Israel Books

Raful Eitan was one of Israel's greatest sons, taking part in all of Israel's wars of defence from the 1948 War of Independence to the 1982 Peace for Galilee War.


He was also a farmer and later a member of the Knesset and a leader of great vision.
Raful Eitan died under strange circumstances off the port of Ashdod in a drowning incident on 23 November 2004.

In this book Raful tells of his life from his birth into poverty at Moshav Tel Adashim.
Eitan describes life on the Moshav where he was born during the 1929 Arab pogroms against Jewish communities in the Land of Israel, and witnessed the 1936 pogroms at the age of seven, witnessing murder and the burning of fields and Jewish houses by Arab mobs.
The book is written with great humour, passion and love of his people and homeland.
In 1939, at the age of ten, he joined the Gadna, the youth wing of the Hagannah Jewish Defence organization.
In 1947 he joined the Palmach, the Haganah's elite striking force and describes the Arab atrocities he witnessed, after Arab armies and terror bands had attacked the Jews of Palestine, after the UN voted for the creation of a tiny Jewish State.
A convoy bringing supplies to troops and Jewish civilians came under fire from an Arab ambush near the village of Hulda on the road to Jerusalem.
"It was a terrible slaughter. We were not organized for a counter attack and could not even rescue our wounded. During the day and most of the night the wounded were abandoned to our attackers.Once the attackers had left, we went to retrieve the bodies of our beloved compatriots and discovered their burned and mutilated bodies. One of the drivers, who managed to hide from the Arabs, told us that the Arabs had abused the wounded and then poured fuel on them and burned them alive. This was the first time I had been exposed to this type of atrocity and it taught me that the Arab soldier came from a different culture, with a different fighting ethic".
Eitan describes how the Israeli army always does all they can to avoid the loss of the lives of enemy civilians, even risking the lives of their own soldiers to do this.
Never has any army, in any conflict, been so scrupulous in trying to avoid the spilling of the blood of noncombatants as the Israelis.
Eitan candidly describes the feelings and opinons about various Israeli millitary leaders such as Moshe Dayan, David 'Dado' Eleazar, and Ariel 'Arik' Sharon.
He makes no bones about his dislike for Moshe Dayan.

Eitan descibes his anger at a foreign camera crew that taunted the Israeli forces at the beginning of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, at a particularly difficult phase of the war for the Israelis.
The Syrians had attacked the Jews on the holiest day of the Jewish Calendar, and the Israelis had done nothing to deserve the foreign crews spiteful laughter.
This is a clear example of the unethical and vicious prejudice of the world media towards Israel and her people.
He expresses his anger and pain at what he witnessed of the Arab terror attacks on Israeli children at Ma'alot in 1974, where PFLP terrorists slaughtered 22 innocent Jewish children, without regard to their age and innocence.
He also expresses the heartbreak at the gruesome site of a murder by Arab terrorists of a Jewish mother and her two small children at Nahariya. that same year.
As Chief of Staff, Eitan played a very large role in fostering a relationship between the Christian Lebanese suffering under the yolk of the bloody Syrian and PLO occupation. Tens of thousands of Christian Lebanese men, women and children were massacred in cold blood by the Syrians, the PLO and the Moslem Lebanese between 1975 and the 1982 Peace for Galilee War.
In 1976 , under orders of Yasser Arafat, thousands of Christian Lebanese men, women and children were massacred at the Christian village of Damour.
The killings that took place at Sabra and Shatilla of Palestinians, when the Christians captured these terror camps , were in retaliation for the murder of Christian Lebanese people's leader Bashir Gemayel, and for the years of bloodshed inflicted on the Christians under the yolk of the PLO and their Syrian allies.
Eitan explains in a chapter in this book how Israel was guilty of no blame whatsoever for the Sabra and Shatilla incidents, despite the feeding frenzy of the world media and even the Israeli Left during the fall out after that battle.
He also describes how the alliance between Israel and the Christian Lebanese was a natural one in the light of the fact that the Arabs would never recognize the rights of Christians in Lebanon just as they would never recognize the right to exist of the Jews of Israel.
In fact this is what is at the heart of all conflicts in the region. The refusal of 300 million Moslem Arabs to recognize the human rights and self-determination of minorites in the Middle East and North Africa such as the Jews, Christian Lebanese, Kurds, Druze, Berbers, Copts , Assyrians, Chaldeans, Yazidis, Black South Sudanese, Bahais, Zoroastrians etc.
Eitan condemns the blatant lies of the world media during the Peace for Galilee War, when Eitan served as Israeli Chief of Staff, that Israel deliberately bombed civilian areas (when the truth is that Israel took care to never hurt civilians, even if it meant refraining from attacking the PLO terrorists, who hid among civilians, and knew that the Israelis would never attack them if it meant causing civilian casualties.
Compare this to the policy of Arab terrorists which has always been to target the young, the innocent, the weak and vulnerable.
In the Palestinian refugees fathers who refused to take up arms on behalf of the terrorists were frequently punished by the PLO killing his children before his eyes.
In the last chapter in the book, Eitan gives us insight into hos own analysis of the conflict, and what can be done.
He points out that " The Arabs have never accepted the fact that Israel exists as an independent sovereign state in the Middle East. Since we declared our independence the Arabs and Palestinians have tried many different startegies in their efforts to destroy our small Jewish country...During the 1920s the the Arabs used to engage in pogrom-like assaults on Jewish villages. In the 1930s the Arabs embarked on the "Great Arab Revolt". In the 1950s and early 1960s the "fedayin" used to cross into Israel and murder civilians. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, the PLO terrorist campaign was waged without any considerations given to the concept of innocence. In the 1980s the Arabs initiated "the intifada", a violent uprising directed towards all Jews, civilian and soldier".

