ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book could not have been written without the help of so many people and institutions that I fear I may not thank them all.
The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, provided me with a fellowship for starting my research. A Dean’s Leave
from the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania allowed me to finish writing the book.
I appreciated the opportunity to explore ideas in conversation with scholars at many institutions: the Center for American Studies
and Research at the American University of Beirut, the Clinton Institute at University College Dublin, George Washington University, the
John F. Kennedy Institute at Freie Universität Berlin, the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford, Stockton University,
Temple University, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Lisbon,
the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Warsaw.
I am grateful to Tim Marr, Hilton Obenzinger, and Basem Ra’ad for inviting me to a conference on Herman Melville in Jerusalem,
where I got a glimpse of the nineteenth-century Holy Land through Melville’s eyes. I also benefited from a fellowship from the Pales-
tinian American Research Center that allowed me to participate in the first Faculty Development Seminar in Palestine.
My talented research assistant, Aaron Steinberg-Madow, ingeniously found everything I asked for, and more—his findings were al-
ways most interesting. He synthesized vast amounts of material in beautifully written summaries that could have been chapters on their
own. I look forward to reading the book that I know he will write one day.
Phillip Maciak and Danielle Holtz contributed vital research at an early stage, and Mark Firmani assisted in preparing the final manu-
script with great care.
Chapter 2 builds on ideas first presented in “Zionism as Anti-Colonialism: The Case of Exodus,” American Literary History 25, no. 4
(Winter 2013): 870–895. I first explored the ideas about homeland security that are developed in Chapter 7 in “Homeland Insecurities:
Transformations of Language and Space,” in September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment?, edited by Mary Dudziak (Durham, NC:
Duke University Press, 2003), 55–69, and “In the Name of Security,” Review of International American Studies 3, no. 3–4, no. 1 (Winter
2008 / Spring 2009): 15–24.
Many colleagues contributed valuable readings and useful knowledge for different parts of the book: John Bodnar, Paul Breines,
Anna Brickhouse, Thomas Dichter, Jed Esty, Nava Et-Shalom, Marjorie Feld, Keith Feldman, Israel Gershoni, Sylvia Gillet, Åsmund Bor-
gen Gjerde, Pamela Haag, Waleed Hazbun, Ed Linenthal, Alex Lubin, Ian Lustick, Saree Makdisi, Samuel Moyn, Mounira Soliman,
Michael Staub, Bob Vitalis, and Barbie Zelizer. I thank them all.
Six people read the entire manuscript and made invaluable contributions, including two readers for Harvard University Press. I am
especially grateful to Melani McAlister, the first person I turned to with my idea for the book. She generously shared her expertise and
friendship at every stage, reading and commenting on each chapter, sometimes more than once. At Princeton I had the privilege to meet
Joan Wallach Scott, who, from start to finish, shared her belief in the project and her wisdom about its contents. Martha Hodes helped
me to see many of the issues anew and to think about a diverse readership. Doug Rossinow was an enthusiastic interlocutor on email,
engaging deeply with many aspects of the book and sharing his own extensive knowledge. Paul Kramer brought to the final draft ideas
about the broader American context, and his comments about the writing sharpened my presentation of the issues. Rashid Khalidi
generously answered questions about the Middle East context, and his response to the final draft made me hopeful that other readers
would also “get it” as thoroughly as he did.
When I decided to write this book, I knew I wanted to work with Joyce Seltzer of Harvard University Press, and I have remained grate-
ful ever since that she agreed to be my editor. She has been supportive and demanding, open minded and questioning in just the right
proportions. She accompanied me on a journey of grappling with the issues that this book raises. For the final preparation of the manu-
script, Louise Robbins did a magnificent job editing to unite style and substance.
I am grateful to many dear friends who, in addition to reading parts of the book, have supported me in more ways than I can say.
Judy Frank has been involved in every aspect of living this book. She has shared stories of her own special relationship between Israel
and America, and lovingly included me in her wonderful family with Liz, Abby, and Claire. Sherri Grasmuck and John Landreau have
nurtured me—intellect, body, and soul—especially with gracious hospitality at their forest retreat. Nina Gerassi-Navarro has long
accompanied me on the roller coaster of writing books and raising families with a warm heart and cheerful spirit. No one knows how to
talk about writing like Carla Kaplan, and I appreciate our many conversations. Peter Agree generously provided professional and per-
sonal advice, always in his calm and knowing way.
My father, Solomon Kaplan, passed away while I was writing this book. He would have disagreed with much of it, but he would have
fiercely defended my right to have my say.
I have been blessed with the love and support of two amazing women—my mother, Eunice Kaplan, and my daughter, Rose Weiss.
While I was writing this book, they were each going through major changes in their own lives with grace and determination that con-
tinues to inspire me.
