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The Hope and the Glory #1
The Hope
Herman Wouk is one of this century's great historical novelists, whose peerless talent for capturing the human drama of landmark world events has earned him worldwide acclaim. In The Hope, his long-awaited return to historical fiction, he turns to one of the most thrilling stories of our time - the saga of Israel. In the grand, epic style of The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, The Hope plunges the reader into the major battles, the disasters and victories, and the fragile periods of peace from the 1948 War of Independence to the astounding triumph of the Six-Day War in 1967. And since Israelis have seen their share of comic mishaps as well as heroism, this novel offers some of Herman Wouk's most amusing scenes since the famed "strawberry business" in The Caine Mutiny. First to last The Hope is a tale of four Israeli army officers and the women they love: Zev Barak, Viennese-born cultured military man; Benny Luria, ace fighter pilot with religious stirrings; Sam Pasternak, sardonic and mysterious Mossad man; and an antic dashing warrior they call Kishote, Hebrew for Quixote, who arrives at Israel's first pitched battle a refugee boy on a mule and over the years rises to high rank. In the love stories of these four men, the author of Marjorie Morningstar has created a gallery of three memorable Israeli women and one quirky fascinating American, daughter of a high CIA official and headmistress of a Washington girls school. With the authenticity, authority, and narrative force of Wouk's finest fiction, The Hope portrays not so much the victory of one people over another, as the gallantry of the human spirit, surviving and triumphing against crushing odds. In that sense it can be called a tale of hope for all mankind; a note that Herman Wouk has struck in all his writings, against the prevailing pessimism of our turbulent century.
704 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Herman Wouk
195 books1,107 followersHerman Wouk was a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish American author with a number of notable novels to his credit, including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
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March 24, 2016
I came across this book and its sequel The Glory while browsing in a second-hand bookstore. I had heard about the author's The Caine Mutiny so I read the blurbs and decided to give the books a try.
The Hope tells the story of the birth of the state of Israel in 1948 and continues till the Six Day War in 1967. As in historical novels, the story is told through some real and some fictional characters. The descriptions of life in Israel, hostilities with the neighbouring Arab nations and the Soviet Union, the wars, the diplomatic wranglings with US, UK, France – everything has been described along with the lives of the major fictional characters of the novel.
Having read Leon Uris's Exodus, I could not stop myself from comparing the two books. I must say that I found The Exodus was more fast paced while The Hope has better characterization.
The characters were more realistic and relatable – instead of keeping his fictional characters either as paragons of virtue or utter degenerates, the author has made them human. Different human beings have different priorities in life and all of them cannot dedicate their lives for a noble cause. Human beings can never be perfect and it is human to have flaws. There are people to whom money is everything while there are people who don’t care much for wealth but are totally dedicated to their country. A person can be a man of great integrity when it comes to duty, might not run after wealth and luxury, be a dedicated family man --- but such a man can also succumb to temptation and have an affair. It is human for a person to seek a more comfortable life in USA but later give it up for family who won’t leave Israel for anything. Time and circumstances can turn an awkward boy into a dashing soldier.
In the Historical Notes section at the end of the novel he has himself mentioned that “In writing a novel of Israel, one can be historically accurate to only a limited extent.” despite painstaking research. The Hope and The Exodus, both have piqued my interest and I would like to get my hands on some really good non-fiction books on the Arab-Israel conflicts.
As for this book, I really enjoyed reading it and looking forward to reading The Glory as well. I would recommend this book to only those who like historical fiction with wars & action.
The Hope tells the story of the birth of the state of Israel in 1948 and continues till the Six Day War in 1967. As in historical novels, the story is told through some real and some fictional characters. The descriptions of life in Israel, hostilities with the neighbouring Arab nations and the Soviet Union, the wars, the diplomatic wranglings with US, UK, France – everything has been described along with the lives of the major fictional characters of the novel.
Having read Leon Uris's Exodus, I could not stop myself from comparing the two books. I must say that I found The Exodus was more fast paced while The Hope has better characterization.
The characters were more realistic and relatable – instead of keeping his fictional characters either as paragons of virtue or utter degenerates, the author has made them human. Different human beings have different priorities in life and all of them cannot dedicate their lives for a noble cause. Human beings can never be perfect and it is human to have flaws. There are people to whom money is everything while there are people who don’t care much for wealth but are totally dedicated to their country. A person can be a man of great integrity when it comes to duty, might not run after wealth and luxury, be a dedicated family man --- but such a man can also succumb to temptation and have an affair. It is human for a person to seek a more comfortable life in USA but later give it up for family who won’t leave Israel for anything. Time and circumstances can turn an awkward boy into a dashing soldier.
