Customer Reviews

Ariel Sharon: A Life

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This is one of the first in a stream of new biographies of Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel from 2000 to 2005. He was many things. Firstly a son of rebellious Moshavniks who didn't like the reform of Kibbutz life. He fought in Israel's 1948 war of Independence and was wounded at the battle of Latrun. He led the paratroopers in revenge raids in the 1950s, famously in charge of unit 101. In 1956 he led the paratroopers at Mitle pass in the Sinai and suffered heavy losses. In 1967 he fought a set piece battle at Abu Agheila, defeating the Egyptian army, again in Sinai. In 1973 he famously crossed the canal into Egypt and helped surround the Egyptian third army, but was almost relieved for command for going to far. He helped found the Likud party, combining his own party, ShlomTzion, with Begin's Herut. He was in the agriculture ministry and also in charge of settlements at various times after 1977 and in the 1980s. He was famously discredited as Defense minister for his role in leading the 1982 war in Lebanon and the slaughter at Sabra and Shatilla. In 2000 he returned, Nixon like, from his ranch in the Negev and came to power as the country turned to him, a tough man, to wage war on the Palestinian terrorists then taking dozens of lives weekly. In 2005 he famously led the disengagement from the Gaza strip, reversing years of settlement in the territories. He fell into a coma in the late fall of that year after founding his new Kadima political party.

At one and the same time a hawk, a revolutionary, a pioneer, a warrior and a peacemaker, he was called a Nazi and a fascist by his detractors, the 'butcher of Beirut' and compared with Adolf Hitler by European leftists and Palestinian Islamists alike. But he was also purely Israeli in his long and diverse life.

This book is a good read, but it does not go deep enough into the many momentous parts of his life. His role in the Green Patrols and his ideas about the settlements as well as his role in restraint in 2001 before Operation Defense Shield are not discussed in detail, neither are his theories about demographics or the security fence. There is simply little analysis, the book seems partly pieced together from many breaking news articles, rather than an introspective history of his life, this is partly due to the events' recentness, but it harms the ability to get underneath the current events reports.

Seth J. Frantzman

With an unequivocal love and pride in my heritage, and an unwavering love and concern for the State Of Israel, I am always trying to improve my knowledge, of what "has been", "what is", and "what will be", relating to Israel. Not only for myself, but also for the responsibility, I was born with, to educate my son. We have watched DVD's on the history of Israel, and read many books, and one of the historical leaders, warriors, and character's, who shines through, among the most important, is Ariel Sharon. When I found this book, with no prior fanfare, or buildup, I briefly leafed through it. And one paragraph, caught my eye, that basically said: "An Israeli government vehicle with civilian plates, boarded an Egyptian ferry... the workers on board, easily recognized the rotund man, with the flowing white hair, in the back of the sedan. They knew him, as the most notorious, of all Israeli generals, Ariel Sharon... the man who six years earlier had crossed the same canal, at the head of a column of tanks, winning the pivotal battle in the Sinai campaign of the Yom Kippur War. He was now in Egypt on official, if covert, business, as Israel's minister of agriculture." With that passage, I purchased the 500-page book. Let me advise you, this is not an exciting, entertaining read. You're reading, not only the history of a remarkable man, but also the history of a country. Another reason, I believe the wording, isn't, continually jumping off the page, is the fact that it was translated. But, it was information, I was looking for on Sharon, and this book (Which is more like an encyclopedia!) delivered. This tome does not pull punches. Sharon, has made mistakes, and upset many people. I was raised to believe, that if you're not making somebody mad, you're doing something wrong. I learned, that there is way more infighting in Israeli politics then meets the eye. (At least mine.) But I'm sure someone from another country, seeking to learn more about America, like I want to learn more about Israel, would have the same impression. Until Sharon's recent stroke, there was not one war, in Israel's entire history, that he wasn't involved in. As a military leader, his troops loved to fight for him. He possessed "unusual, almost inhuman, courage." "Soldiers and officers who served with him in battle, all testify, that enemy fire, left Sharon unaffected." "He walked upright, impervious, his calm spreading through the ranks." Regardless of what rank he held, what command he lead, no matter what position he held, "his guiding light was always security. His creed, in its barest form" MAXIMUM SECURITY FOR JEWS." It is hard for me, to give the kind of singular rating, in 1 thru 5 stars, as listed above. But I had to. So I put 4 for the following reasons: As far as "encyclopedic" information, which is what I was searching for, this is a 5. But if you're looking for a smooth flowing, a "day at the beach" reading, this would be a 3. I hope I have provided both types of potential readers, the information you need. And I hope you will rate my review as such.