He points out that Arab governments do not care that peace would mean they could divert attention away from purchase of and building up of weapons and redirect the money towards education and social upliftment.
They see the goal of Israel's destruction as more important than the welfare of their own people, and have brainwashed their people to see their suffering as sacrifices in the jihad against the hated "Zionist, imperialist enemy".
Eitan rejects the idea of gving up parts of the land of Israel for peace, pointing out that this would only help and encourage the Arabs to close in to destroy Israel comletely. Eitan sees the Munich Agreement of 1938, ceding Sudetenland to Hitler, as the first time the land for peace formula
had been tried.
He reminds us that the Arabs attacked Israel three times in 1948, 1956 and 1967 and engaged in thousands of raids against Israeli women and children, before Judea, Samaria and Gaza were even liberated by Israel.
Eitan urges that Israel remain strong and not give in to the terror of the Arabs or the pressure of the enemies of Israel. That Israel must encourage settlements and immigration and encourage large Jewish families by improvimg livimg conditions.
Israel must remain strong and steadfast and stick to a fierce policy of deterrence against Arab terror and belligerancy.
"We must wait until our Arab neighbours see the the advantages of peace and give up their campaign to destroy us. Only through strength can peace be achieved".
It is a tragedy that this great hero is no longer with us in Israel's great hour of need.

Raful Eitan is a name that anyone who has read the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict should know. He has lived through the entire history from British Mandate Palestine to the modern State of Israel. His autobiography chronicles his life and opinions from his days in pre-1948 Palmach (Israeli Shock Troopers and Pioneers), to being a highly decorated and combat experienced paratrooper, to his days as Minister of Defense, to his service during the highly controversial Operation Peace for Galilee (the 1982 Lebanon-Syria-PLO-Israel War).

He minces not one of his words and tells the entire tale in this 1992 paperback book's 388 pages. Every word of the book is exciting or engaging from moments of intense action to moments of intense reflection. Perhaps, one of the most interesting aspects of Eitan's outlook is that he bears the Palestinian-Arabs and other Arabs no animus or hate. He grew up with them as a Sabra (native-born Israeli) and feels sympathy towards them for the way that tyrannical Arab governments have manipulated the refugees without helping them. He hopes and prays to one day live in peace with all of the Arabs.

Perhaps most revealing are Eitan's parting words (Page 388):

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"Most importantly, in our struggle for survival we must not grow impatient. We must remain strong and steadfast. We must wait until the winds of change that are sweeping through Eastern Europe bring similar changes to our region. We must wait until our Arab neighbors see the advantages of peace and give up their campaign to destroy us. Only through strength can peace be achieved."

-------------------------------

His words seem almost prophetic in these days of change in the Middle East. Arab governments are slowly seeing their governments change through death of the previous strong man (Syria) to an aging king that will soon see a change of power in his country (Jordan) to a radical government that pushed a superpower too far (Iraq). Those winds of change that transformed Eastern Europe that Eitan prophesized certainly seem to have arrived in the Middle East. We can only hope and pray that peace will finally come to stay in the troubled Middle East. And until that day arrives, we can hope and pray that Israel remains strong waiting for the arrival of peace.

