The two volumes of this work comprise the first
comprehensive history of the kibbutz movement in any language.



Origins
and Growth covers the first thirty years of this
fascinating story, from the formation of the kibbutz in the opening years of
the twentieth century to the eve of the Second World War. It is a masterly
analysis of the genesis and expansion of the kibbutzim and their relations with
the world around them. It considers not only the various components of the
kibbutz movement but also the pioneering youth movements from which their
members came.


Henry Near’s analysis of the ideological,
political, economic, and social development of the kibbutz movement is
illustrated throughout by excerpts from historical sources, affording a wealth
of colourful insights into the changing quality of kibbutz life as experienced
by its members.





The second volume, Crisis and Achievement, 1939-1995 extends the detailed historical
analysis to 1977 and gives a comprehensive overview of subsequent developments.