This is probably one of the best books I have read in a long time. It's a fast read, and hard to put down. Although a large section of it covers the author's background and training rather than actual missions, it is quite fascinating to read about the Israeli special forces training. One of the more interesting aspects of their training is what they call "aggressiveness training" which is basically one man against the rest of his squad in hand to hand combat. Pretty cool. The descriptions of actual missions was quite interesting as well. At the end the author makes some good recommendations about how the US should rethink it's methods of fighting terrorists. Overall an excellent book.

Aaron Cohen goes from being a pampered Beverly Hills slacker youth to a hardened, kick-ass Israeli Special Ops warrior in this engaging book. Goodbye 90210, hello Black Ops.Cohen traces the path of his personal transformation and his iron will desire to survive the rigors of the brutal training program that one must endure in order to become a counter-terrorism operative in the Israeli special forces.

The experience is so intense, however, that after about three years Cohen gets burned out and opts not to extend his service. Instead, he returns to Beverly Hills and starts up his own security service. Here, he closes his book with observations and criticisms of the American approach to security and lessons that the US should have learned after 9/11/

Cohen - who on the cover bears an uncanny resemblance to Michael Imperioli (Christopher) on "The Sopranos" - offers further reflections on some of the moral dilemmas in risking the lives of children and non-combatants in the fight against terrorism. It also raises questions as to how long even the most motivated can sustain an operational tempo at the pace expected by Israel's Duvdevan.

If you are a fan of military books or special operations, you will enjoy "Brotherhood of Warriors."

Unable to put it down. From personal experience, this author tells it like it is. Recommend reading for all having similar experience.

Two thirds of this book was disappointing as it was a boring disertation of Aaron Cohen's trip through Israeli Army's basic training regime. The last third was about actual missions of the Irael elite force and became what I thought the whole book would be about. The subject was interesting but time would be better spent with a different accounting of life in the Israeli military.

What started as a romantic quest to experience the honor and excitement of serving in the best trained SF in the world, ended as a burn-out depression and apathy due to the maelstrom of violence and stress experienced daily on highly dangerous missions to arrest wanted terrorists.

Highly recommended book-very graphic, brutal, honest, and powerful; makes a lasting impression. Although, I wish there was more on the particular operations Cohen has run, but I suppose its all classified. You walk away from the book with a pretty good comprehension of Israel, their military, and the citizen soldiers inhabiting the Holy Land and protecting its existence. All the best to Mr. Cohen, and hopefully he can help change US tactics he complains are so poorly thought out little by little.

This book was truly incredible. I told everyone I know about it! I was hooked from the moment I opened it and could not put it down until it was done! I actually walked around a little lost, afterwards. I just felt like I had been inside of something really important and then didn't quite know what to do with myself here at home.

I was really surprised by the amount of detail Aaron was aloud to share. I almost felt like a spy with a copy of Top Secret information. But the point is made clear that this is how things "were" in the 90's and not necessarily how the IDF operations are conducted today.

I am the wife of a US Army Soldier who is currently deployed to Iraq. As such, there is so much that I got out of this. The contrasts between the Israeli and the US Military are shocking!

I actually had to apologize to my husband, that after having read this book, I don't feel as sympathetic as I used to of the tiresome training he endured. In fact, quite the contrary. The only sympathy, rather "outrage", lies in the fact that the majority of his training had little to no purpose and use in actual war situations.

I support my husband and the "war on terror" whole-heartedly. I only wish we were as organized as Israel. I feel we are at war with the same people and much could be gained if only it were "politically correct" enough to admit it and unite forces. Our numbers, their tactics.

Israel knows what they are doing. I really loved the way that after having surpassed certain levels of the Military training, Aaron was able to reflect back on previous training and could say;

"That's why we did that! It makes sense to me now!" (Not his exact quote.)

The point being, the Israeli Army is aware of their time and financial constraints. They use their time wisely and they train well and with a purpose. Possibly because they have reason to take this war more seriously than we do.

Aaron points out how the Canadian Army is so pristine with their exact specifications of uniform and structure, (Exactly like the US) whereas, he was looking at pictures of these scruffy Israeli commandos and was thrown off. And that makes so much sense to me! It's a freakin war! Not a prom! What is the priority? Looking like a "soldier" or effectively fighting like one? I LOVED that!

The terrorists waste no time on such matters. This book is so clear to point out that if you want to succeed your enemy, you must become like him. "Keep you enemies closer." What good becomes of an official uniformed convoy that can be seen, heard and reported to bomb planting insurgents miles down the road? They might as well wear red jackets and stand in formation with bows and arrows against well-hidden, gun slinging Indians! It's such a huge waste of time and money. 5 years and we're facing another depression.

Without getting into a political rant, I will simply state that Aaron made me a fan of the Israeli Army. He's a real hero and I am a fan of Aaron's as well. He did and continues to do something that matters and is important. He's a man with a real purpose and this book was genuinely exciting to read.

I can't even begin to relay a 10th of what I came away with after having read this but the biggest question that this book left me with was; "As a female American gentile, What can I do to help?" The inspiration is frustrating!

