Middle East Books

I'm basing my next vacation in the Western desert to include a few oasis. He keeps the gritty details to a comfortable level, which makes the reading pleasant.

This book was amazing! when i read it, not only did it keep me interested, but i couldn't put it down!! the photographs were amazing, and so were the detailed maps! Jackson has done an excellent job with this book, and i can't wait for his next one. his hard work on this book has really paid off as it provides an exquisite insight into the history of Rome and the other places. being the head of the history department is a high post, and i am sure he deserves it.

From the Back Cover
"No one with even a passing interest in New York will be able to live without it."- William Grimes, New York Times Book Review

Please correct me if I am wrong, but, I do not understand how an interest in "New York" has ANYTHING to do with this book.
Am I missing something?

Here is a splendid recounting of histories (the old and the older) and anecdotes of explorations in the deserts and oases of what was once Roman Egypt. In addition, credible summations of existing research and excavations provide the reader with a distanced understanding of some curious spaces. The images in this book, all black and white, seem both numinous and stunning. The maps present the only bit of chaos with their insect-like sprawlings and unorganized keys. One must scan all names of the key to find the number and location for the places described. Clearer maps would have been lovely, but since it is unlikely I'll need such maps, the existing suffice. The reading is compelling, the topics heterogenous. On the whole, this book provides significant information and pleasure.

Simple and straight forward writing, but not simple concepts. Taher tackles age old issues (revenge, redemption) with a kind of freshness that helps the reader see something new. He also gently leads the reader to adopt the appropriate cultural mindset so that the characters can be held close to the heart, not merely observed from afar. Sometimes, however, his writing is weighed down by awkward or repetitive descriptions . Since this is a translation, it is difficult to tell if the problem is the author's or the translator's. Anyway, it is not excessive and can be overlooked by the reader willing to forgive a little to get a lot.

Bahaa' Taher's short novel, following the earlier "Duha Said," and centering around the Copts of present-day Egypt, provides an engaging glance into the relations of Muslim-Christian while offering an interesting plot and narrative technique; As with the works of Naguib Mahfouz, it is not so much history as much as a well-wrought tale. While one wishes the author would write an historic novel based upon the relations of the monophysites and neighboring sects through the ages, Taher achieves something perhaps greater; creating his own byzantine while never imposing an entirely personalized view -or judgment- upon his very believable characters. This slim, taut novel is a very good answer to anyone who believes Egypt is only about Nasser, one-eyed Nefertiti idols, or political irresolve. Strongly recommend

This book deserves an official review from a known source - a review listing it as a "must read". With an introduction and a glossary starting the book, I expected a difficult book. (I rarely read Mideastern literature because I generally find it less than engrossing.) I only used the glossary once - for curiousity not meaning. And I'd quite comfortable but the introduction at the back ... The book stands quite well on its own, thankyou.

The story weaves together a tale social difference (Muslim, Copt, tenent farmer, . . .), family responsibility and social change. The characters are complex and realistic - the wise ones recognizing both the past and the future in a country just stripped of the Sinai in war. It provides a positive picture of Islam - a picture sadly needed in the West - as well as of the Copts, largely unknown in the West. Add it to your "must read" list - you'll be well rewarded

This is the first book I read for Bahaa' Taher, an author previously unknown to me. His novel is describing the life in a southern village in Egypt where Copts (Egyptian Christians) and Moslems (Egyptian Moslems) lived together in peace and harmony for centuries. Suddenly, a rumor was injected by some unknown source, in order to create hatred between the villagers. Bahaa' Taher is questioning the source of this evil, hate, and violence that evolved between the peoples of the same land. Bahaa's style reflects his tender feelings and a sense of nostalgia for the past, the 'good old' and peaceful days. This book should be a must read for all schoolchildren in Egypt to teach them about Egyptian history of tolerance and peace. The novelist's style is so tender and his words flow soft like clouds. (It would be great if he would consider writing a romance). I must acknowledge Barbara Romaine for her translation of this book, it is simply flawless. This is a fascinating novel by a fine and very distinguished writer.