In the Historical Notes section at the end of the novel he has himself mentioned that “In writing a novel of Israel, one can be historically accurate to only a limited extent.” despite painstaking research. The Hope and The Exodus, both have piqued my interest and I would like to get my hands on some really good non-fiction books on the Arab-Israel conflicts.
As for this book, I really enjoyed reading it and looking forward to reading The Glory as well. I would recommend this book to only those who like historical fiction with wars & action.
April 16, 2022
[Warning: this may contain spoilers] This novel is set against the backdrop of the Israeli War for Independence (1948) to the Six Days War (1967) with the stories of several Israeli men and women and how they relate to each other.
It was ok, but not great. Not meaning to be snarky, but it was like "Days of Our Lives" transposed into Israel during the 50s and 60s. It had a soap opera-ish quality that does not appeal to me much. Much of the plot features love triangles. Some of the behaviors of the characters seemed contrived and unrealistic. For example, how many women out there, bearing his children, raising his kids, keeping a home running, would be just fine with their man keeping warm with another woman's fire? Sure it may happen --- yeah, right --- just like there may have been someone who got mauled both by a polar bear and a grizzly bear on the same day. There are other plot contrivances between the characters that, along the same lines, I found neither realistic nor entertaining.
Much of the plot is based on dialogue between characters. I found their chit-chat generally, trivial, boring, and tedious.
The best parts of the novel are the ones during Israel's wars with its Arab adversaries, but these are only about 25% of the book. The content of the rest is little different from what you'd get in daytime TV dramas.
Overall, mildly entertaining, but not great.
It was ok, but not great. Not meaning to be snarky, but it was like "Days of Our Lives" transposed into Israel during the 50s and 60s. It had a soap opera-ish quality that does not appeal to me much. Much of the plot features love triangles. Some of the behaviors of the characters seemed contrived and unrealistic. For example, how many women out there, bearing his children, raising his kids, keeping a home running, would be just fine with their man keeping warm with another woman's fire? Sure it may happen --- yeah, right --- just like there may have been someone who got mauled both by a polar bear and a grizzly bear on the same day. There are other plot contrivances between the characters that, along the same lines, I found neither realistic nor entertaining.
Much of the plot is based on dialogue between characters. I found their chit-chat generally, trivial, boring, and tedious.
The best parts of the novel are the ones during Israel's wars with its Arab adversaries, but these are only about 25% of the book. The content of the rest is little different from what you'd get in daytime TV dramas.
Overall, mildly entertaining, but not great.
February 23, 2024
With Israel in the headlines, I decided that it was time to finish a few books by Herman Wouk that have been nestled in my library. Many years ago I read and loved his beautiful books about World War II, The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. A major part of these books was the focus on the Holocaust with a lot of focus on Zionism seeking to take part in creating a Jewish state. And hence, time to read The Hope. In this saga of Israel, one of the most thrilling stories of our time, one is plunged into the history of the formation of the Jewish state, as in the major battles, the disasters and victories and the fragile period of peace from the 1948 War of Independence to the unexpected triumph of the Six-Day War in 1967. In addition to the historical Israeli leaders, David Ben Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir, Mickey Marcus, Ariel Sharon, Motta Gur and others, Herman Wouk introduces us to four Israeli army officers and the women they love. This is primarily the story of Zev Barak, a Viennese-born cultured military man; Benny Luria, ace fighter pilot; Sam Pasternak, sardonic and mysterious Mossad man; and Don Kishote, a dashing warrior in the mold of Don Quixote.
I will close with the words of Herman Wouk in his Historical Notes as follows:
I will close with the words of Herman Wouk in his Historical Notes as follows:
"The tale is told . The curtain is down.
In writing a novel of Israel, one can be historically accurate to only a limited extent. The fog of battle, after forty-five years, still hangs over the scene."
February 24, 2019
I can understand why people may like this, but it does not fit me. I like one aspect of it, and but not another. You get history and imaginary love affairs. It is historical fiction. It presents Israeli history, focusing upon the War of Independence in 1948, the Sinai War in 1956 and ends with the Six-Day War of 1967. This book continues with its sequel--The Glory.These two books together may be consider a continuation of Herman Wouk’s earlier two books The Winds of War followed by War and Remembrance, the formation of the state of Israel being a result of the Second World War. The characters of the first two books are not the same as those of the second two. The feel of the books is very much the same. All seem planned for the screen--plot oriented, a juggling of excitement and easy laughter. A substitute title for The Hope might be Officers and Pretty Girls. I’m cracking a joke, by the way.
