ExodusExodus
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1947, Kitty Fremont, an American nurse widowed by the war, is in Cyprus when she meets Ari Ben Canaan, a commander in the Jewish underground. He is planning to smuggle hundreds of Jewish refugees, most of them survivors of the Holocaust, past the British blockade to Palestine on a ship called the Exodus. From there, the novel follows them through the struggle to found the state of Israel, with long flashbacks to the history of the characters and their families.
Why it's worth reading
It spent months at #1 on the New York Times list, was one of the best-selling novels of its time and became a film with Paul Newman. It shaped how a generation of Americans saw the founding of Israel.
You'll love it if you liked
The Source
The Winds of War
Gone with the WindGood to know
It's a historical epic written from a strongly pro-Israel point of view. Its portrayal of Arabs has been widely criticized.
By the numbers
- Readers93 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Leon Uris
If you like this, read next
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of Time
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
CosmosExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Exodus worth reading?
Yes. It spent months at #1 on the New York Times list, was one of the best-selling novels of its time and became a film with Paul Newman. It ranks #276 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Exodus about?
In 1947, Kitty Fremont, an American nurse widowed by the war, is in Cyprus when she meets Ari Ben Canaan, a commander in the Jewish underground. He is planning to smuggle hundreds of Jewish refugees, most of them survivors of the Holocaust, past the British blockade to Palestine on a ship called the Exodus. From there, the novel follows them through the struggle to found the state of Israel, with long flashbacks to the history of the characters and their families.
How long does it take to read Exodus?
About 15 hours (608 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Exodus?
If you liked it, try The Source by James Michener, The Winds of War by Herman Wouk or Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.