Before purchasing this book, I was hoping to find a biography on Ariel Sharon that gave a fair and objective presentation, as opposed to one that systematically glorified or vilified the former Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel. After all, Ariel Sharon is one of those figures that can easily be depicted as either hero or villain. Nonetheless, I decided to go with this book and got exactly what I was looking for: an unbiased account on the life of Ariel Sharon. No spin, no contortions. Just a fascinating story of a man who stirred so much controversy both inside and outside of Israel: both as a military and political leader.

In my opinion, this is the sort of book that both admirers and critics of Ariel Sharon can appreciate. This book recounts all of Sharon's major successes and failures, including the many controversies that surrounded him; the Jewish settlements, the Six-Day War, the invasion of Lebanon, the Sabra and Shatila massacre by Lebanon's Phalange group, the two Intifadas, the Greek Island Affair, and the disengagement of Jewish settlements, just to name a few. Besides Sharon's professional career, the authors also touch base on his personal life, which gives us a much clearer picture of Ariel Sharon outside the military and political spectrum.

Although despised by the Arab world, where Sharon was commonly referred to as "The Bulldozer" or "The Butcher," in a 2003 speech, Sharon made an interesting statement worthy of mentioning: "Israel wants to give the Palestinians what no else ever has: the opportunity to establish a state of their own. No one - not the Turks, nor the English, nor the Egyptians, nor the Jordanians - has ever given them this chance before." This sounds rather strange coming from a man who was once one of Israel's foremost supporters for the establishment of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

If you're looking for an informative, impartial, and well-written biography on Ariel Sharon - whether you love him or hate him - you can't go wrong with this book. I highly recommend it.

Born to Russian immigrants in Palestine, Ariel Scheinermann grew up on a kibbutz where his parents did not fit in (and did not try to do so, either). That beginning prepared this sabra (a native-born Israeli, nicknamed for a desert cactus with a tough, thorny exterior and sweet inner flesh) to act on his own principles and opinions throughout his life, with confidence that doing so was only right.

Like so many other Israelis of his generation, Scheinermann eventually adopted a Hebrew name. He rose quickly in the new nation's military, and made both fast friends and bitter enemies. As one of his associates observed, "Arik" Sharon was a worker by nature, not a politician. He wanted and needed tasks to accomplish each day, and could not abide time spent in endless meetings. Yet his long career carried him into positions where the politics mattered above all else; and he survived nevertheless, sometimes coming back from reverses against all the apparent odds.

Most of this scholarly biography concerns itself with Sharon's political and military career, but it does not neglect how his personal life shaped the man and affected his public life. He neglected his first wife, Margalit, and after her accidental death found a full-fledged partner as well as a second wife in Margalit's younger sister, Lily. His firstborn son, Gur, died in his arms from an accidental gunshot wound, and his two younger sons became major figures in his later career. Seeing the man in context makes his life story far more understandable as well as far more interesting.

Thoroughly documented and well organized, but would have been greatly enhanced by a good index.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of LOVE, JIMMY: A MAINE VETERAN'S LONGEST BATTLE

His brilliance as a commander of warriors is well documented and it's obvious he'll join the other great Israeli commanders in the mythology of Israel's saviors.

The incidents that caused some serious historians to level charges of war crimes against him (such as the massacres of civilians in Beirut when he was Defense Minister) is given little notice. The dismissive 'Some mistakes may have been made' and 'Stuff happens in war' excuses gloss over this tragedy and others early in his army career involving civilian deaths. Israel did investigate this massacre thoroughly and were very critical of his role in this so there is much information available.

There is very little analysis of the wisdom of Israel invading Lebanon when he was Defense Minister and if the government really gave him the orders to do so.

The fascinating story of how he acquired a large fortune including the largest private farm in Israel is largely ignored.

If your already a fan of Ariel Sharon, you'll find this book a good read and lots of new reasons to admire him.