Aaronsohn's maps

Scientist, diplomat, and spy, Aaron Aaronsohn was one of the most extraordinary figures in the early struggle to create a homeland for the Jews. Born to Jewish settlers in Palestine, he ran a spy network that enabled the British to capture Jerusalem during World War I and made him the rival of his contemporary, T. E. Lawrence who may also have been his flamboyant sister Sarah s lover. A rugged adventurer, Aaronsohn became convinced during his explorations of the Middle East that water would govern the regions fate. He compiled both the areas first detailed water maps and a plan for Palestines national borders that predicted and in its insistence on partnership between Arabs and Jews might have prevented the decades of conflict to come. And he paid for his devotion to the new nation with his life. A history that speaks directly to the present, Aaronsohns Maps reveals for the first time Aaronsohns key role in establishing Israel and the enduring importance of Aaronsohns maps in Middle Eastern politics today.