Army Fatigues: Joining Israel's Army of International Volunteers

In his first book, attorney Werner chronicles life in the Volunteers for Israel, or Sar-el, an organization in which people (typically Jews) from around the world volunteer to work on Israeli military bases, performing day-to-day tasks so that Israeli military personnel are free for combat missions. Werner gives readers an excellent on-the-ground, day-to-day view of life in Israel under the threat of terrorism, taking a dim view of Palestinians' moral authority. Though eye-opening in details large and small (Israeli soldiers can serve jail time if they lose their rifle), the reading gets vacation slide-show tedious whenever Werner spends time with Israeli relatives. Sure to appeal to ardent defenders of Israel (and just as sure to put off Palestinian sympathizers), Werner's account will also prove helpful for anyone considering a working vacation in the holy land.