From their earliest days, Bibi and his close-knit brothers, Yoni and Iddo, were instilled with purpose. Born in the wake of the Holocaust at the dawn of Israel's independence and raised in a family with a prominent Zionist history, they understood that the Jewish state was a hard-won and still precarious gift. All three studied in American high schools—where they learned to appreciate the United States—before returning to their cherished homeland.
The brothers joined an elite special forces outfit of the Israeli Defense Forces known as "the Unit." At twenty-two, Bibi was wounded while leading his team in the rescue of hostages from a hijacked plane. Four years later, in 1976, Yoni was killed in Entebbe, Uganda, while leading his men in one of the most daring hostage-rescue missions in modern times. Yoni became a legend; Bibi felt he would never recover from his grief. Yet, inspired by Yoni's legacy and guided by the wisdom of his visionary historian father, Bibi thrust himself into the international struggle against terrorism, ultimately becoming the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history—an honor he further cemented by winning reelection in 2022.
In this memoir Bibi weaves together his gripping personal story with the dramatic history of Israel and the Jewish people. Through a host of vivid anecdotes, he narrates his own evolution from soldier to statesman, while providing a unique perspective on leadership, the fraught geopolitics of the Middle East, and his successful efforts to liberate Israel's economy, which helped turn it into a global powerhouse of technological innovation.
Netanyahu gives colorful, detailed, and revealing accounts of his often turbulent relationships and negotiations with Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Trump. With eye-opening candor, he delves into the back channels of high diplomacy—including his struggle against the radical forces that threaten Israel and the world at large, and the decisive events that led to Israel's groundbreaking 2020 peace agreements with four Arab states.
Offering an unflinching account of a life, a family, and a nation, Netanyahu writes from the heart and embraces controversy head-on. Steely and funny, high-tempo and full of verve, this autobiography will stand as a defining testament to the value of political conviction and personal courage.
From their earliest days, Bibi and his close-knit brothers, Yoni and Iddo, were instilled with purpose. Born in the wake of the Holocaust at the dawn of Israel's independence and raised in a family with a prominent Zionist history, they understood that the Jewish state was a hard-won and still precarious gift. All three studied in American high schools—where they learned to appreciate the United States—before returning to their cherished homeland.
The brothers joined an elite special forces outfit of the Israeli Defense Forces known as "the Unit." At twenty-two, Bibi was wounded while leading his team in the rescue of hostages from a hijacked plane. Four years later, in 1976, Yoni was killed in Entebbe, Uganda, while leading his men in one of the most daring hostage-rescue missions in modern times. Yoni became a legend; Bibi felt he would never recover from his grief. Yet, inspired by Yoni's legacy and guided by the wisdom of his visionary historian father, Bibi thrust himself into the international struggle against terrorism, ultimately becoming the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history—an honor he further cemented by winning reelection in 2022.
In this memoir Bibi weaves together his gripping personal story with the dramatic history of Israel and the Jewish people. Through a host of vivid anecdotes, he narrates his own evolution from soldier to statesman, while providing a unique perspective on leadership, the fraught geopolitics of the Middle East, and his successful efforts to liberate Israel's economy, which helped turn it into a global powerhouse of technological innovation.
Netanyahu gives colorful, detailed, and revealing accounts of his often turbulent relationships and negotiations with Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Trump. With eye-opening candor, he delves into the back channels of high diplomacy—including his struggle against the radical forces that threaten Israel and the world at large, and the decisive events that led to Israel's groundbreaking 2020 peace agreements with four Arab states.
Offering an unflinching account of a life, a family, and a nation, Netanyahu writes from the heart and embraces controversy head-on. Steely and funny, high-tempo and full of verve, this autobiography will stand as a defining testament to the value of political conviction and personal courage.
Reviews-
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November 7, 2022
This self-serving autobiography by former Israeli prime minister Netanyahu (A Durable Peace) begins with a flashback to his time in a special unit of the Israeli Defense Forces, recounting a 1972 raid on a plane held by Palestinian terrorists, then moves more or less chronologically through his life and career. Born in Israel in 1949, Netanyahu served in the military during the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War before completing his education at MIT. Recounting his two terms as prime minister (1996–1999 and 2009–2021), Netanyahu dismisses serious allegations out of hand, including the 2019 corruption charges that led to his indictment and for which he is currently on trial. He also rejects any responsibility for the violent rhetoric that contributed to then prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination in 1995, claiming that those charges were ginned up by “my antagonists in the press and on the political left.” Elsewhere, the amount of detail about Netanyahu’s policies, including welfare reforms related to per-child allowances, is more than most non-Israelis will find interesting. There’s little newsworthy here (Netanyahu alleges without evidence that President Obama gave Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas a “secret commitment to establish a full-fledged Palestinian state before he left office”), and readers looking for insights into Netanyahu’s two marriages and other personal matters won’t find them. This superficial account won’t sway Netanyahu’s critics. -
Benjamin Netanyahu's audiobook memoir is not likely to change any opinions about the Israeli politician known as Bibi, but it does offer insights into every chapter of his life, from his youth to the most recent controversies. The audio version also benefits from the performance of narrator David Marantz, whose clean, professional style complements Netanyahu's own delivery, which can be dry at times. Regardless of who is narrating, the audiobook offers a comprehensive overview of Netanyahu's life. Supporters will embrace the work, while critics will find it self-serving. Either way, Marantz is critical to the audiobook's success. His delivery avoids any sense of ego while highlighting the emotional life of a politician who continues to seek power no matter what challenges lie ahead. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
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June 10, 2024
Israeli prime minister once again after two previous stints in the role, Netanyahu (A Durable Peace) offers a gripping memoir that describes his personal life and his tumultuous political life, both of which are integral to Israel's modern history. Netanyahu spent 18 years in the United States, including when he was a teenager, a graduate student in architecture at MIT, and serving as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. Through personal anecdotes, listeners will learn about his father, Benzion, and grandfather, Nathan, who were ardent Zionists. Netanyahu describes the raid on Entebbe in detail, noting how his older brother Yoni's early tragic death greatly influenced his commitment to defending the state of Israel. In his role as prime minister, he has had sometimes cordial and sometimes contentious relationships with American presidents Bush, Clinton, Obama, Trump, and Biden. Netanyahu and David Marantz narrate the audiobook. Netanyahu's narration is engrossing and heartfelt; Marantz's is adequate, but he does not have Netanyahu's facility with Hebrew words and phrases. VERDICT Patrons interested in modern Middle Eastern history, the back channels of diplomacy and negotiations, and the life of Israel's longest-serving prime minister will be riveted by this audio presentation.--Ilka Gordon
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