Written by someone who has been there and done that. Great first hand prespective from a soldier's soldier. A great read about Israel's struggle to survive in a land surrounded by blood enemy's. I wish Cohen would have spent more time on this area. Americans' as a whole NEED to read this book. Cohen is right on the money when he talks about the coming terroist acts that are heading towards our Starbucks and shopping centers. This book should be mandatory reading for every crisis management team in the public & private sector. There is much to learn here.

Right up there with Robin Moore's Green Beret book. I was struck by how well written this book actually is. You feel as if the author is taking you through the exacting training process that he went through in training. Not an easy feat. Highly recommend this for any security or police professionals.

Mr. Cohen uses FAR too much vulgar language! One can tell his story without resorting to gutter language ... even if the story involves extreme violence it CAN be told factually without expletives.

The message came through loud and clear ... but I had to spend much of my time with an ink pen replacing vulgarity with an appropriate use of the English language in its place! (I may STILL have to burn the book when done.)

I am a retired Navy Command Master Chief (E-9) with 25 years of Naval service ... and I STILL do not use, nor did I, while on active duty, allow shipmates of lower rate (rank) to use such language.

I could NOT pass this book on to my grandchildren, other family members, or friends, without editing its content.

Yet the central theme, and lessons contained, are SO important! Too bad that Mr. Cohen felt compelled to immerse so important a message in such horrible language!

Bob Van Keuren
Williamsburg, Kentucky

One of Israel's most highly respected Special Forces Unit is called "SAYERET DUVDEVAN". The name "DUVDEVAN" is something of an inside joke to Israelis; it literally means "cherry". As most native-born Israelis know, "there is a species of cherry in the Holy Land that looks no different from the edible variety, but which packs a strong and often lethal poison. As a Special Forces unit operating undercover disguised as Palestinian men and women, "DUVDEVAN" is the "cherry" that may look harmless but often proves deadly."

The Jewish author Aaron Cohen was born in Canada and when his parents divorced moved with his Mother and sister to southern Florida. When Aaron was eight-years-old, as his mother was dropping him off at elementary school, she casually told him she was moving to Beverly Hills with his sister, but he couldn't come with them. He would have to stay in south Florida with his Aunt. Aaron felt abandoned, as of course any young child would in the same situation. His mother was pursuing a career in writing in the entertainment industry. She wound up meeting an older writer and producer Abby Mann, who had won the 1961 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the movie "JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG". A year or so later Aaron wound up moving to Beverly Hills where a normal week might include visits to the house by Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. His Little League team was coached by "Sonny Corleone" himself, James Caan. "Caan would show up on his Harley with some gorgeous young woman on the back, and there was always a different girl for every game. He obviously hadn't slept and was still bombed from the night before. Caan would show up at the ballpark blasted out of his mind, and start yelling and flipping out at the umpires for making a bad call. I was still pretty new to L.A. and seeing such over-the-top movie star antics was a little scary." The author's Mother and Step-Father were so caught up in their Hollywood lifestyle that he felt like a piece of furniture. When he was twelve-years-old he wanted to be Bar Mitzvah but his mother was tied up in one of her screen projects, so he asked if he could go back to Montreal to live with his Father, so his Father could fulfill his paternal obligation to help Aaron get Bar Mitzvah. During the year in Canada Aaron got into some trouble and was sent back to Beverly Hills where he got in more trouble and his Mother said: "Pack your bags, you're going to Canada to Military School!" Aaron kept a poker face, "but for me it was actually a relief. Deep down I knew I needed some structure, some priorities, and most important, some discipline in my life." It turned out to be "THE" positive turning point of his life.

The Robert Land Academy is located in the Niagara Peninsula south of Toronto. The headmaster of the school was an officer in the Royal Canadian Army, Colonel Scott Bowman. "He was a Canadian intelligence officer who had done a yearlong stint in Israel, working with an international peacekeeping delegation around the time of the Yom Kippur War in the 1970's. During classes Colonel Bowman would talk about the Israeli Military. He told us that the Israelis were-bar-none-the most elite, cutting-edge military in the world." Aaron became mesmerized by Colonel Bowman espousing over and over that the Israelis were the toughest, smartest, soldiers, and it was the greatest privilege of his military life to work with them. He admired their capabilities as soldiers, their values, and the totality of the commitment to self-defense that the State Of Israel represented." Every waking hour Aaron spent in the library reading and studying everything available on the Israeli Military. When he was eighteen-years-old he decided to enlist in the Israeli Army, and when he went to Israel he set even higher goals. He wanted to be in the Israeli Special Forces, and he proceeds to lead the reader through the grueling, mind and body numbing training, that he had to "survive" in order to fulfill his dream. The unit he is selected for is the one that sends operatives disguised as Arabs into the Palestinian-controlled West Bank. The reader is "the-fly-on-the-wall" (up to the point of being limited by classified information) as Aaron and his team take down the number three guy in Hamas, a money guy, a fund raiser, with Aaron undercover as a reporter interviewing the target. On another occasion the reader is taken along as they go after "the father of the Holy War", the Hamas mastermind behind the Dizengoff Mall bombing that killed innocent Israeli civilians. Aaron was undercover as a Palestinian selling sweet-corn from a push cart, as the Israeli's infiltrated a wedding, and nabbed their man in sixty seconds. Throughout this fast-paced story Aaron points out the differences between Israel's counter-terrorism strategies as compared to the United States. One of the great quotes referred to throughout the book is from a defining speech by one of the greatest military hero's in Israel's history *MOSHE DAYAN* who said back in 1955:

