of
government
in
Russia,
to
reduce
diversity
to
the
point
of
causing
a
collapse,
now
be
altered?
Roy
Medvedev
sees
that
progress
in
the
Soviet
Union
is
too
slow
and
is
impeded
from
time
to
time;
he
defines
the
task
for
Soviet
citizens
as
increasing
the
rate
of
social
development,
’particularly
in
the
direction
of
a
harmonious
combination
of
democracy
and
socialism’
(p.198).
Whatever
may
be
the
chances
for
that,
it
is
likely
that the
effort
will
depend
on
facing
the
truth
about
Stalin.
To
Russia
and
to
her
watchful
admirers,
this
book
comes
as
a
gift.
—M.
R.
Brett-Crowther.
Britain
and
Palestine
1914-1948:
Archival
Sources
for
the
History
of
the
British
Mandate,
compiled
by
Philip
Jones.
Published
for
the
British
Academy
by
Oxford
University
Press,
1979.
£15.00,
246pp.
The
Academy
set
up
the
Anglo-Palestinian
Archives
Committee
(1973),
chaired
by
Sir
Isaiah
Berlin,
and
endowed
the
project
here
recorded,
of
which
the
purpose
was
to
find
and
describe
the
unpublished
documents
of
’those
individuals
and
organisations,
whose
base
was
in
Britain,
that
had
involvement
in
events
in
Palestine
during
the
first
half
of
this
century.
The
compiler
points
out
that
when
it
was
found
that
no
private
papers
exist,
’this
information
has
often
been
included.’
It
is
gratifying
to
see
several
references
to
this
Institute
and
its
Founder.
Some
addresses
did
not
reply
and
the
fact
is
listed.
Several
citations
seem
to
include
un-
changed
words
from
unhelpful
correspondents,
and
often
it
is
to
be
assumed
that
a
careful
approach
may
lead
to
a
good
discovery.
It
is
also
probable
that
the
volume
and
its
compiler
will
be
accused
of
bias,
if
only
because,
naturally,
many
Jewish
and
Zionist
links
are
recorded.
Certainly,
Jones
has
intended
no
such
bias.
There
are
some
amazing
points.
Sir
V.
Gollancz’
papers
include
a
correspondence
with
T.
S.
Eliot
on
being
a
Jew.
The
’Log
of
the
Sixth
Anglo-Catholic
Pilgrimage
to
Palestine,
April-May
1930’
is
held
by
the
British
Museum
(Natural
History)
(sic).
Air
Vice-Marshal
E.
Plumtree
has
no
papers,
but
a
’detailed
personal
knowledge
of
events
in
Palestine
(1946-
48)’.
It
is
not
apparent
that
someone
has
taken
notes
or
tape
recordings
yet;
though
the
importance
of
his
period
to
a
history
of
the
Palestinians
and
the
state
of
Israel
cannot
be
denied.
Besides,
he
was
born
in
1919.
Durham
University
Library’s
collection
is
’arranged
in
chionological
order,
rather
than
by
collection,
and
there
is
no
subject
index.’
Yet
Durham’s
Oriental
Studies
School
was
meant
to
be
a
second
great
national
centre.
There
are
some
amazing
errors.
It
is
a
solecism
to
refer
to
a
cleric
as
’Rev.
Surname’;
but
Rev.
Poston
(p.104)
and
Ven.
Witton-Davies
(p.36)
appear.
The
’Archbishop
of
Jerusalem’
(p.153)
is
mentioned,
though
the
Jerusalem See
of
the
Anglican
Communion
was
never
’of’
but,
with
apt
propriety,
always
’in’.
The
noted
lawyer
Sir
Norman
Anderson
is
listed
unknighted
(p.4).
These
matters
would
be
remarkable
in
any
learned
publication.
In
a
book
from
the
Academy
they
are
deplorable.
There
are
some
amazing
opportunities.
If
academic
research
is
to
flourish
in
the
future,
despite
likely
economic
depression.
Dr.
N.
L.
Cork-
hill’s
work
on
nutrition
in
Palestine
and
elsewhere
(p.30)
may
be
worth
using
in
a
new
attempt
to
establish
decent
diets
worldwide.
Corkhill’s
account
of
nutrition
in
Palestine
(1942-43)
may
also
be
compared
with
Sir
Edward
Spears’
account
of
Syria
and
Lebanon’s
position,
same
period.
The
Gollancz-Eliot
correspondence
may
be
worth
comparing
with
the
Toynbee-Rosenthal
exchanges
on
Judaism
and
Christianity.
The
Stebbing
proposals
for
El
Arish
may
be
studied
in
the
context
of
such
as
Col.
H.
E.
W.
Goldsmid’s
log
of
work
with
the
1903
Commission
to
Sinai
about
the
El
Arish
colony
scheme.
What
of
the
international
effects
of
Sir
Robert
Drayton’s
experience
of
Palestine,
where
he
was
Solicitor-General
1920-
34 ?
He
held
similar,
crucial
roles
elsewhere
in
the
Empire.
How
can
Lady
Drayton
be
untraceable?
Has
no-one
thought
to
look
for
Greek
relatives
of
A.
S.
Mavrogordato,
Commandant
of
Police,
Palestine
(1923-30)
and
Brigadier
i/c
British
security
mission,
Syria
and
Lebanon,
1941-42?
Surely
there
are
many
figures
in
Imperial
history
whose
roles
were
modified
by
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