History is presented in a clear, simplified and compressed fashion. It is not hard to understand. Learning about the historical events in an easy to grasp fashion is not to be scoffed at. There are fictional characters, but alongside them run the names of the leaders we all recognize—the state’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and his wife Paula, the American colonel Mickey Marcus who advised Gurion and died trying to help during the war for independence, Moshe Dayan, the star of both the Sinai War and the Six-Day War, and others such as Golda Meir, Yigael Yadin, Ariel Sharon and others easily recognizable.
Fictional characters are thrown in too and for the most part these are the characters that gave me trouble. We are given heroes but flawed heroes, which is well and good except that their flaws are unnuanced. It is consistently the attraction of the opposite sex that leads them astray. The scenes drawn are there to make you laugh, but they are all so typical, so made-for-the-movies, so many times done before that the predicaments that arise are just plain stupid. Mistress and wife meet. Not just one, not just two, but three turn up at a temporarily vacated luxury apartment and its bed . Silly things like this over and over again. OK, maybe innocently cute, but actually just plain boring. Let’s just call this dated. So when a nitty-gritty historical sections ends, you know you are in for pages of silly shenanigans.
The writing is ordinary. The humor I have described. The fictional characters I cannot take seriously.
The audiobook is narrated by Mark Ashby. Yiddish and Hebrew are thrown in and translated. Different dialects are used for the Americans and the English and other nationalities too. There is nothing to complain about the narration performance. It is good and so I give it three stars.
I think many people love a book like this, but I find the sex tame and without sizzle. I find the personal relationships without spark. IF an author adds a fictional component to a clear and concise presentation of historical facts, the fictional must engage too.
******************
The Caine Mutiny 4 stars
Marjorie Morningstar 4 stars
The Winds of War read long ago
War and Remembrance read long ago
The Hope 2 stars
The Glory not for me
History is presented in a clear, simplified and compressed fashion. It is not hard to understand. Learning about the historical events in an easy to grasp fashion is not to be scoffed at. There are fictional characters, but alongside them run the names of the leaders we all recognize—the state’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and his wife Paula, the American colonel Mickey Marcus who advised Gurion and died trying to help during the war for independence, Moshe Dayan, the star of both the Sinai War and the Six-Day War, and others such as Golda Meir, Yigael Yadin, Ariel Sharon and others easily recognizable.
Fictional characters are thrown in too and for the most part these are the characters that gave me trouble. We are given heroes but flawed heroes, which is well and good except that their flaws are unnuanced. It is consistently the attraction of the opposite sex that leads them astray. The scenes drawn are there to make you laugh, but they are all so typical, so made-for-the-movies, so many times done before that the predicaments that arise are just plain stupid. Mistress and wife meet. Not just one, not just two, but three turn up at a temporarily vacated luxury apartment and its bed . Silly things like this over and over again. OK, maybe innocently cute, but actually just plain boring. Let’s just call this dated. So when a nitty-gritty historical sections ends, you know you are in for pages of silly shenanigans.
The writing is ordinary. The humor I have described. The fictional characters I cannot take seriously.
The audiobook is narrated by Mark Ashby. Yiddish and Hebrew are thrown in and translated. Different dialects are used for the Americans and the English and other nationalities too. There is nothing to complain about the narration performance. It is good and so I give it three stars.
I think many people love a book like this, but I find the sex tame and without sizzle. I find the personal relationships without spark. IF an author adds a fictional component to a clear and concise presentation of historical facts, the fictional must engage too.
******************
The Caine Mutiny 4 stars
Marjorie Morningstar 4 stars
The Winds of War read long ago
War and Remembrance read long ago
The Hope 2 stars
The Glory not for me
December 29, 2016
Herman Wouk is one of the masters of the historical novel. I have read all of his books years ago; I noted they are now publishing them in e-book format. I decided to re-read “The Hope” in light of what has happened over the recent years in the Middle East. The two books “The Hope” and “The Glory” cover the history of Israel. “The Hope” covers the years from 1948 to 1967 and Wouk pays the most attention to the three wars: The War of Independence, the 1956 Sinai War and the Six Day War.
Wouk weaves the story of two protagonists, a young polish immigrant Yossi (Nitzan) Blumenthal a daring military officer, and Zev Barak born in Vienna whose military career is sidelined as he is transferred into diplomacy and is sent to Washington D.C. Also, there is a beautiful Army Sergeant, Yael Luria, a Sabra, to add a romantic interest to the story.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. Wouk researched government archives, personal diaries, newspapers and personal interviews to present history as accurately as possible. His account is sympathetic to Israel, but he does not attempt to make the Arabs into villains. The author does an excellent job revealing the passion behind the founding of Israel. Wouk does a great job with the military scenes and the inside workings of politics. All the real people are accurately portrayed in the story.
I read this as an e-book on my Kindle app for my iPad. The book is 706 pages long. The e-book was published December 2, 2016. The original publication date for the book was 1993.