I highly recommend this excellent autobiography of one of Israel's most distinguished soldiers, farmers, leaders, and citizens.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

Raful Eitan is a name that anyone who has read the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict should know. He has lived through the entire history from British Mandate Palestine to the modern State of Israel. His autobiography chronicles his life and opinions from his days in pre-1948 Palmach (Israeli Shock Troopers and Pioneers), to being a highly decorated and combat experienced paratrooper, to his days as Minister of Defense, to his service during the highly controversial Operation Peace for Galilee (the 1982 Lebanon-Syria-PLO-Israel War).

He minces not one of his words and tells the entire tale in this 1992 paperback book's 388 pages. Every word of the book is exciting or engaging from moments of intense action to moments of intense reflection. Perhaps, one of the most interesting aspects of Eitan's outlook is that he bears the Palestinian-Arabs and other Arabs no animus or hate. He grew up with them as a Sabra (native-born Israeli) and feels sympathy towards them for the way that tyrannical Arab governments have manipulated the refugees without helping them. He hopes and prays to one day live in peace with all of the Arabs.

Perhaps most revealing are Eitan's parting words (Page 388):

-------------------------------

"Most importantly, in our struggle for survival we must not grow impatient. We must remain strong and steadfast. We must wait until the winds of change that are sweeping through Eastern Europe bring similar changes to our region. We must wait until our Arab neighbors see the advantages of peace and give up their campaign to destroy us. Only through strength can peace be achieved."

-------------------------------

His words seem almost prophetic in these days of change in the Middle East. Arab governments are slowly seeing their governments change through death of the previous strong man (Syria) to an aging king that will soon see a change of power in his country (Jordan) to a radical government that pushed a superpower too far (Iraq). Those winds of change that transformed Eastern Europe that Eitan prophesized certainly seem to have arrived in the Middle East. We can only hope and pray that peace will finally come to stay in the troubled Middle East. And until that day arrives, we can hope and pray that Israel remains strong waiting for the arrival of peace.

I highly recommend this excellent autobiography of one of Israel's most distinguished soldiers, farmers, leaders, and citizens.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

This book is a thrilling journey into the life of a volunteer spy into the Mossad. You almost have to read pages twice after reading what happens because it's crazy and funny. Howard Schack lends a very comical tone throughtout especially during the times he gets into scrapes. For example when he gets caught in Saudi Arabia for snapping photos of a military equipment. Mr. Schack, because of his real life construction company, manages to get info into one very big place towards the end. This reads like a real life Alias show with 2 layers of ordinary mundane (Son: Dad, why did you grow a beard? Schack: Because I'm a spy for Israel. Son: Riiight, Dad!) to flying in vintage airplanes w/Arab leaders over military sites. A definite must read!

This was one of the most interesting books I ever read. Even though he has changed the names of everyone, certainly all the people mentioned would recognize themselves and what fools have been made of them. I would think that they, and their governments, would all be out for revenge. This is really a tell-all book of spy methods. I am surprised that it isn't classified, and I would think that it might seriously compromise our own spies in the area of national security, unless spy methods have really changed a lot since that time, and all these methods have become obsolete. But I don't think so, as they mostly involve people skills. Nevertheless, I am thinking about writing a novel,a nd a lot of the information I was searching for was found here. An amazing, exciting book. Hard to put down. As it is out of print, I ordered it used through one of the used booksellers in Amazon.com. I recommend you do the smae. The book I received was in excellent condition, and I'm glad I read it.

Espionage is commonly defined as "that part of the total intelligence designed for the surreptitious inspection of the activities of foreign countries to ascertain their strength and movements and to communicate such intelligence to the proper authorities. "If only for security purposes, all nations feel the need to discover, by their own concealed methods, the guarded secrets of others. Or as Winston Churchill once wittily remarked: "Sometimes liberty requires a bodyguard of lies." To establish the personality traits of the "ideal" spy central to the anatomy of espionage is obviously far from simple. A fine study of intelligence gathering catalogs, for example, some 10 traits the "good" intelligence agent must necessarily posess, in order to qualify for his precarious , oftimes life-threatening, assignment. Notable among them, an intelligence agent should be "discreet, have a passion for anonymity, and know how to keep his mouth shut, and preserve a secret. The most effective spy, Mr. Schack shows us is neither freak nor pschopath. He is rather, the 'citizenspy' who acts upon the incentive of enlightened patriotism and to whom deceit and intrigue are only temporary expedients that he knows how to keep under strict control. One such "citizen intelligence agent" was Howard Schack, a highly sucessful American engineer and with a worldwide reputation as a master builder of military installations around the globe. In his fascinating memoir, A Spy in Canaan, Mr. Schack explains his stake in the survival of Israel while serving for fifteen years with Israel's CIA, the Mossad.

