Ben-Gurion's Spy [Hardcover]

Shabtai Teveth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1996

-- Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The speeds on this tale of political cover-up in Israel are those of a dying blender: slow, slower and grinding to a halt. The work tells the story of Benjamin Givily, the head of the intelligence branch of the Israeli army during the 1940s and '50s who sentenced an innocent man to death for treason and involved a colleague in a botched spying attempt against Egypt shortly before the 1956 Sinai War. Unfortunately, Teveth, a well-regarded former political correspondent for a popular Israeli newspaper, senior research fellow at Tel Aviv University and author of biographies of Ben-Gurion and Moshe Dayan, somehow manages to make what the book jacket rather racily calls "a charade of character assassination, forgery, cover-up, and vendetta" stagnant. He also makes it funny with a cacophony of cliches. One typical example: "The stage was set for the final act. When the bell sounded and the curtain rose, Givily could again look forward to a leading role." Character sketches, too, are eye-rolling clunkers, as when one woman is described as "striking in appearance: tall, athletic in build, with chestnut hair and grey-green eyes. Born September 1, 1935, she was the only daughter of Dr. Yossef Weiser, a Jerusalem TB specialist; when she was a child, her family moved to Tel Aviv." The frequent use of quotes whose attribution is saved only for the endnotes is also distracting. Hopes that the tale will redeem the telling are, to co-opt the lingo of the author, dashed again and again like waves against a sea wall.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Political leadership in Israel, from the state's beginning, has focused on a delicate balance of personalities, political parties, and military preparedness. The 1956 "Lavon Affair" was a scandal of momentous proportions that involved the uppermost leadership of the Israeli establishment, ended David Ben-Gurion's political career, and still reverberates today. Teveth, author of Ben-Gurion and the Palestinian Arabs (LJ 5/1/85) and Ben-Gurion: The Burning Ground 1886-1984 (LJ 7/87), examines the scandal and its background with the precision of an investigative journalist with impeccable credentials and unprecedented access to secure sources. He links the intricacy of the Lavon scandal to the execution in 1948 of Meir Tubiansky, who was falsely accused of treason by politically ambitious figures who figured prominently a decade later. Absolutely essential for an understanding of Israeli political culture and the nation's early history, this is highly recommended for academic libraries and public libraries where there is an interest in Israeli politics.
Sanford R. Silverburg, Catawba Coll., Salisbury, N.C.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 310 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231104642
• ISBN-13: 978-0231104647
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,807,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ben-Gurion's Spy, May 20, 2000

By 

mpsl "mpsl" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ben-Gurion's Spy (Hardcover)

This is a good summary of the 20th century terrorism and scandals involoving Arab/Israeli conflict. The author writes in a narrative form, making these factual occurances seem almost fiction. It is interesting to read and written in a manner which evokes suspense and unveils history.I would primarily reccomend this to someone with an interest in this topic already.