Breaking Ranks : Turbulent Travels in the Promised Land

Recounts the author's journeys to Israel and his eventual settlement there at the age of twenty-four, providing political analysis and travel descriptions of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea, Jaffa, and Haifa.

The latest in Lonely Planet's Journeys series has one foot in the social sciences and one in the travelogue genre. First-time author Black lived and traveled in Israel for 10 years; the book follows the parallel development of Black's perspective and Israel's political trends from innocent optimism to mature realism. Black, who grew up in Scotland, spends a year on a kibbutz and makes several remarkable journeys to parts of the Middle East not usually visited by tourists. Meanwhile, "during those same formative years, between eighteen and twenty-one, my peers in Israel were conscripted to the army," fighting against the Palestinian intifada. After meeting his future wife and moving back to the U.K., in 1994 Black returns to the Holy Land, drawn by the opportunities of "a time when the word `peace' had taken on mantra status, when the Oslo accords were but a year old." Black recounts extraordinary details about places like Petra in Jordan, an ancient "lost" city of Israel whose "intoxicating" architecture induced generations of Israeli youth to attempt illegal visits, before the 1994 Israeli-Jordanian treaty opened it up to Israelis. Soon, though, the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin and other terrorism by Islamic fundamentalists refueled Israel's right wing. Black, who becomes an Israeli citizen, must decide between army service or leaving the country as "a conscientious objector." This is a fascinating read that should be required for any young person thinking of visiting or moving to Israel, as well as for older readers seeking a better firsthand account of the lives of Israeli youth.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Black is a Scottish Jew with strong family ties to Israel. After graduating from a British university, he immigrated to Israel in 1996. His book provides an intimate look at Israel from the perspective of a liberal Zionist. His portraits of kibbutz life, of Petra after the Jordanian border opened, and of daily existence in a country divided by religious and political extremes take readers beyond the surface treatment available in most armchair travel books. Black, who supports a Palestinian state and worked for the Meretz party during the 1996 election, felt the conflicts of Israeli life firsthand when he received his draft notice and decided that he would not join the army. The country does not permit conscientious objectors, so Black was forced to flee when his appeal was denied. Now considered a deserter, he and his wife live in Australia, and he can never return to the country that he loves. Readers will be fascinated by this intensely personal look at contemporary Israel. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

At the age of three, Black took the first of many trips to Israel with his Scottish parents, committed but nonreligious Jews. At 18, he experienced a formative year working with classmates on a kibbutz on the Lebanese border. After returning to the U.K. and university, Black realized that he felt more at home in Israel, and finally, at age 24, he decided to settle there and become an Israeli citizen. His narrative combines autobiography, travel descriptions, and political analysis to give readers a strong picture of Israel during 1995 and 2001. As the story progresses, readers are able to follow Black's maturation from young, pot-smoking, beer-drinking adolescent into a thoughtful, literate, and pacifist adult. While reading Black's lyrical descriptions of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea, Jaffa, and Haifa, this reviewer, who has previously made three long trips to Israel, felt she was experiencing the unique quality of life all over again. This debut will not disappoint Lonely Planet readers who have come to appreciate the offbeat and nontraditional approach that characterizes their publications. Definitely recommended for all libraries with large travel or strong Middle Eastern collections. Olga B. Wise, Compaq Computer Corp., Austin, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.