Very easy reading on an important subject. This is a great companion to Symbols of our Celto Saxon Heritage which is also written by Bennett. Well documented. This book, however, should just be considered a part of the puzzle. Further reading is a must. Judah's Sceptre and Josephs Birthright by J.H. Allen would be a good follow-up.

This book is comprehensive and well-written. It's one of the best books on the subject of the lost tribes of Israel.
There is information on the camp arrangements of the tribes and the brigade emblems. These emblems are identical with the "four living creatures" found in the Bible.See Ezekiel 1:10 and Revelation 4:7.
Mr.Bennett covers or includes the following:
The mention of Israelite captives on Assyrian monuments.
The witness of the Apocrypha and Josephus regarding the lost tribes.
The Scottish Declaration of Independence(translated into English).
An appendix detailing the view of Jewish scholarship.What is interesting with this particular index is that Jewish scholars have held that the lost tribes of Israel have not re-united with Jewry.
The Index of Scripture Passages and Index of Persons,Places,and Subjects are convenient as a reference.
I recommend this book for anyone that would like to study this subject.

This book is the best I have read on the so called "Lost Tribes" of Israel. Easy reading and presented in a way that will make it plain to anyone, who God's true chosen servant people, Israel, really are.

This is an amazing book by an amazing person. A must for anyone wanting to know what's what in Israel politics...

This book presents the political credo of a leading Israeli politician. Livnat is a central member of the Likud party and presently serves as Education Minister within the Israeli government. This book is somewhat dry and lacks the vision and scope of the work of another Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu. But it does tell effectively the story, and outline the basic principles of a hard- working, skillful Israeli politician. Livnat by the way is a strong advocate of women's rights. Her basic calling card however has been her support for the Greater Land of Israel movement.

Limor Livnat writes in this book that after the Six Day War, someone scribbled "Am Yisrael Chai" (the people of Israel live) on the Arch of Titus in Rome.

You see, the Arch of Titus is there to celebrate the destruction of Jerusalem, over 1900 years ago. The Roman Empire is gone. And the Jews they went after, by no means as numerous or wealthy as the Romans, are still around. Livnat says that this means that the Jews have "defied history."

I wouldn't put it quite that way. But I do think we ought to realize that Big Empires can topple, while a much smaller people can withstand losing some battles and wars. In particular, I wouldn't be surprised if the Jews, having outlasted the Romans, managed to outlast some of their more recent foes.

Livnat is an Israeli politician. I think it might be worth comparing her, especially given her role as Education Minister, with Hanan Ashrawi, who once served as Arafat's Education Minister. Not all people are alike, and I think the contrast between these two people is enormous. Livnat is a genuine public servant, while Ashrawi has merely been a counterproductive propagandizer.

Livnat, speaking at the Golda Meir center in Haifa, says that women can be leaders. And that they can be feminists as well. The Knesset is dominated by men right now. Livnat feels that there is no reason why it couldn't be half women and half men. Neither do I. And she points out that there are some attitude changes that may need to be made to accomplish this. But she insists that "a woman can be a feminist and religious, a feminist and a capitalist, a feminist and an astronaut, or a feminist and a quilt-maker." I strongly agree.

As for leadership, maybe that would be a problem if a leader always had to be the person who could lift the heaviest weight. Luckily, that isn't the case at all.

Livnat states her vision for the future. She sees an Israel that will defend and protect Jews both in Israel and elsewhere. One which will continue to absorb immigrants from everywhere and will have stronger bonds with the Jewish diaspora. A Jewish and democratic Israel (as she explains, that is not a contradiction) that is at peace with its neighbors. And an undivided Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Right now, all this may look preposterous, much as Herzl's vision of a Jewish state must have seemed preposterous a century ago. But her dream is merely one that has come true for many other small nations.

I recommend this book.

This book really holds it down for anti-Zionists. It is aimed at strengthening and sharpening our skills as pro-Palestinian activists.

It has over a dozen contributors who approach the subject from several different left-wing perspectives. Especially useful for activists is Phil Gasper's chapter, Mostafa Omar's chapter, and the interviews with Tivka Honig-Parnass, Toufic Haddad and Edward Said.

Hadas Thier has an excellent chapter outlining why Ariel Sharon, the "crime" minister of Israel, is a war criminal.