My mother purchased this very book at the Mother of God Church in Detroit for $15.00. What gives??

this is by far one of my favorite arabic cookbooks. It strays away from the traditional Lebanese and Mid - east recipes, and offers truely authenic "village" cuisine. I find the recipes tastier then thouse in other arabic books. I can honestly say that I have made the majority of all the recipes in this book, being I only cook arabic food for my family, and really havent made anything I didnt like. One tip when using potatoes in Ms Najors recipes, always use Idaho potatoes. They seem to work best.

If you are interested in preparing great-tasting Chaldean/Assyrian food, get this book. It's the ONLY one that I know of on this subject. It also includes interesting facts about Chaldean holidays, etc.

I am an American woman who has been married to a Chaldean (Christian Iraqi) man for almost 30 years. This book has been very instrumental in teaching me to prepare Chaldean dishes. I have had many compliments from my Chaldean relatives on the dishes I have made using recipes from this book. Some of the instructions for the preparations are a bit wordy and the author's use of the English language is less than perfect, but she communicates her meaning. This book devotes several pages to a description of the celebration of the various Christian holidays in the Chaldean culture and explains how different foods are used at each time. I would be lost without this book in my kitchen - my copy is dog earred and well used!

I read an article by Edward Said during the December 1998 bombing of Iraq which mentioned this great book. I bought it thinking that I will read a simple diary of the hardships of war. I was wrong. It is a beautiful mixture of everyday events, which Al-Radi makes humourous. It is only humourous because our tears have dried over Iraq's suffering. It is a book I recommend for Iraqis because it states all that we hear about from visitors of Iraq. I recommend it to others because the media never shows these aspects. Perhaps it will help to make people realize that the distant pictures of green lights broadcast on T.V. are much more damaging than "degrading weapons of mass distruction". That is not to say that Saddam Hussein is not a dictator who must be eliminated. The final part of the book 'exile' is particularly moving as the suffering does not end with leaving Iraq. A great book, please read it.

This is a memoir of a middle-class Iraqi artist in Iraq - during the sanctions (i.e. after 1990).

Nuha Radi presents a much needed voice from Iraq.

Ms. Al-Radi gives an amazing play-by-play of how the war (the massive bombing campaigns by the US and allied forces in Baghdad and neighbouring cities and the ensuing embargo) unfolded before her and the people of Iraq. I couldn't put it down.

Ms. Al-Radi has a knack for turning a seriously tragic situation into an almost funny account through her matter-of-fact statements. Still, somehow she manages to not lessen the impact of the tragedy.

Ms. Al-Radi does not paint an "Oh woe is me," picture but she invites the reader to walk by her as she takes us through the experiences of the people of Iraq, (her friends and neighbours, and even her dog Salvador Dali and his "friends," etc.). She paints vivid images of the various stages of the war. For example she describes, in the beginning of the war, how the Iraqis had filled up their freezers to the hilt with meat and vegetables and anything they could fit in there fearing the onset of war. But, as the first bombs hit taking out the electical plants and leaving Iraq without power, in total darkness and every refrigerator and freezer unfreezing, the Iraqis are left gorging themselves as their food begins to rot inside their quickly defrosting freezers.

Ms. Al-Radi then takes us into bowels of the war itself describing the massive bombs that obliterate and take out innocent human and animal lives by the hundreds (at any given time).

She finally steps into the final blow of the war (pun intended) -the cruel and unusual punishment of the embargo and the ensuing anarchy that it creates, in addition to the odd occurrences in nature. Her trees die, her vegetables don't grow, strange insects never before seen take a hold of the trees and shrubs struggling to live, birds die by the thousands for no "apparent" reason, the cancer rates go up immeasurably, etc.

This is a much needed book. The human face of Iraq has all but been eliminated and replaced with the menacing one of Saddam which in turn justified/s the punishment that the people had to endure(are still enduring)as a result.

It is a wonderful book. It is sad that a book of this sort had to be written in the first place.

