Thieves in the Night

Thieves in the Night

<i>Thieves in the Night : Chronicle of an Experiment</i> was written in 1946. Originally intended to be the first of a trilogy, Koestler later concluded that the book stood on its own and plans for further novels made redundant.<br /><br />Based on the author's own experiences in a kibbutz, it sets up a stage in describing the historical roots of the conflict between Arabs and Jewish settlers in the British ruled Palestine.<br /><br />The book tackles many subjects, such as Zionism and idealism. Koestler was Zionist early in life, but later abandoned the idea.<br /><br />The title is a Biblical reference, quoted on the title page:<br /><br /> "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." (2 Peter 3:10)