Wouk weaves the story of two protagonists, a young polish immigrant Yossi (Nitzan) Blumenthal a daring military officer, and Zev Barak born in Vienna whose military career is sidelined as he is transferred into diplomacy and is sent to Washington D.C. Also, there is a beautiful Army Sergeant, Yael Luria, a Sabra, to add a romantic interest to the story.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. Wouk researched government archives, personal diaries, newspapers and personal interviews to present history as accurately as possible. His account is sympathetic to Israel, but he does not attempt to make the Arabs into villains. The author does an excellent job revealing the passion behind the founding of Israel. Wouk does a great job with the military scenes and the inside workings of politics. All the real people are accurately portrayed in the story.
I read this as an e-book on my Kindle app for my iPad. The book is 706 pages long. The e-book was published December 2, 2016. The original publication date for the book was 1993.
June 9, 2016
This epic work by Herman Wouk takes place in Israel from the 1948 War of Independence to the 1967 Six Day War .Both remarkable testaments to the strength of the Jewish people and The State of Israel
We meet real characters who played a key role in the history of Israel such as David Ben-Gurion,Moshe Dayan,,Rafael Eitan,Yitzhac Rabin,Ariel Sharon and other great leaders
Against this backdrop we read about the lives of several men and women who are the key characters in the story:
Zev Barak-Viennese Jew who becomes an Israeli General and military attache to Washington
His strong and long suffering wife Nakhama
Yael Luria-ambitious and energetic blonde beauty
The mercurial paratroop commander -Don Kishote
The good hearted and religious Shayna Matisdorff
Sam Pasternak-the cynical Mossad supersleuth
Benny Luria the solid and committed Airforce commander
And Emily Cunningham-the intelligent and mysterious daughter of a CIA bigwig
The history of Israel during this period is traced in fascinating detail but the personal interactions do tend to be overplayed a little
Nevertheless the message remains loud and clear about the remarkable beleaguered and tiny State of Israel who continues to survive against overwhelming odds and the immoral machinations of the international establishment
We meet real characters who played a key role in the history of Israel such as David Ben-Gurion,Moshe Dayan,,Rafael Eitan,Yitzhac Rabin,Ariel Sharon and other great leaders
Against this backdrop we read about the lives of several men and women who are the key characters in the story:
Zev Barak-Viennese Jew who becomes an Israeli General and military attache to Washington
His strong and long suffering wife Nakhama
Yael Luria-ambitious and energetic blonde beauty
The mercurial paratroop commander -Don Kishote
The good hearted and religious Shayna Matisdorff
Sam Pasternak-the cynical Mossad supersleuth
Benny Luria the solid and committed Airforce commander
And Emily Cunningham-the intelligent and mysterious daughter of a CIA bigwig
The history of Israel during this period is traced in fascinating detail but the personal interactions do tend to be overplayed a little
Nevertheless the message remains loud and clear about the remarkable beleaguered and tiny State of Israel who continues to survive against overwhelming odds and the immoral machinations of the international establishment
May 9, 2008
This is definitely the best book I've read for a while. It is an outstanding depiction of the early years of the Jewish state, the wars they fought, and an interesting story about some of the real characters as well as fictional characters who were involved.
I've always enjoyed this author's work, but this may be his best effort.
I've always enjoyed this author's work, but this may be his best effort.
April 16, 2007
I think Wouk is always worth reading, even if, as in the case, the book is not up to his usual standard. What bugged me in particular with this book is the Barak/Emily relationship, which seemed to me a pallid copy of Pug/Pamela from "Winds of War/War and Remembrance."
August 15, 2021
The historical retelling was fascinating but the various adulterous affairs were hard to keep track of and was a great distraction. The book was also 200 pages toooo loooong.
October 5, 2015
The Hope is an historical drama, painted in fairly broad brush-strokes, charting the days immediately following Ben Gurion's proclamation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948 after the British withdrawal, continuing up to the astonishing military successes of the Six Day War.
Gurion is himself a character - paunchy and punchy, fierce yet flawed - but the narrative centres around a trio of fictional surrogates whose collective ubiquity enables Wouk to give first hand accounts of all the ambassadorial, military and political events that allowed a million Jews to get the better of the eighty million Arabs who surrounded them on all sides.
Wolfgang Berkowitz - Hebraized to Zev Barak - is a commander in the Israeli army at the time of independence who becomes an assistant to the Israeli ambassador in America, associate to a shadowy CIA operative, and eye witness to the arguments in the UN.
Yossi Blumenhal is a young immigrant turned emergency soldier, courageous and reckless, whose headstrong daring at Latrun and El Arish typified the Israeli fighting spirit and earn him the nickname "Don Kishote" - Don Quixote.