Ms. Al-Radi gives an amazing play-by-play of how the war (the massive bombing campaigns by the US and allied forces in Baghdad and neighbouring cities and the ensuing embargo) unfolded before her and the people of Iraq. I couldn't put it down.

Ms. Al-Radi has a knack for turning a seriously tragic situation into an almost funny account through her matter-of-fact statements. Still, somehow she manages to not lessen the impact of the tragedy.

Ms. Al-Radi does not paint an "Oh woe is me," picture but she invites the reader to walk by her as she takes us through the experiences of the people of Iraq, (her friends and neighbours, and even her dog Salvador Dali and his "friends," etc.). She paints vivid images of the various stages of the war. For example she describes, in the beginning of the war, how the Iraqis had filled up their freezers to the hilt with meat and vegetables and anything they could fit in there fearing the onset of war. But, as the first bombs hit taking out the electical plants and leaving Iraq without power, in total darkness and every refrigerator and freezer unfreezing, the Iraqis are left gorging themselves as their food begins to rot inside their quickly defrosting freezers.

Ms. Al-Radi then takes us into bowels of the war itself describing the massive bombs that obliterate and take out innocent human and animal lives by the hundreds (at any given time).

She finally steps into the final blow of the war (pun intended) -the cruel and unusual punishment of the embargo and the ensuing anarchy that it creates, in addition to the odd occurrences in nature. Her trees die, her vegetables don't grow, strange insects never before seen take a hold of the trees and shrubs struggling to live, birds die by the thousands for no "apparent" reason, the cancer rates go up immeasurably, etc.

This is a much needed book. The human face of Iraq has all but been eliminated and replaced with the menacing one of Saddam which in turn justified/s the punishment that the people had to endure(are still enduring)as a result.

It is a wonderful book. It is sad that a book of this sort had to be written in the first place.

I think this book was very well written and showcases pre and post revolution Iran with great clarity. Once taken up for reading, putting it down is difficult!

It was with some misgivings that I first picked Azar Arayanpour's book " Behind the Tall Walls". Within minutes, however, I realised that the only problem I would have with this book is that I would not be able to drop it until I had finished it. But the sleepless night that followed proved worth it. This is a truly fantastic read. Azar Aryanpour tells her story with a voice that is both strong and vulnerable at the same time. Anyone who wants to know how the Khomeinist revolution wrecked the lives oif millions of decent, hard-working, god-fearing and patriotic people should read this book. The big tragedies of history, such as the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran, are often best understood when studied through their impact on the lives of individuals. To say that Iran today is twice poorer than it was before the revolution is too general a sattement to make an impact. The same is true of reminding the world that more than two millionn Iranians have been in and out of " Islamic" prisons during the past two decades, that some 100,000 have been executed , that more than a million died in the war against Iraq, and that nearly eight million Iranians have been driven out of their homes, more than half of them inside Iran itself. It is only when you read how the lives of Shoja Sheikh, a young Iranian doctor and his loving wife Azar were wrecked that you begin to share some of the pain felt by millions of Iranians. Ms. Aryanpour's book, however, is not a political statement. She is telling the story of one woman who fought hard to save her marriage and bring up her children in circumsatnces that would have broken many a lesser person. Read this book and recommend it to your friends. Paris , Amir Taheri

Make sure that you have a lot of time before you start reading this book, because it is going to be very hard to put down. I found myself reading this book in the middle of class, anxiously wanting to find out what happens next. This book is very touching and emotional, making you feel as though you are right there alongside her through the story. She also does a great job at explaining who is who in book (former iranian officials). I only have one criticism, and that is when she referred to Baha'is as atheists. Such a statement is untrue, and highly offensive to Baha'is who have been tortured and murdered because of such ignorance. But overall, I praise her for this book.

Azar Aryanpour tells her story and that of Dr. Shoja Sheik with heart rending clarity. Many facts are now clarified for me. I was one of the faculty that helped Shoja in his pursuit of becoming an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Three times I visited in Iran, once for a month as he set up a residency at the "Shafa Hospital". The tragic story now clarified by his former wife moved me deeply.