I dedicate this book to Paul Statt, my life partner and daily companion. He once quoted Martin Amis to me: “you know you’re dealing
with experience, with main-event experience, when a cliché grips you with all its original power.” Paul, I couldn’t have done this without
you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book could not have been written without the help of so many people and institutions that I fear I may not thank them all.
The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, provided me with a fellowship for starting my research. A Dean’s Leave from the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania allowed me to finish writing the book.
I appreciated the opportunity to explore ideas in conversation with scholars at many institutions: the Center for American Studies and Research at the American University of Beirut, the Clinton Institute at University College Dublin, George Washington University, the John F. Kennedy Institute at Freie Universität Berlin, the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford, Stockton University, Temple University, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Lisbon, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Warsaw.
I am grateful to Tim Marr, Hilton Obenzinger, and Basem Ra’ad for inviting me to a conference on Herman Melville in Jerusalem, where I got a glimpse of the nineteenth-century Holy Land through Melville’s eyes. I also benefited from a fellowship from the Palestinian American Research Center that allowed me to participate in the first Faculty Development Seminar in Palestine.
My talented research assistant, Aaron Steinberg-Madow, ingeniously found everything I asked for, and more—his findings were always most interesting. He synthesized vast amounts of material in beautifully written summaries that could have been chapters on their own. I look forward to reading the book that I know he will write one day.
Phillip Maciak and Danielle Holtz contributed vital research at an early stage, and Mark Firmani assisted in preparing the final manuscript with great care.
Chapter 2 builds on ideas first presented in Zionism as Anti-Colonialism: The Case of Exodus, American Literary History 25, no. 4 (Winter 2013): 870–895. I first explored the ideas about homeland security that are developed in Chapter 7 in Homeland Insecurities: Transformations of Language and Space, in September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment?, edited by Mary Dudziak (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2003), 55–69, and In the Name of Security, Review of International American Studies 3, no. 3–4, no. 1 (Winter 2008 / Spring 2009): 15–24.
Many colleagues contributed valuable readings and useful knowledge for different parts of the book: John Bodnar, Paul Breines, Anna Brickhouse, Thomas Dichter, Jed Esty, Nava Et-Shalom, Marjorie Feld, Keith Feldman, Israel Gershoni, Sylvia Gillet, Åsmund Borgen Gjerde, Pamela Haag, Waleed Hazbun, Ed Linenthal, Alex Lubin, Ian Lustick, Saree Makdisi, Samuel Moyn, Mounira Soliman, Michael Staub, Bob Vitalis, and Barbie Zelizer. I thank them all.
Six people read the entire manuscript and made invaluable contributions, including two readers for Harvard University Press. I am especially grateful to Melani McAlister, the first person I turned to with my idea for the book. She generously shared her expertise and friendship at every stage, reading and commenting on each chapter, sometimes more than once. At Princeton I had the privilege to meet Joan Wallach Scott, who, from start to finish, shared her belief in the project and her wisdom about its contents. Martha Hodes helped me to see many of the issues anew and to think about a diverse readership. Doug Rossinow was an enthusiastic interlocutor on email, engaging deeply with many aspects of the book and sharing his own extensive knowledge. Paul Kramer brought to the final draft ideas about the broader American context, and his comments about the writing sharpened my presentation of the issues. Rashid Khalidi generously answered questions about the Middle East context, and his response to the final draft made me hopeful that other readers would also get it as thoroughly as he did.
When I decided to write this book, I knew I wanted to work with Joyce Seltzer of Harvard University Press, and I have remained grateful ever since that she agreed to be my editor. She has been supportive and demanding, open minded and questioning in just the right proportions. She accompanied me on a journey of grappling with the issues that this book raises. For the final preparation of the manuscript, Louise Robbins did a magnificent job editing to unite style and substance.
I am grateful to many dear friends who, in addition to reading parts of the book, have supported me in more ways than I can say. Judy Frank has been involved in every aspect of living this book. She has shared stories of her own special relationship between Israel and America, and lovingly included me in her wonderful family with Liz, Abby, and Claire. Sherri Grasmuck and John Landreau have nurtured me—intellect, body, and soul—especially with gracious hospitality at their forest retreat. Nina Gerassi-Navarro has long accompanied me on the roller coaster of writing books and raising families with a warm heart and cheerful spirit. No one knows how to talk about writing like Carla Kaplan, and I appreciate our many conversations. Peter Agree generously provided professional and personal advice, always in his calm and knowing way.
My father, Solomon Kaplan, passed away while I was writing this book. He would have disagreed with much of it, but he would have fiercely defended my right to have my say.
I have been blessed with the love and support of two amazing women—my mother, Eunice Kaplan, and my daughter, Rose Weiss. While I was writing this book, they were each going through major changes in their own lives with grace and determination that continues to inspire me.
I dedicate this book to Paul Statt, my life partner and daily companion. He once quoted Martin Amis to me: you know you’re dealing with experience, with main-event experience, when a cliché grips you with all its original power. Paul, I couldn’t have done this without you.
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