Sam Pasternak is the experienced Mossad man and member of the inner chamber, an implacable runner and fixer for the likes of Ben Gurion, foreign minister Golda Meir, and the inspirational Israeli general, Moshe Dayan.
For all the insight into historical events that this trio of characters allow, the book is every bit as much about the loves of their lives, their affairs and the joys and regrets they experience in female company.
I liked the female characters, they were fully written and as influential as the male leads in their own way, thouugh occasionally the melodrama merely got in the way of the world changing events.
I thought Golda Meir could have been seen more often, a woman who was genuinely involved in the thick of it all, but there is a follow-up work to this tome called The Glory, which picks up the story after 1967, so she will no doubt be more centre stage there.
It's truly astonishing how the embattled, starved, under-resourced Israelis triumphed over the combined Arab army, a story I have been intrigued with ever since reading O Jerusalem by Collins & Lapierre as a teenager. I keep coming back to it.
Unlike that work, Wouk gives an entirely Israeli-centric view on the conflict, though by no means an air-brushed one. He notes how for "three millennia the Jews were exactly the same quarrelsome Israelites of the Exodus, with the same God, the same language, and the same national character, including the same ineradicable tendency to veer forever between the sublime and the balagan" (cock-up).
I don't often read mainstream historical novels like this, where the characters don't have much of an interior life and the events do most of the talking, but the consensus is that Wouk does this kind of thing very well and I love the subject matter so I gave it a go.
I enjoyed The Hope, and look forward to one day reading The Glory.
Gurion is himself a character - paunchy and punchy, fierce yet flawed - but the narrative centres around a trio of fictional surrogates whose collective ubiquity enables Wouk to give first hand accounts of all the ambassadorial, military and political events that allowed a million Jews to get the better of the eighty million Arabs who surrounded them on all sides.
Wolfgang Berkowitz - Hebraized to Zev Barak - is a commander in the Israeli army at the time of independence who becomes an assistant to the Israeli ambassador in America, associate to a shadowy CIA operative, and eye witness to the arguments in the UN.
Yossi Blumenhal is a young immigrant turned emergency soldier, courageous and reckless, whose headstrong daring at Latrun and El Arish typified the Israeli fighting spirit and earn him the nickname "Don Kishote" - Don Quixote.
Sam Pasternak is the experienced Mossad man and member of the inner chamber, an implacable runner and fixer for the likes of Ben Gurion, foreign minister Golda Meir, and the inspirational Israeli general, Moshe Dayan.
For all the insight into historical events that this trio of characters allow, the book is every bit as much about the loves of their lives, their affairs and the joys and regrets they experience in female company.
I liked the female characters, they were fully written and as influential as the male leads in their own way, thouugh occasionally the melodrama merely got in the way of the world changing events.
I thought Golda Meir could have been seen more often, a woman who was genuinely involved in the thick of it all, but there is a follow-up work to this tome called The Glory, which picks up the story after 1967, so she will no doubt be more centre stage there.
It's truly astonishing how the embattled, starved, under-resourced Israelis triumphed over the combined Arab army, a story I have been intrigued with ever since reading O Jerusalem by Collins & Lapierre as a teenager. I keep coming back to it.
Unlike that work, Wouk gives an entirely Israeli-centric view on the conflict, though by no means an air-brushed one. He notes how for "three millennia the Jews were exactly the same quarrelsome Israelites of the Exodus, with the same God, the same language, and the same national character, including the same ineradicable tendency to veer forever between the sublime and the balagan" (cock-up).
I don't often read mainstream historical novels like this, where the characters don't have much of an interior life and the events do most of the talking, but the consensus is that Wouk does this kind of thing very well and I love the subject matter so I gave it a go.
I enjoyed The Hope, and look forward to one day reading The Glory.
August 17, 2012
"The Hope" and "The Glory" are my alltime favorite books. I have read them at least once a year for the last 15 years.
Wouk tells a very gripping story of war, hope, friendship and love in a tale that spans decades. In an approach known from "Winds of War" and "War and Rememberance" he lets his fictional protagonists intermingle closely with historical events and real characters - without detouring too much from history as it really unfolded.
His characters are very well portrayed and nicely worked out. One cannot help but to sympathize with Zev Barak, 'Don Kishote' and their merry band of relatives and friends as they struggle through the ups and downs which the birthing troubles of Israel throw at them.
These two books are always a reminder to me that hope is the strongest force in the universe. But sometimes it's also the biggest 'bobkes' and 'balagan'. Terms, which readers of this book will understand just too well.
Wouk tells a very gripping story of war, hope, friendship and love in a tale that spans decades. In an approach known from "Winds of War" and "War and Rememberance" he lets his fictional protagonists intermingle closely with historical events and real characters - without detouring too much from history as it really unfolded.