As the author's daughter this is a biased review, but I do like the book and think it would be helpful to anyone starting fieldwork and interesting to anyone else.

As a student coming from a merely conservative culture, I can relate with the Bradburds' expriences. I find the Komachies and the Malays(dominant ethnicity of Malaysia) having similar culture and tradition because of the religion; Islam. The wedding trays are very alike and men are considered to have more power than women. However, my mom wears the pants in my family ;-). I came directly from Malaysia to upstate Potsdam NY. It 's such a culture shock and quite an interesting experience. I understand the feeling of being FAR away from home....and let me tell you, it ain't easy!

As a friend, fellow ethnographer, and reviewer of other writings by Bradburd, I am very pleased to see this book in paperback (i.e., classroom usable) form and happily recommend it to others. It is highly readable, personally engaging, and very informative about people, settings, and ways of life that are not generally accessible to cultural outsiders -- even other Iranians. That Bradburd is able to help a reader gain an appreciation and understanding of the complexities of Komachi life is a credit to his skill as a writer -- both most of all as a researcher. Well done!

Is it possible to learn anything about another culture without skewing the data just by being there? Dan Bradburd argues that it is, and shows how. For general readers interested in finding out what field work is like, the book provides a diverting account. For anthropologists who think there's no point in going, a convincing argument to the contrary.

Bint Arab is an excellent study of the history and present of Arab American women dispelling much myth and presenting this wonderful minority in vivid color and 3d.

Shaker did an wonderful job presenting an accurate portrayal of the many faces of Arab women in US. The very considerable amount of research into the history of Arab migration in US makes the book a very valuable source on the subject. This coupled with the personal history of Shaker's own family helped bring the history to life.

Shakers extensive field work with modern day Arab American women from very diverse backgrounds with no attempt to force any specific viewpoint serves to make Bin Arab a fantastic window on diverse group of Americans

For a reader seeking to understand the experience of women of Arab heritage in the US, reading Evelyn Shakir's book makes an excellent first step. One's vague stereotypes about this group dissolve after reading a few pages. Starting at the beginning of the 20th century, she paints a vivid and colorful picture of these women and their families, ethnic communities, business enterprises, and interaction with Anglo-American society. I found the descriptions of the earlier 20th century to have the evocative quality of E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime. Shakir does not gloss over the difficulties that these women had with their patriarchal-minded males; she also depicts their numerous victories in redefining their roles as women. (The author's own mother won such a victory, setting up a successful small clothing factory in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.)

Shakir's family was Christian, as were most of the earlier generations of Arab immigrants, and her account of their generation draws much from family memories. (She also did considerable research in books and periodicals by and about Arab Americans, enriching her account while never making it ponderous.) When dealing with today's largely Muslim immigrants, she takes a different approach. She gives the reader lengthy transcriptions of Arab women's accounts of their experiences, taken from interviews or, in one case, from a conversation among four sisters. I would guess that, feeling unfamiliar with their culture, she preferred to let the Muslim women speak for themselves. This drew me in as effectively as did the earlier part of the book. Taken as a whole, Bint Arab is a very readable and richly detailed portrayal of an ethnic group with whom other Americans would do well to become better acquainted.

This book is a personal yet highly informative ethnographic survey of three generations of Arab American women. The author introduces her grandmothers, who came to the US in the nineteenth century. She investigates their motivations for immigrating and how they and their cohorts adapted to the new country. A central figure in the book is the author's mother, a and successful businesswoman, who is presented as an example of the first American generation. Shakir describes how second generation Arab American women sought to find places for themselves between the Arab and American cultures, and how third generation women connected or reconnected with their heritage. In the last part of the book, Shakir turns her attention to more recent arrivals since 1948, mostly Palestinians, and the reasons why they have assimilated less to American culture.

The author does an exceptional job throughout explaining the traditions of her culture to those who may not be aware of them. Only at the beginning does she seem to idealize the homeland Lebanon somewhat, rather than consider it impartially; this was probably due to her elders' expressed attitudes as she was growing up. This book will be of interest to anyone studying the process of immigration and acculturation, as well as those of Arab American ancestry.

