A Purity of Arms: An American in the Israeli Army

by Aaron T. Wolf

Wolf, an American who became an Israeli citizen in 1985, chronicles his 18 months of compulsory military service in "Company Aleph" of the Israeli army, and in the process, he captures the human tragedy for all the peoples of the Middle East. He has a telling eye for detail and a crisp style that moves us through forced desert marches and perilous parachute jumps. He creates a context to understand both the native-born Israeli and the immigrant, as well as the plight of the Palestinians pressed to serve in the Intifada. This is not an account of high-level Middle East diplomacy, done so well in Thomas Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem but one of individuals caught in the troubling context of Middle East politics.

Genres: Israel

227 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 1989

Reviews

[Foxglove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent book, well written, showing the beauty and humanity of warriors, along with the deadly pain.