Death as a Way of Life: Israel Ten Years After Oslo.

New York, NY Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2003. Hardcover First Edition; First Printing indicated. First Edition USA; First Printing indicated. Fine in Near Fine DJ: Book is flawless; binding square and secure; text clean. DJ shows just a touch of wear to the upper corner tips (but no loss); price intact; mylar-protected. Virtually 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 188pp. Translated from the Hebrew by Haim Watzman. Edited by Efrat Lev. Hardback with DJ. This is a great window from a violent age in the history of the Levant, which has largely passed, but threatens to return again very soon. The series of essays, all by David Grossman, he's not just an editor, starts us out on a journey from high hopes of peace during the Oslo process, and over the essays we see how that hope diminished and eventually degenerated into bloody violence. It's a very left-wing analysis of events, with Grossman dishing out a lot of criticism of Sharon and Netanyahu. Written over times when Netanyahu was Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and in opposition, Grossman ultimately leaves a haunting message: you can never trust Netanyahu to deliver peace. The other primary message readers take away is: to survive, Israel must excise itself from the West Bank. That is why, years on from the date of the final essay, this book is still insightful and pertinent today. Many of its core messages and observations are yet to reach their endgame in international, Israeli and Palestinian political arenas. An excellent and helpful read to those wanting to gain knowledge of the left-wing Israeli mind. Full of empathy, insight and a necessary dose of incredulousness, Grossman is one of the most important writers on this tragic subject. Death as a Way of Life is also particularly relevant for Americans who want to know what life under terror feels like.