Fortress Israel: The Inside Story of the Military Elite Who Run the Country-and Why They Can't Make Peace

[A] readable and informative new history . . . timely. --The Economist

Vivid . . . Compelling . . . As Tyler shows, Israel has often missed opportunities for peace. --Daniel Byman, The Washington Post

Sobering reading . . . Tyler poses the vital question of whether the departure from the original vision of the Zionists is justified given the perception of never-ending outside threats. --Steve Weinberg, The Christian Science Monitor

A fascinating account of the Israeli establishment, of its victories, defeats, mistakes, and its cover-ups. --Sarah Ivy, Tablet

Mr. Tyler, a respected American journalist, sets out to document Israeli intransigence about peacemaking all the way back to the earliest days of the Jewish state. --The Economist

[A] revealing chronicle of Israeli foreign and defense policy . . . Tyler's well-researched account illuminates an ugly and troubling dimension of Israeli policy and politics. --Publishers Weekly

Tyler presents a sharp critique of the close relationship between the Israeli government and the officer corps of the Israeli military . . . [he] researches deeply and does not pull his punches. --Booklist

Fortress Israel is the definitive historical and analytical account of the role that Israel's military has played both in Israel itself and in the wider Middle East. In Patrick Tyler's deeply reported and very well written account, one learns how a militarized Israeli culture has permeated the decision making of Israel's governments for decades and how that culture affects the calculus of its politicians today. If you want to understand Israel's future--and also how that future may play out in the Middle East--this book is mandatory reading. --Peter L. Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad

In this exceptional book, Patrick Tyler demonstrates with meticulous documentation and revealing interviews with the country's national security experts how Israel's founding military and intelligence leaders were essential to the survival of a young nation. Tyler also tackles the vexed question of our era: Will Israel's warrior ethos and its legacy of zero-sum strategies for dealing with its Arab neighbors and the Palestinians prevent it from crafting a lasting peace? Tyler's analysis of how much the world lost with the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin is definitive and heartbreaking. Fortress Israel is essential reading for students of the Middle East. --Howell Raines, former executive editor of The New York Times

With Fortress Israel, Patrick Tyler takes his place in the first rank of historians of Israel and the modern Middle East. He presents a provocative but objective look at the militarism that has driven Israel's leaders since the founding of the state and explains vividly--without ideological cant or bias--why generations of tough-minded sabras have found it so difficult to convert their battlefield successes into a lasting peace. --Terence Smith, Israel correspondent for The New York Times during the Six-Day and Yom Kippur Wars

A rare and often disturbing portrait of Israel's military elite, with all its foibles, rivalries, and vicious infighting. --Martin van Creveld, author of The Land of Blood and Honey: The Rise of Modern Israel

Patrick Tyler worked for twelve years at The Washington Post before joining The New York Times in 1990, where he served as chief correspondent. His books include Running Critical, A Great Wall (which won the 2000 Lionel Gelber Prize), and A World of Trouble. He lives in Washington, D.C.