I am very happy with this book, and know that several people in my town have ordered it and also found it engaging.

There simply is no better book for understanding the history of the conflict in Palestine and Israel, and the US role in that conflict.
It also contains a compelling, provocative argument for a unified country embracing Jews and Palestinians alike, and for the connections with the struggle against dictatorships throughout the region.

This was the first book I read about Israel and Palestine, as a college freshman, and I found it a very comprehensible introduction.

In the past two weeks (July 2006), as Israel has invaded Gaza and Lebanon, I have re-read the book and been stunned by how much I have learned reading it a second time (and after, four years later, having now read many other sources on the conflicts in the Middle East as well). This book has been very helpful for me in being able to understand what is happening in the world. It is still the best book I have found on Israel and Palestine.

One of the things I most appreciate about it is that the different chapters and contributors all approach the issue from different angles:
- Was Israel founded to counter anti-Semitism? (Actually, to my great surprise when I read it for the first time, Zionist leaders actually made deals with the Nazis to encourage more Jews to leave Europe and move to Palestine! This is in the book's first essay, "Zionism: False Messiah," with many more examples of how Zionist leaders prioritized their political goal of building a Jewish-only state above fighting anti-Semitism)
- Why does the US offer so much support to Israel and how did this relationship evolve? How is it related to US support for other regimes in the Middle East, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and in the past, Iran and Iraq?
- What was the "peace process" about and why did it fall apart? What were Israel, Arafat and the US each hoping to achieve from it?
- Where did the different movements in Palestine (PLO, Hamas, Fatah, etc) come from and how are they different from each other?
- What would Palestinian liberation look like and what kind of movement in the Middle East would win it? Is it possible for Arabs and Jews to live together without racism? How would we get there?

...and many more; those are just some examples. I find it very helpful that the book discusses so many aspects of the situation in the Middle East. It also includes interviews with and statements from Palestinian and Israeli activists who have resisted Zionism and Israeli colonialism.

In short, I can't recommend this book more highly for anyone trying to understand the conflicts in the Middle East. I've lent my copy to a number of friends over the years, and I hope more people will buy and learn from this book.

This testimony to man's inhumanity to man is a welcome addition to Holocaust literature. Mr. Rosengarten's personal story is a tribute to the human spirit and the will to survive. Although the book was originally planned for his children, I appreciate the fact that he shared his experiences, his courage and love of family with the general public. Because this authentic and moving book made such a lasting impression on me, I wish to donate a copy to our library.

A truly haunting book in its simplicity. This is not high emotion, but an incredibly comprehensive recollection of life in various concentration camps. Israel Rosengarten conveys the true horror of the concentration camps via his narrative of the details and minutiae of day to day life. It is the very ordinariness of many of the details which jolts us and the capriciousness with which one either lived or died. Mr. Rosengarten's detailed memories of the routine of the camps 50 years after the events is what sets this book apart. It is this which conveys the true horror of the Holocaust and makes it a must read. It is a pity that the Publisher allowed such obviously poor translation and editing to be done of such an important work.

Survival: The Story of a Sixteen-Year-Old Jewish Boy begins with Israel J. Rosengarten's deportation in 1942 to the Belgian concentration camp of Breendonk at the age of sixteen and follows his movements through a series of camps until 1945. Survival is a compelling, personal account that concludes with the Auschwitz death march, liberation by the Americans, and Israel's return to Belgium -- only to discover that he was the lone survivor of a family of seven. This intimate story of what it was like to be a teenage boy in the concentration camps of the holocaust, of surviving almost 1,000 days of internment through a series of incredible coincidences, miracles, and a fierce struggle to stay alive against impossible odds. Survival is a welcome addition to the growing body of holocaust literature.

For those who wonder if the "Old Testament" is alive and well and relevant for modern Believers this is the book. Ariel & Dvorah Berkowitz have done a wonderful job of explaining why Gentiles can not only belong to the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob but also live happily with the teachings found in the Torah. Furthermore they examine a number of New Testament scriptures often used to "prove" the "Law" has been done away with. The authors, by the way, are wonderful people.

The long awaited sequel to "Torah Rediscovered - Challenging Centuries of Misinterpretation and Neglect". The Berkowitzes have done it again, with their gracious style of teaching and their loving approach, they demonstrate the beauty, symmetry, majesty and graciousness of the Torah, and then show the non-Jewish reader how they have Divine permission to embrace it for themselves, to become full participants in an inheritance with the Jewish people, Land and Scriptures. By the way, "Torah Rediscovered" is currently out of print, but it too is an absolutely must read book... Tremendous reading.

