[Jason Jewell]

If you have a basic familiarity with the Old Testament and the Hebrew history that Zionists are hearkening back to, it’s probably best to move on to more modern sources. Barbara Tuchman’s first book was an examination of the historical relationship between the English and Jews, focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s very readable and will give you the basics, although it was written in the mid-20th century and will not bring you up to date. I think it stops shortly after WWI. It’s a decent starting point, though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345314271/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0345314271&linkCode=as2&tag=thewesttrad-20