As an Arab American woman, I have been desperate in my search for common experiences, for familiar voices and shared stories. Picking up this book made me realize that I am not alone, but furthermore a member of a community! It also made me realize that I had even bought into the hype of American media. The book shares anecdotes and gives a detailed history of Arab american women. It is pieces of history, small tales threaded together to form a priceless 'misbah,' prayer beads for every Arab American. It taught me what I needed to learn. Or re-learn.

Morris is a unique seeker of truth and a punctilious historian and scholar who is not encumbered with the usual agenda that accompanies the vast majority of writers on this topic.

Interestingly, Morris, an Israeli historian, is frequently quoted by Arab and anti-Israeli authors and sources, such as, the pseudo-academic, Norman Finkelstein, most often entirely out of context (as one examines the quotes), and he provides a breathtaking perspective of truth that embodies the absolute pathos of the dramatic history of this region, in stark contrast to the various fantasies that have been generated by both sides of the conflict.

This book is an absolute must for any true student of this conflict

Review of The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, by Benny Morris

Israeli historian Benny Morris largely succeeds in his intention to present a "complex and nuanced" history of the birth of the Palestinian refugee problem. His extensive research, which led to the first version of this work published in 1988, was derived from archived records in Israel, England, the United States and the United Nations. Given the lapse of time since 1948 he found oral recollections inadequate and of dubious reliability. There is a torrent of detail in the book and there are hundreds of endnotes following each chapter.

Many readers will be shocked by the numerous detailed descriptions of the violence exercised on Palestinian non-combatants by Zionist forces. Even the most pro-Zionist readers will no longer be able to deny that a massive ethnic cleansing occurred in 1948. In fact, there are repeated references to "cleansing" in orders given to Haganah units, sometimes explicitly giving instructions to kill adult males, expel the women and children and destroy their homes to prevent return. Often units were not faced with the onerous task of killing and expelling because the Arabs had fled in anticipation of violence. The infamous massacre at Deir Yassin was not unique; Morris states that there were some 20 massacres, two of which were revealed for the first time in the 1988 version of this book.

About 700,000 persons (Morris's estimate) were displaced beyond the boundary of the part of Palestine allotted to the new state of Israel and beyond the additional area taken by Zionist arms. Figure 2 in the book is a map with some 392 numbered dots representing the Palestinian villages evacuated and destroyed. The legend to the map gives the Arab names of these former villages with estimates of the motivation for their abandonment.

Morris recognizes that the motivation for Arab flight varied among different segments of the Palestinian population. In December 1947 and early 1948 the exodus began when those of the upper classes who had resources fled to safety in Arab cities outside Palestine. The loss of actual and potential leaders undermined Palestinian morale, already suffering deep divisions from the 1936-39 revolt against British rule. In spring 1948, Haganah, Irgun and Stern Gang operations began to terrorize the Arab population, and the massive outflow of all classes began. (Menachem Begin boasts in his book, Revolt, that without the instructive example of the Deir Yassin massacre by his Irgun boys there would be no Israel.) Murder, raping and looting by Jewish combatants shocked both Arabs and many Jews who witnessed it.

Morris could find no evidence for the often-repeated claim that Arab leaders broadcast appeals to Palestinians to leave their homes to expedite the killing of Jews by Arab forces. The appeals from the largely feckless Arab leaders were contradictory and had little effect.

Morris that argues that forced expulsion and destruction of homes and villages was not pre-planned by Zionist leaders, saying that Plan D of the Haganah, which prescribed exactly such measures, was not implemented until April 1948 in anticipation of attack by surrounding Arab states after the British leaving on May 15. He believes that it was opportunism driven by events, the seizing of a one-time chance to cleanse the new state of Arabs. Arabs, and some other Israeli historians, believe it was pre-planned. I'm not sure that there is an ethical difference whether ethnic cleansing was pre-planned or improvised. Certainly the idea of transfer of Arabs from Palestine was rife in Zionist circles before partition and Morris includes a chapter documenting this thinking.

