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The Prime Ministers

An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership

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About this listen

The Prime Ministers is the first and only insider account of Israeli politics from the founding of the Jewish State to the near-present day. It reveals stunning details of life-and-death decision-making, top-secret military operations and high level peace negotiations. The Prime Ministers brings listeners into the orbits of world figures, including Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Henry Kissinger, Yasser Arafat, Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Written in a captivating literary style by a political adviser, speechwriter and diplomat, The Prime Ministers is an enthralling political memoir, and a precisely crafted prism through which to view current Middle East affairs. The Prime Ministers presents first-hand accounts of major historical events, including:

  • Menachem Begin's decision to bomb Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor
  • Yitzhak Rabin's handling of the Entebbe rescue mission
  • The Egypt-Israel peace process
  • The shelling of the Irgun arms ship, the Altalena Deir Yessin

It offers keen observations of key personalities, and unforgettable descriptions of political rivalries, diplomatic blunders, White House and Buckingham Palace banquets and more, to bring Israel's history to life in a way no book has done before.

©2010 Yehuda Avner (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Historical Israel & Palestine Middle East World Iran Royalty Military War Africa Imperialism Middle Ages Holocaust

Editor reviews

Yehuda Avner brings a fly-on-the-wall perspective to six decades of Israeli history. Part memoir, part multi-faceted biography, and part novelistic narrative, Avner takes listeners deep into the innermost worlds of four prime ministers, as only a former advisor can.

Derek Perkins, whose narrator rating on Audible is consistently near perfect, hails from the UK. His voice is both intimate and intellectual, immediate and poetically lofty. In short, attending his performance is a pleasure.

The audiobook opens with a helpful glossary, introducing the listener to the international cast of characters that will populate the dynamic history. If fans of The Prime Ministers still hunger for more at the end of this recording, they can check out the full-length documentary film inspired by the memoir.
All stars
Most relevant
No other modern day country has had to face the existential threats that Israel has, and sadly still faces. The author shares unrivalled access to the thoughts and actions of successive prime ministers over crucial decades. In particular Menachim Begin, that most misunderstood Israeli leader. The book highlights key events of the Middle East and relationships with world leaders, especially US Presidents. Despite a few mispronounced Hebrew terms the delivery is excellent and I thoroughly recommend this volume to anyone interested in Middle East politics, the human cost of leadership and the rebirth of the modern Jewish nation.

An enduring insight into the demands of being an Israeli prime minister

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Outstanding account of Israeli leadership through difficult challenging times. Begin referred to Avner as his Shakespeare. How apt.

outstanding

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I thought that this was a great listen. I learnt a lot about Israeli history and the personalities of it's prime ministers through their ups and downs of public and private life.

Very captivating and informative.

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For anyone interested in Israeli politics and history this book is a must! With a special focus on Menachem Begin, the book really presents an intimate and personal picture of Israel’s nascency and growth. Worth every minute of listening.

Absolutely Fantastic!

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