Here is a long overdue biography of the guiding intellectual presence—and chief internal critic—of Zionism during the movement's formative years between the 1880s and the 1920s. Ahad Ha'am ("One of the People") was the pen name of Asher Ginzberg (1856-1927), a Russian Jew whose life intersected nearly every important trend and current in contemporary Jewry. A Hebrew essayist of extraordinary knowledge and skill, he exerted a rare, perhaps unequalled, authority through his writings on every controversial issue from Jewish nationalism and clericalism to the Palestinian Arab problem. Steven Zipperstein offers all those interested in Israel and modern Jewish history a wide-ranging, perceptive reassessment of Ahad Ha'am's life against the backdrop of his contentious political world. This influential figure comes to life in a penetrating and engaging examination of his relations with his father, with Zionist leader Theodor Herzl, and with his devotees and opponents alike. This masterfully written and deeply insightful work is the first critical biography in English of the Hebrew thinker and essayist Ahad Ha'am (Asher Ginzberg, 1856-1927), one of the most influential figures in the history of modern Zionism and the driving force behind its thrust for cultural and spiritual renewal. Zipperstein, author of the award-winning Jews of Odessa (Stanford Univ. Pr., 1985), moves far beyond the heretofore standard, reverential biography by Leon Simon (1960) to explore his subject's strengths, weaknesses, and contemporary significance against the backdrop of modern Jewish history. His portrayal of the young Ahad Ha'am is breathtaking; later chapters, while still incisive, raise unanswered questions about his family, business, and influence abroad. A brilliant work; recommended for all Judaica libraries. - Jonathan D. Sarna, Brandeis Univ., Waltham, Mass. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. "A brilliant treatment of the major intellectual leader of Zionism. . . . The book is written in an uncommonly lucid, even graceful style [and] investigates the history of modern Jewry with unprecedented depth and insight."—Arnold Band, University of California, Los Angeles "I am very grateful for Steven Zipperstein's book about Ahad Ha'am. I have learned a great deal from its historical scholarship and intellectual lucidity."—Irving Howe, author of World of Our Fathers "Zipperstein, already well known as the historian of the Jews of Odessa, has now written a thoroughly erudite but deeply personal biography of one their greatest sons. . . . This first-rate study of his life and work makes for absorbing reading, with an all too contemporary relevance."—Joseph Frank, Stanford University "A brilliant treatment of the major intellectual leader of Zionism. . . . The book is written in an uncommonly lucid, even graceful style [and] investigates the history of modern Jewry with unprecedented depth and insight." (Arnold Band, University of California, Los Angeles) Steven J. Zipperstein is Professor of Jewish History and Director of the Program in Jewish Studies at Stanford University. His book, The Jews of Odessa (1985), won the Smilen Prize in Jewish History.