On the Zionist left voices were raised against the policy and there are diary entries of horrified Jewish observers, one of whom concluded, " I hide my face in shame." However, David Ben-Gurion kept national unity intact by being careful not to expose in writing any draconian intentions and by telling different things to different people. In the case of the violent wholesale expulsions from Lydda and Ramle, a hand gesture to his staff conveyed his real intention.

The Israelis were so taken with the success of Arab removal that they adopted a resolute policy of no return of the refugees. United Nations Moderator Count Folke Bernadotte was dismayed that Jews with their history of persecution would themselves act so unjustly. Morris reports a conversation in which Bernadotte was trying to persuade Moshe Sharett, then Israel's Foreign Minister, to make at least a gesture of conciliation by allowing a partial return. Sharett replied that such idealism had no place in a world dominated by men of action (such as himself, presumably), and that Israel would be regarded as foolish by such men if it discarded the favorable situation created by war. A day after the release of Bernadotte's report on refugees, men of action from the Stern Gang murdered him.

This is not a history of the 1948 war, but Morris in summary blames the victims for their disastrous fate because, "They started the war", certainly a contentious conclusion considering that the refugees were mostly non-combatants, and furthermore had no voice in the partitioning of their country.

It appears to this reader that Morris makes a strong case that the refugees were victims of Zionist drives for exclusivity and expansion of territory. As an historian Morris deserves great credit for his diligence in bringing light to this dark event whose legacy still troubles the region. An IDF intelligence officer observing the pathetic stream of refugees fleeing Lydda wrote, Occasionally you encountered a piercing look from one of the youngsters in the column, and the look said, "We have not surrendered. We shall return to fight you."

In short, this book, by precisely detailing the exact origins of the Palestinian crisis-town by town-,holds Israel at least partially or perhaps fully responsible for the refugee crisis and, by implication, the entire war on terrorism. It has particular impact because Benny Morris is a tenured Jewish Israeli scholar and therefore cannot be summerly dismissed as anti-Semitic. Moreover it makes us wonder why it is that America, despite virtually no international support, came to so blindly enable and supply Israeli aggression rather than to support, with an easily assembled and very powerful international coalition, an imposed wall or peace fence at the UN established and internationally recognized 1948 or 1967 borders. The book is a long, detailed, and fully footnoted 600 pages, but if it makes us wonder if we should rethink or, more accurately, be brave enough to think for the first time about Israel and the war on terrorism, then it is well worth every page. Please write to me if this doesn't make perfect sense.

A very thorough and detailed examination of the events surrounding the departure of the Arab community from the British Mandate territory of Palestine. At times, this book reads like a diary with very specific references to dates and times when particular events occured. A knowledge of the geography of the area, and a background in the political events unfolding at the time would be helpful in deciphering the numerous figures and reference points. Morris does succeed in conveying the variety of conflicting forces at play during this time and how they converged to create what was truly a chaotic situation for all parties in nascent Arab-Israeli conflict.

I am a Muslim and the Quran says that those who believe in the one God will eventually be in heaven but those who did not follow they way of Islam are possibly going to be in Hell for a time. I hope the soldiers in this book will be spared hellfire. As I read it, I was amazed that I never heard of it before. These soldiers and their refusal to participate have been hidden from the public. They were on a segment of 60 minutes, but you will not find that video anywhere on the Internet, including Youtube and their website. Go ahead and try to find it.

In their own words, they say that Israel was "built on militarism racism" and "Many Jews have lost their Jewish souls" and The judges who order houses to be demolished are "prostltutes to the legal system" and about terrorism, the soldier in ch7 says boldly "We have sown the seed's, grown them, and nurtured them." He later says with courage "I refuse to be a terrorist in my tribes name." I am sure this book is banned in Israel but I wish that all Americans could read it at least once. If it was hard for me to find it, then I know the majority of concerned Americans dont know it exists.

