The Volunteer: The Incredible True Story of an Israeli Spy on the Trail of International Terrorists (Hardcover)

by Michael Ross (Author), Jonathan Kay (Author) "When I first came to Israel in 1982, it was not as a soldier or spy, but as a tourista twenty-one-year-old Canadian fresh out of..." (more)
Key Phrases: counterterrorism department, liaison relationship, Tel Aviv, United States, South Africa (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
It's not surprising for an ex-spy to have an uncomplicated, us-them worldview. Accordingly, Ross, former member of the Israeli spy agency, Mossad, allows for little nuance in this memoir, which maintains a nearly colonialist view of the Muslim world, positing Israel as a microcosm of the civilized world's struggle against a murderous ideology and drawing unsupported parallels between Palestinian nationalist Islamism and al-Qaeda's world-spanning nihilism. Canadian-born Ross is clearly proud of his service to his adopted homeland and accepts Israel's view of its place in the Middle East. He discusses Arab torture without mention of its Israeli (or Western) counterpart and claims Israel has given the Palestinians a state, though Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands remains intact. When describing his operations, Ross's tone is engaging, and details of spycraft remind readers that real spies don't live in movies—everyone, for instance, talks when tortured. Readers looking for such tales will be better served than those looking for a cogent analysis of the region. (Sept.)
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Review
The Mossad is truly a secret society of the highest order...The Volunteer is an insider's wrenching insight into a very private club. -- Jewish Book World

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (September 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602391327
• ISBN-13: 978-1602391321
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,374 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #21 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Levels of Government > Intelligence Agencies
  #54 in	Books > History > Middle East > Israel
  #99 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Military & Spies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reality is sensational enough, August 30, 2007

By	P. Willson (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a well-written, intelligent, genuinely informative book which goes against the spy-memoir norm in a few ways -- first, the author is clear that neither his ego nor his bank account will be fattened at the expense of Mossad's security or his former colleagues' safety. Ross offers sharp, often wry personal observations of people and practices, but he firmly abides by the boundary he set.

Related to that, he doesn't sensationalize or apologize for the life he led or the actions he took -- and these are his own stories, not standard Mossad mythologizing. That's refreshing and valuable for those of us curious about the nuts and bolts of undercover operations for Mossad and similar intelligence agencies: how actions are really planned and executed.

He's open about the personal costs of the work, similar to the dilemmas presented in "Vengeance." I also appreciate very much the context he provides of life in Israel -- it's a remarkable country and people. He conveys some of the ways it's so similar to the US, while being so very different, and how that inevitably shapes Mossad decisions and policies.

When you compare this book to "By Way of Deception," that other Mossad 'memoir,' you can see why Michael Ross was a valued Mossad officer for over a decade, while Ostrovsky was bounced out of the service in very short order. (I guess Mossad's quality control really works!)

Definitely recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the real deal, October 7, 2007

By	Dr. R. W. Mehler (Tel Aviv, Israel) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Unlike the obvious fiction of "Vengeance" (the pseudo-history on which the movie Munich was based) this one was indubitably written by one who really has "been there, done that." It's a fine book unencumbered by the sort of purple prose that often infects memoirs of first-time authors, though it does contain an inexplicable howler about the thoroughly mythical supposed efficacy of Black Talon ammunition.

As for the Publisher's Weekly review, it's politically-correct drivel that disgraces the Amazon web site.

Anyone who is interested in what really went on should buy this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Canadian working for the Mossad, eh?, August 31, 2007

By	J. Young (Calgary, Canada) - See all my reviews

How on earth did a Canadian born citizen with an Anglican background end up working for one of the world's most (in)famous intelligence agency, the Mossad? Known for their supreme effectiveness in such areas as; spying, kidnapping, collecting intelligence, counter-terrorism, assassination of terrorists, and rescuing of hostages, the ever so controversial Mossad is an elite force fully equipped with a staff of superbly trained and highly skilled individuals.

One such individual is Michael Ross, who as a young man in his twenties embarked on a trip to Europe. From there, an opportunity came to travel to Israel, and he took it. Upon his landing to the "holy land," he settled in a Kibbutz (an Israeli socialist type of collective community) where he worked in the farming fields. During his stay, he made friends, formed a connection with the people and the land, converted to Judaism, married a local woman, served in the Israeli army, and later - with some uncertainty - accepted a job offer with the Mossad, who were apparently impressed with his performance in the army.

But of course, this job offer was conditional. To qualify for such position, one must possess a combination of qualities that few people have: honor, commitment, loyalty, intelligence, sound judgment, initiative, placidity, and a strong will. Most people easily succumb to pressure, especially when their health or their life is on the line. So naturally, most candidates do not last long very long, and in fact, few pass the rigorous training program to begin with. The year long exercises are often unpredictable and can be very harsh. Ross writes about some of these unpleasant experiences, revealing just how mentally fit one needs to be in order to make it to the big league. After successfully completing his training, Ross entered the field and began a successful career which saw long and irregular hours, frequent travels to far away destinations, and everyday stresses, fears, and anxieties that are so commonly affiliated with the job - all of which took their toll on Ross, who saw his personal life, including his marriage, affected by his profession.

As an agent for the Mossad, Ross performed various duties that ranged from; administrative work to spying; tracking down suspects to collecting intelligence; schmoozing with strangers to planting bombs; kidnapping suspects to forcing out confessions. While some of Ross' stories are gripping, others are a little bit less exciting. But nonetheless, I found them all interesting. Ross also he tells us a little about the CIA and FBI and their relationship with the Mossad. In these pages, we get to see how each agency functions differently. For example, while the Mossad is generally open in sharing intelligence with other allied agencies, the CIA and the FBI are far more reluctant - always suspicious of others. Also, I was a bit surprised to find out that the CIA and FBI have (or more accurately, had) some ill feelings towards each other. As Ross tells us, they pretty much viewed each other as rivals, as opposed to trustworthy partners - at least, that seemed to be the case for Ross during his days with the Mossad.

Although not exactly a tell-all book about the Mossad, Ross does give us some really good insights regarding how the agency operates - both internally and externally. The details of his own missions are also quite intriguing - at times it reads like the stuff you see in movies, but without all the glamour and glory. It's a good book overall. I certainly recommend it.