"WE CANNOT PROTECT EVERY WATER PIPE FROM BEING BLOWN UP, NOR EVERY TREE FROM BEING UPROOTED. NOR CAN WE PREVENT THE MURDER OF THE WORKERS IN THE ORCHARDS, NOR OF FAMILIES IN THEIR BEDS, BUT WE CAN EXACT A HIGH PRICE FOR OUR BLOOD, A PRICE TOO HIGH FOR THE ARAB COMMUNITY, THE ARAB ARMY, THE ARAB GOVERNMENTS TO PAY."

When Aaron comes back to the United States after serving in Israel 1996-1998 he has a rough time gearing down from what he was trained to be for the last three years of his life. As a Viet Nam era Veteran, I can vouch for the absolute validity, of even the most minute detail of his descriptions of his personal battle to return to the everyday role of an American civilian. Aaron now owns his own security business and since 9/11 his company has been besieged by American law enforcement to teach them the Israeli way of security. I wholeheartedly agree with the author's warnings and suggestions for America in their fight against terrorism. This book may not describe the world the way you want it to be... but it describes it the way IT ACTUALLY IS!

As an American emigrating to Israel, Aaron Cohen captures the impressions of Israeli culture, traditions, values, societal strengths and flaws, and life in general in The Land as beautifully as a well-composed portrait. He communicates his impressions in an easy-to-read, comfortable, personable manner - compelling the audience to read just one more chapter, just one more chapter - because his story is so fascinating.

Cohen accurately and succinctly describes the history of development of Israel's defense forces, while painting the image of modern day society there and the rapid change (within about a generation from the nation's birth) in mentality of its youth. In a sense, the reader can easily extend the same changes to US society from the last World War to American involvement in the Gulf and current engagements in the Middle East.

Like Aaron, I was born in the US and lived in Israel, so I had to laugh out loud at several points throughout the book because his capturing Israeli in-your-face manner and chutzpah was absolutely dead on, and he did so with utmost respect and good humor. He has a real grasp of the Sabra - sweet on the inside, prickly on the outside - and he captures the flavor of the society and people from inside the fishbowl, while remaining something of a fish out of water, at least at the beginning.

This is a most excellent read, right up there with Jonathan Netanyahu's Portrait of a Hero, Hannah Senesh's writings, or the story of Eli Cohen in Our Man in Damascus. Although they are all different from the respect of writing style and experience, Aaron Cohen is an author for our time - writing to a nation that has slept in for far too long - and more importantly, he's a warrior who can fight with both the pen and the sword.

Amazing book, great detail and as was said before, no punches pulled. From the uncertainty of growing up to gaining his confidence with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), Mr. Cohen details his experiences growing up in the US to his making aliyah to Israel and going through his training to join one of if not the toughest counterterrorism military units in the entire world. I certainly believe that his experiences could go a long way in making sure that the next time you travel in an aiport you don't get questioned by some person who only has their GED and can't wait to get home. Instead you're questioned by a person who knows why they are there and are vigilant in their search for the next terror threat. It drives home the point of "Security with a Purpose". People in Israel deal with terror threats on a daily basis and taking what they've learned and have put into use could only help to make our country that much more secure. Are there points in the book that may offend people?? Yes, such as the profiling that happens on a daily basis in Israel, however with that in mind, understand that most of the bombings occurring there are perpetrated by Arabs. It's a simple fact of life.

A compelling read, very well-written and a good balance of very personal perspective and simply amazing descriptions of the brutal selection and training of Israel's top counter-terror commandos (as done in the 1990's).

Cohen, like his instructors and fellows, pulls no punches discussing the positives and negatives of the process. His own experience of how this kind of preparation forever changes the men who survive it, and then how the work itself inevitably degrades social connectedness and relationships is as psychologically detailed and perceptive as anything I've ever read, and I commend his ruthless honesty.

He also gives a fond but hard-eyed look at the changing Israeli society and the often unfortunate way it is absorbing some of our less positive qualities.

VERY highly recommended. A great read.

I heard the author being interviewed on the Michael Savage radio show and immediately went out to buy the book. I was definitely not disappointed an excellent read from a person who had everything except that which he felt was missing from his life which he went out to discover and found. A great book 100 stars could not put the book down once I started reading it. Hopefully he goes on a book signing tour or this is made into a movie

This book tells an an astonishing story of an 18 year old who gave up the option of the "good life" in Los Angeles to pursue some of the most difficult training and dangerous counter terror missions imaginable. (Look for the scene of Cohen going undercover to meet a terrorist big shot in a Jerusalem cafe.) It's a fast-paced, exciting memoir, one of the best I've read in years. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended to anyone interested in current affairs, counter terrorism and national security.