This book has catapultited me into a new level of consciousness!
I have been waiting for a book to educate me on this topic and not only have I been educated, but moved to look into activism on this issue. I am neither Jewish nor very knowledgeable in politics. This book is right to the point and I found myself totally engrossed. The men in this book are awesome and I am proud to walk the planet with them. They are educated, brave, compassionate and passionate. I hope that you not only read Breaking Ranks, but go to the website afterwards and become involved in some way.

Several courageous Israeli reservists who have refused to serve in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories captured by Israel in 1967 tell why they have chosen not to serve. They are part of a group of several hundred Israeli reservists who have said that they will serve within Israel's 1967 borders but that they will no longer fight beyond those borders to "dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people." Many of these brave reservists spent time in Israeli prisons for their principled actions.
The reservists speak of the brutalization of the Palestinian people by the Israeli army, a brutalization which in turn brought about the anger of the Palestinian people toward them and toward Israeli Jews. They speak of the humiliation faced by both young and old Palestinians at the ever present checkpoints when young Israeli soldiers would torment Palestinians by tearing up their required identification papers, making them sit in the hot sun without shelter, sending them back home even when they had a permit to visit the doctor or go to school or occasionally beating them just for sport.
This book is a real eye opener for those who get their information about Israel and the occupation from the main stream corporate press. It serves to help readers understand more of the Israeli/Palestine conflict and it is also important because it shows that there is a segment of Israeli society that knows that the occupation is reprehensible and unconscionable. They have been there.

Thought provoking essays that explore the conscience and consciousness of each `refusenik's soul searching, and their journey to refusal. To date 550 IDF soldiers have either refused, or pledged to refuse serving in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. That is a huge number!

The stories these soldiers tell, will often give you a glimpse into both Israeli and Palestinian society, showing how people's perception are shaped, and mindsets nearly paralyzed by governments and leaders ( on both sides ) that have cultivated only fear and hate over the years, why it must end, and how.

The author throws out tough questions to them, challenging both their patriotic duty and moral convictions. I feel they answer with great clarity and conviction. All the men in this book are well educated, and articulate. All have served in the occupied territories at one point or another, and have either committed or witnessed first hand, lets call them brutalities. They all are deeply devoted to Israeli society and believe that "the best way to serve their society is not to perpetuate its injustices"

There are some stark warnings to heed in this book. Many times American dogma and mindset after 9-11 and the `War on Terror' is cited as an analogy to give reference to the phenomenon of jingoistic thinking taking place.

This book was written before the recent refusal of 27 Israeli pilots who refused to take part in targeted assassinations, claiming that they resulted in civilan deaths, and that "the black flag of illegality is waving."

Do not think for a moment that the decision to refuse came easily for these men. It did not. Many will tell you it took years to shake off the deeply entrenched mindset that has gripped Israeli society, and is always being fed by a media that is one sided, and a government that is short-sighted.

Whether you agree with these soldiers or not, every American should read this book, because by virtue of our American citizenship alone, makes all of us a part in this struggle, whether we want to be or not. The time is now to truly understand the issues as they exist today, and reevaluate what America's moral role ought to be.

Kaplan, Danny. "Brothers and Others in Arms: The Making of Love and War in Israeli Combat Units", Harrington Park Press, 2003.

Homosexuality in the Israeli Army

Amos Lassen

The military is an integral part of Israeli society and many of us do not realize that there indeed exists a level of homoeroticism in the Israel Defense Forces. Danny Kaplan takes an in-depth look and thereby makes a valuable addition to the ongoing issue of gays in the military as well as to a better understanding of homosexuality in general.
The first part of the book is made up of interviews with Israeli soldiers about their experiences in the army and they give us a picture of another world. We see relationships of men that go beyond just pure sexual lust. We hear of deep feelings and we learn that the men need some kind of sexual outlet while on active duty.
We get quite a thought provoking fusion of love and war. Kaplan analyzes the interviews with qualitative analyses of individual experiences based on erotic and social relationships in an environment that is made up of only men. He finds that a sexual fling is a symptomatic expression of much deeper feelings but above all his finding shows that sexual needs must have an outlet in a semi-confined place where there are mostly men.