This an essential book for those amoung the church world to see how the Old Testament Sciptures, Covenants, Land, and people are still valid today. For Jews, this can show how Yeshua and his disciples didn't start a new religion or forsake the teachings of the Torah, but that He was the one to whom the Tanakh pointed to. The book deals mainly with Old Testament Law and Prophecy. (Which is good for Christians because when was the last time you studied books like Leviticus or Zechariah?) Towards the end, the book explains how to reconcile seemingly "contradictory" passages from the New Testament and gives a more scripturally cohesive interpretation. It may pop your Christain bubble and challenge your presuppositions, but it shows you a whole new way to read the Bible (as a whole, not divided)!

Incredibly researched book filled with little known information that shows the ongoing pattern of manipulation of the US by Israeli leaders since it's inception, and even before it became a state. Irrefutable with impeccable references and footnotes- should be required reading by all students of history.

A very interesting, well written, in depth look into U.S. relations with Israel from 1946-1967. Green covers keys points in Israel's short and violent history in an attempt to better inform the public about many key issues from Zionist recruitment during the War of Independance up to the incident involving Israel attacking the U.S.S. Liberty without provocation during the infamous 6 Day war with the United Arab Nations. This is an excellent read for anyone either seeking more information on U.S. policy towards Israel (via detailed history of key events) or those studying foriegn/global policies involving countries in the middle east. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a complete, well researched history of the secert US relations with Isreal. The detail and precision of each account is amazing. Stephen Green gives life to the rumors that have been echoed thoughout US post WWII history. His non-partisonship prohibits, in his writings, the bias` that some Western people have toward Arab nations. This book is a great lead into his LIVING BY THE SWORD.

Mandelman has crafted some provocative, haunting vignettes. These stories go quickly, but I had to put the book down after each one to reflect on what I had just experienced. I had to finish each story in one sitting, though, even though I was (slightly) late for appointments twice. These stories of Israeli life and emotions were quite moving, and like good literature should be, slightly disturbing.

Having finished this book, I read it all over again. I have never done this before in my life (64 this month!). These discrete stories work off and illuminate each other - if illuminate is the word for such a darkly pessimistic (and, yes, funny!) view of human nature, taking the Israeli experience as paradigm. The whole thing's a tragedy for the Jews because they're a damaged people in the process of damaging their non-Jewish neighbours; but in that too it's like family life. I guess Mandelman's saying we're all damaged - oy veh! - but this is no way a depressing read; beautifully written and edited (apart from some dodgy French) its bleakly irreverent voice will alas not be heard by those who most need to hear it. More, please, Mandelman!

This is really one of the major achievements when it comes to literature about Israel written in English. These fierce, unsparing stories tell us a great deal about the costs of being tough, of unending violence, of the suppression of softer human qualities. Mandelman's language perfectly captures the landscape, the anxieties, the sense of loss of contemporary Israel. There is a steady proliferation of fiction about Israel but this is the real thing.

Farrar here writes another very relevant, readable book to add to his long list of successes. Although not as directly targeted to men's needs specifically, the author resonates with all his readers in describing severe trials and providing encouragement on how to weather them. Farrar is a top-notch writer -- I recommend this book highly, especially to Christian men familiar with his other works.

Once again, Steve Farrar has written a fantastic book. His frank, no holds barred style is refreshing in an era where people tiptoe around subjects. When you're hurting and going through trials, you don't need someone to tiptoe around the problem, you need practical advice and encouragement.

This book is extremely encouraging. He talks specifically about life's "pop quizzes" -- those trials we don't expect -- and how God uses these trials to shape our character and strengthen us. The problem is they're unexpected by nature, and we often can't really tell the positive effect until they're over with. Understanding that there is a purpose and reason behind such quizzes makes them more bearable.

Lots of examples from his own life, his friends, and the Bible make his points come alive and hit home in the best way possible. I liked it so much, I'm sending copies to a few friends that need to read it.

While this book is an outstanding book for Christian men, it can easily be applicable to both men and women. Steve does an outstanding job of showing what we are to do when the trap doors of life send us into pits of despair. If you have ever been to the point where you needed to here from God and God is silent, this book shows we aren't the first. Men of the Bible like David, and Asaph had times when they were in the pits of despair, and they left trail markers to help guide us. Steve does a excellent job pointing these markers out that were left for us in the Psalms and explaining them. A book every Christian man should read so that when the trials and persecutions come, they will be able to navigate through them with the help of the Shephard. .