Rating:  Summary: plot and characters are neither believeable nor plausible Review: As one who loves to read about Israel's heroic triumphs over the Arabs, I bought this book and drooled all the way home, just couldn't wait to devour it. The first few chapters were actually intriguing, very down-to-earth, and even funny -- if you're familiar with Israel's annoying bueaurcracy, the part about the tourist's troubles in getting his brand-new Porsche into the country should be amusing. Unfortunately, the plot eventually gets too close to being a cheap soap opera. I never actually finished the book because I simply could not stand the love affairs, the melodramaticism of the characters, the fact that they were all famous and good looking and important -- it was all too damn Hollywood. I was truly disappointed. What I thought would be an intriguing historical fiction novel turned into a mush of a romance. pulp fiction.
Rating:  Summary: A Great History Review: Herman Wouk does a great job capturing the second half of Isreal's life in "The Glory" I would suggest both "The Hope" and "The Glory" to anyone interested in historical Fiction...
Rating:  Summary: Both books are great! Review: I first read The Hope when it came out years ago, and waited for The Glory to be released. I was not disappointed! This is a great book, one you will not be able to put down. It tells the history of Israel against the backdrop of real life. (love, hate, marriage, birth, death). I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about the Middle East and the history.
Rating:  Summary: A Great History Review: I LOVED EVERY HERMAN WOUK BOOK I HAVE READ AND CAN'T WAIT TO READ ANOTHER. MORE HISTORICAL FICTION, THE HOPE/GLORY WERE GREAT AND GAVE ME A TREMENDOUS INSITE INTO ISRAEL'S SHORT HISTORY. THE ROLE OF THE AMERICAN'S AND RUSSIAN'S IS FASCINATING.
Rating:  Summary: AWESOME, WOUK CONTINUES THE SAGA!! Review: I LOVED EVERY HERMAN WOUK BOOK I HAVE READ AND CAN'T WAIT TO READ ANOTHER. MORE HISTORICAL FICTION, THE HOPE/GLORY WERE GREAT AND GAVE ME A TREMENDOUS INSITE INTO ISRAEL'S SHORT HISTORY. THE ROLE OF THE AMERICAN'S AND RUSSIAN'S IS FASCINATING.
Rating:  Summary: Very good look at the last 50 years of Israeli life/history Review: In "The Hope" & "The Glory", Wouk portrays the birth of the State of Israel, its turbulent coming of age and its development as America's staunchest ally in the Middle East, warts and all. Real people populate the books as well as Wouk's fictitious characters. For those of us who have never been to the Holy Land or who never experienced the Holocaust firsthand, you can't help but walk away from these books with a better understanding of why Israel is so important to Jews around the world. The reader also develops a working knowledge of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Israeli and American leaders during the many Middle East crises of the last 50 years. I have been a fan of Wouk's for 40 years and was amazed at the lack of publicity these two books received when first published (I came across them by accident while browsing in a bookstore)
Rating:  Summary: Rivetting Sequel to The Hope Review: The Glory continues where The Hope left off and continues with the characters we have come to know in The hope as well as introducing us to the trials and tribulations of their grown up children: The new generation We are taken through key pints in Israel's struggle for survival: The raid on terrorists in Beirut in retaliation for the massacre by PLO operatives of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics; the horror and sacrifice of the Yom Kippur War and the resultant political fallout; the heroic raid on Entebbe to rescue Jewish hostages ;the tense and prolonged negotiations at Camp David between Israel and Egypt and Sadat's visit to Jerusalem in 1978 and the raid of a key Iraqi nuclear terminal by the Israeli airforce in 1981 . The novel ends with the 1988 celebration of Israel's 40th birthday In addition to the detailed and interesting lives of the key characters we get to engage with real life figures like Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, Yitzhac Rabin Ariel Sharon and Defence Force Chief of Staff Motta Gur
Rating:  Summary: Rivetting Sequel to The Hope Review: The Glory continues where The Hope left off and continues with the characters we have come to know in The hope as well as introducing us to the trials and tribulations of their grown up children: The new generation We are taken through key pints in Israel's struggle for survival: The raid on terrorists in Beirut in retaliation for the massacre by PLO operatives of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics; the horror and sacrifice of the Yom Kippur War and the resultant political fallout; the heroic raid on Entebbe to rescue Jewish hostages ;the tense and prolonged negotiations at Camp David between Israel and Egypt and Sadat's visit to Jerusalem in 1978 and the raid of a key Iraqi nuclear terminal by the Israeli airforce in 1981 . The novel ends with the 1988 celebration of Israel's 40th birthday In addition to the detailed and interesting lives of the key characters we get to engage with real life figures like Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, Yitzhac Rabin Ariel Sharon and Defence Force Chief of Staff Motta Gur
Rating:  Summary: Has a "made-for TV" feel to it Review: The Glory,Wouk's sequel to The Hope, picks up where The Hope ended - in the aftermath of the 1967 War. The story is a tale of three families living through the turbulent 70's: the Yom Kippur War, Entebbe, the bombing the Iraqi nuclear reactor. I can only give it 3 stars because he punctuates the book with star-crossed lovers and familial relations that are almost as complicated as those between Near East nations. I found this distracting from the story he was telling. Wouk also tends to simplify Israeli relations with the wider world and presents only the Israeli perspective on events.Yet this is historical fiction, so he is due a little slack. To Wouk's credit, he accurately describes the lbehind-the-scenes political manoeverings of men of state, the maddening lack of action on critical intelligence and the frustrating (and burdensome) Israeli bureaucracy. His account of Israeli drivers is also frighteningly close to the mark. An entertaining read.
Rating:  Summary: Has a "made-for TV" feel to it Review: The Glory,Wouk's sequel to The Hope, picks up where The Hope ended - in the aftermath of the 1967 War. The story is a tale of three families living through the turbulent 70's: the Yom Kippur War, Entebbe, the bombing the Iraqi nuclear reactor. I can only give it 3 stars because he punctuates the book with star-crossed lovers and familial relations that are almost as complicated as those between Near East nations. I found this distracting from the story he was telling. Wouk also tends to simplify Israeli relations with the wider world and presents only the Israeli perspective on events. Yet this is historical fiction, so he is due a little slack. To Wouk's credit, he accurately describes the lbehind-the-scenes political manoeverings of men of state, the maddening lack of action on critical intelligence and the frustrating (and burdensome) Israeli bureaucracy. His account of Israeli drivers is also frighteningly close to the mark. An entertaining read.
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