His characters are very well portrayed and nicely worked out. One cannot help but to sympathize with Zev Barak, 'Don Kishote' and their merry band of relatives and friends as they struggle through the ups and downs which the birthing troubles of Israel throw at them.
These two books are always a reminder to me that hope is the strongest force in the universe. But sometimes it's also the biggest 'bobkes' and 'balagan'. Terms, which readers of this book will understand just too well.
April 19, 2014
This is the first book of the saga "The Hope and the Glory".
This book covers the history of Israel, starting from the 1948 War of Independence, covering the Suez crisis and the Six-Day War of 1967.
Through the main characters, such as Zev Barak and Joseph Blumenthal (nicknamed "Don Kishote"), the author portrays several real-life Israeli leaders: David Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir, Mickey Marcus, Yigael Yadin, Ariel Sharon, Motta Gur, among others.
Even if it's a novel of fiction, the entwinement between fiction and real history gives us a real impression of all historical facts covered by this book.
The sequel of this book is The Glory.
5* The Winds of War
5* War and Remembrance
4* The Hope
TR The Glory
TR The Caine Mutiny
This book covers the history of Israel, starting from the 1948 War of Independence, covering the Suez crisis and the Six-Day War of 1967.
Through the main characters, such as Zev Barak and Joseph Blumenthal (nicknamed "Don Kishote"), the author portrays several real-life Israeli leaders: David Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir, Mickey Marcus, Yigael Yadin, Ariel Sharon, Motta Gur, among others.
Even if it's a novel of fiction, the entwinement between fiction and real history gives us a real impression of all historical facts covered by this book.
The sequel of this book is The Glory.
5* The Winds of War
5* War and Remembrance
4* The Hope
TR The Glory
TR The Caine Mutiny
July 4, 2022
A strong 3-stars.
May 16, 2022
This was for book club. To long, interesting but to long. I gave it an extra star because I was proud of myself for finishing it.
August 3, 2008
I learned a lot about how Israel got its start from this book. It's amazing what the Israeli Army accomplished out of sheer determination. The characters Wouk developed to tell the story were very interesting, and they developed pretty complex relationships throughout the book, but I thought he did a terrible job of balancing the character relationships with the historical descriptions of Israel throughout the book. Each chapter was either strictly a description of what unfolded militarily, or it was a story about the characters. And once the Six Day War was over at the end, so were the relationships between the main characters. It wasn't interwoven like Gone With The Wind, for example. Overall, a decent read, if only for what you learn about Israel.
December 9, 2008
The Hope is an historical novel about the birth of Israel in 1948 through to the Six-Day War in 1967. I don’t believe that this was as good as some of Wouk’s other novels. Or perhaps none of them are especially brilliant—merely interesting—and I am only realizing it now.
I find the use of fictional characters’ seemingly inevitable infidelity as a device to move the novel forward tedious, predictable, and obnoxious. To my mind it cheapens and weakens the historical drama already inherent in Israeli history. It adds insipid melodrama to a story that hardly needs it.
I find the use of fictional characters’ seemingly inevitable infidelity as a device to move the novel forward tedious, predictable, and obnoxious. To my mind it cheapens and weakens the historical drama already inherent in Israeli history. It adds insipid melodrama to a story that hardly needs it.
June 27, 2017
It's a lot of book (if you read an actual book, as I did, you can do your weightlifting and reading simultaneously), but it's worth the read. I much prefer reading history written as a story! If the subject of Israel between 1948 and 1968 interests you, this book is a must-read. However, if you're not already interested in that period of history, then don't bother. Although the fictional side of the book is certainly present, it's a means to tell the history, and not enough on its own to make the book riveting to someone who doesn't also care about the nonfiction side.
August 28, 2007
As was my intent, I learned so much by reading this novel, which takes place in Israel between 1948 and 1967; the birht of the country and the amazing six day War with the Egyptions and by default the rest of the world.
I came to understand some Jewish traditions and the difference in looking at international affairs from the perspective of such a small country.
Wouk is such a good storyteller.
I came to understand some Jewish traditions and the difference in looking at international affairs from the perspective of such a small country.
Wouk is such a good storyteller.
April 15, 2022
Two Cats in One Sack
From the turmoil that is the Middle East comes this halfway-classic work of historical fiction from the Great Herman Wouk himself. Wouk wrote books that are now past the fifty year mark of classics. The Hope covers the early history of Modern Israel, from the 1948 rebirth, to the Six-Day War of 1967. The twenty year old sequel, The Glory, takes up from there leading through the conflicts with Lebanon up to the turn of the Millennium. This book focuses on the history, though it is written as fiction. A key enjoyment of the book is the appearance of well-known/key characters such as Ben Gurion and Golda Meir. Wouk certainly knew how to place the reader in the historical moment.