`The book then explores male eroticism and masculinity in the culture of the military and how it affects those involved. It is considered general knowledge that same-sex male relationships go beyond platonic friendships and these have always occurred. Commanders even use these relationships as a resource for military accomplishments.
Danny Kaplan shows a very thin line between brothers in arms and brothers in bed and maintains that the military life is all about male eroticism. Israelis grow up in a culture that is steeped in the military and this book is essential to the understanding of gay and bisexual life in Israel.

In this book the author conducts in the first part in-depth interviews with Israeli soldiers about their experiences in the armed forces. They reveal another world, ususally written out by those who do not wish to recognise it. The author provides qualitative analyses of the individual experiences based on social and erotic relationships in an all-male environment. The point the author makes here is that such relationship go beyond sheer lust. And the sexual fling is a symptomatic expression of feelings which run deeper. It is unavoidable though that sexuality needs some kind of let-out in an all male semi-confined environment.

The book then goes on to further explore male eroticism and masculinity in military culture, and its meanings in real human terms. It is an open secret that male to male relationships transcending platonic friendships have been going on for centuries in armies and navies, and are still going on. The intimate ties that bind individuals to their fellow warriors have been (and are) used by foresighted commanders as a resource for military accomplishments.

In ancient times the sexual organs used to be cut off the bodies of enemy warriors and used in rituals to imbue the victorious army with the strength, virility and masculinity of the other side's heroes, at the same time this demasculation is a means of stripping off power and humiliation. In a perverse way the same sex acts though between comrades in arms not only serve to relieve pressure but also to take on the virility of the other in union. The title of the book, a veritable pun on its contents, says it all in a nutshell.

I suggest you watch the Israeli film Yossi & Jagger as a kind of 'live' illustration to this book.

A thought provoking fusion of love and war, this books offers unsettling real life stories of gay and bisexual men in combat. As one Israeli soldier put it: "when the war started, things became insane, completely shattering conventions. It is permitted to kill...War is an unbelievable thing, anarchy. So everyone came out of the closet during war and went wild."
The second part of the book explores these paradoxes of masculine military culture. The author unveils, chapter by chapter, the thin line between brothers in arms and brothers in bed. How does sexuality reinforce the combat thrill and the "sexual targeting" of the enemy? How do individuals manage their gay identity and at the same time stick to the codes of soldiery and masculinity?
In fact, the book reveals what is really very old news: That military life is all about male homoeroticism! The ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Vikings, and later the Turks, the Japanese, Papua New Guinea tribes, and the modern Israelis - all acknowledged the intimate ties between fellow warriors as an emotional resource for military accomplishment. Irrespective of sexual orientation, these erotic tensions are managed, controlled and then channeled and used as an aggressive driving force to strike at the real enemy, not for targeting your own friends. Reading this book, one can't understand why the American military adheres to his anti-gay witch-hunt, which only reminds everyone this open secret that this book so vividly describes and analyzes.

From Hayworh Press: "Examine the ways that gay and bisexual men reconstruct their identity-in the steaming melting pot of military life!

This unique book combines in-depth interviews with gay/bisexual Israeli soldiers with a systematic qualitative analysis of what they have to say. In their own words, you'll hear these fighting men discuss both their combat experience and their social and erotic experiences with their fellow soldiers. Then the insightful analyses of each soldier's identification with masculine-military culture gives you a new awareness of how combat is related to male desire.

Brothers and Others in Arms brings you the words of these Israeli men of action. Steeped in `masculitary'culture (a term fully explored in the book), these soldiers--on missile boats, working in reconnaissance units, in tanks, as paratroopers and pilots-share with you the inner workings of their minds and their passions as they perform their life-threatenting jobs along with their peers, both gay and straight.

Essential to understanding gay/bisexual life in Israel and its military, Brothers and Others in Arms focuses on the emotional process behind military performance."