The title refers to the hope that Israel's neighbors would one day accept their existence as unchangeable.
I enjoyed re-reading this immersion into the struggles of the Jewish and Arab nations. It has been 30 years since I first read it from my 1st edition hardback copy. I plan to jump right back in to the second in the set, since it will provide food for thought on the struggles leading up to the last two decades of anything but peace.
From the turmoil that is the Middle East comes this halfway-classic work of historical fiction from the Great Herman Wouk himself. Wouk wrote books that are now past the fifty year mark of classics. The Hope covers the early history of Modern Israel, from the 1948 rebirth, to the Six-Day War of 1967. The twenty year old sequel, The Glory, takes up from there leading through the conflicts with Lebanon up to the turn of the Millennium. This book focuses on the history, though it is written as fiction. A key enjoyment of the book is the appearance of well-known/key characters such as Ben Gurion and Golda Meir. Wouk certainly knew how to place the reader in the historical moment.
The title refers to the hope that Israel's neighbors would one day accept their existence as unchangeable.
"Guns are for war. They shouldn't become a louder form of Talmudic dispute."
I enjoyed re-reading this immersion into the struggles of the Jewish and Arab nations. It has been 30 years since I first read it from my 1st edition hardback copy. I plan to jump right back in to the second in the set, since it will provide food for thought on the struggles leading up to the last two decades of anything but peace.
"You Jews say you've returned to your Homeland. You claim you were there before the Arabs. Suppose the American Indians raise the claim that they were here first and wanted it all back?"
"If they had the force to take it back, they would, and the world would probably marvel and approve."
October 30, 2023
Too many characters, too many battles. I got this hoping I'd learn more about the history of Israel. I'd be better off doing the wiki.
February 27, 2013
1948, the year succeeding our year of independence and thus is of not much of significance for us but this was the year which carried the beacon of hope for the million Jews scattered around the globe. This was the year when much disputed state of Israel was created by the British as they prepare to embark on the journey back home. After the slaughtering by the hands of Germans in the second world war , it was felt that the Jews need a state of their own in order to survive and that gave birth to a state called Israel. The state of Israel thus created was puny in size and was in the state of grave annihilation even before its birth as all the Islamic countries surrounding it were preparing to lay their claim on the holy land Jerusalem which was in Israel territory. Thus with the birth of a nation began its struggle for survival and a book by Harman Wouk.
This time span covered in the book is from the birth of Israel till the year six day war took place circa ’66 .’The hope’ gives a superb description of the scenario faced by the Jews during those troubled times , especially the political scenario. This book encapsulates all the actions right from the home politics, actions at the frontier to the debates in the assembly hall of U.N and that also with great aplomb. The most intriguing emotion which the author captured through the story is the failing hope of the Jews toward Israel , due to the hostility of the surrounding nations not everyone was optimistic about the chances of this state. But at the end the courage of a few handfuls outranked the hostility of the millions and hopelessness of the thousands.
The main attraction of this book is the two wars which commence and finish the book, because the spellbinding narration that will take your breath away and you will be praying for the success of the Israel state without fail.
What I found good about this book is the gripping narration and the aplomb with which the story progresses. The author claimed that all historical facts are accurate with some minor alteration to suit the story which I cannot vouch for as I have no idea about the history of Israel . Mr. Wouk waived a very beautiful and apt story amidst all these histories which make it impossible to stop reading. The author has taken the liberty of including the fictional character and some of them inspired by the real life character to suit the story. This book spanning some eight hundred pages doesn’t feel like one thanks to the superb narration.
Therefore do I recommend this book?? Of course I do but if and only if historical fiction is your forte otherwise not to mention eight hundred pages will look like a lifetime.
This time span covered in the book is from the birth of Israel till the year six day war took place circa ’66 .’The hope’ gives a superb description of the scenario faced by the Jews during those troubled times , especially the political scenario. This book encapsulates all the actions right from the home politics, actions at the frontier to the debates in the assembly hall of U.N and that also with great aplomb. The most intriguing emotion which the author captured through the story is the failing hope of the Jews toward Israel , due to the hostility of the surrounding nations not everyone was optimistic about the chances of this state. But at the end the courage of a few handfuls outranked the hostility of the millions and hopelessness of the thousands.
The main attraction of this book is the two wars which commence and finish the book, because the spellbinding narration that will take your breath away and you will be praying for the success of the Israel state without fail.
What I found good about this book is the gripping narration and the aplomb with which the story progresses. The author claimed that all historical facts are accurate with some minor alteration to suit the story which I cannot vouch for as I have no idea about the history of Israel . Mr. Wouk waived a very beautiful and apt story amidst all these histories which make it impossible to stop reading. The author has taken the liberty of including the fictional character and some of them inspired by the real life character to suit the story. This book spanning some eight hundred pages doesn’t feel like one thanks to the superb narration.
Therefore do I recommend this book?? Of course I do but if and only if historical fiction is your forte otherwise not to mention eight hundred pages will look like a lifetime.
June 21, 2012
It is no surprise, Herman Wouk is a master storyteller, and in The Hope he delivers. This historical novel that encompasses the fight to establish Israel in 1948 to hold on to it during the Six-day War in 1968 is told through the eyes of fictional characters who are as different in background and share nearly nothing in common. The one thing that binds them together is their willingness to live and die in order to establish a country that they can call their own. Wouk has deftly woven his characters, Sabras and Holocaust survivors, in with real historical figures such as Ben Gurion, Gold Meir, Moshe Dayan, and many more to achieve a true heroic tale. There are plenty of battle scenes, several love stories, and lots of intrigue which make this a quick page turner.
February 15, 2009
I expectedto enjoy this book, and I expected to learn from it. I was totally surprised by just how much I did both At first I wanted to say that this was the perfect time to be reading this, given the current situation where Isreal is attacked and then condemned for defending herself. But of course that is the constant state in which Isreal lives, now and since 1948. Herman Wouk did a masterful job of bringing the country and it's people to life and did so honestly and fairly. This is one of those books that makes me not want to start another too soon because I don't want to break the bond I have with the characters.
August 19, 2013
Mesmerised. I have been mesmerised thru all the four books I have read so far from Herman Wouk. Thank you goodreads for these amazing recommendations.
Israel's independence happened about 20 years before I was born and I had an idea thru other books and movies of what happened but never thought a book could take me so deep into their wars and their struggles. As big as the books are I feel a sadness when I finish them and have to let go of the characters. Herman Wouk portrays them so well that they become a part of your life and your friend and you dont want to say goodby. Amazing book and a must read if you are interested in the history of the Jews and the state of Israel.
Israel's independence happened about 20 years before I was born and I had an idea thru other books and movies of what happened but never thought a book could take me so deep into their wars and their struggles. As big as the books are I feel a sadness when I finish them and have to let go of the characters. Herman Wouk portrays them so well that they become a part of your life and your friend and you dont want to say goodby. Amazing book and a must read if you are interested in the history of the Jews and the state of Israel.
June 19, 2018
This is a historical novel outlining the development of the State of Israel from the partitioning of Palestine in 1948 through the end of the Six Day War which ended in 1967. Mr. Wouk has a few writing quirks, in my opinion, which I have noted in a couple of his other works but I don't think they detract at all from the depiction of these pieces of history. He also provide, which I always appreciate, a "Historical Notes" section which tells us which events, personalities, etc. are history. Some of the characters, for those of us of a certain age, need no clarification such as David Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon, Golda Meir, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
September 19, 2017
This book is some great historical fiction on the period of time from 1948 when the modern nation of Israel was born until their successful war of 1967. Some very interesting history and details on how the Israelis continually had to fight to survive. Pretty good fictional characters as well, especially Don Kishote, but I was disappointed in that the author writes a lot about married people falling in love with other people than their spouse. Not sure exactly why that fascination. Otherwise very good book.
August 2, 2017
Although long and full of Jewish words, this book was fascinating for the history. I was aware of the many wars the Israelis had to battle to gain a foothold in their ancestral country, I had forgotten much of this. The love stories that were woven through were the glue that kept me engrossed. Well done.
December 7, 2018
Before reading this book, the only other books I read by this author were “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance” - a two volume saga of a family engulfed by the second world war. With this book (and its follow up “The Glory”, which I have not yet read), it’s very obvious that Herman Wouk is copying the exact same formula and using it here. This book details the Jews’ struggle after they returned to their homeland in 1948, and all of its bullying Arab neighbors that want to evict and annihilate their neighbors for the sole reason that they’re Jewish.
Being that the author is Jewish himself and was alive and well during these events, it’s very obvious that he’s a perfect person to write about such events which take place from 1948 up until the 6 Day War in 1967. It helps that Mr. Wouk is an outstanding writer, as he does the narrative justice by incorporating fact with fictional characters. Like the previously mentioned books, he also adds some of the famous Israelite figures to his story. Some of the major ones include David Ben Gurion, Moshe Dayan, and Golda Meier among several others. This book really isn’t their story, however. He doesn’t use these people as mere historical references in the book. No, they actually interact with the main (fictitious) heroes of the story in order to give to reader a better understanding of the feelings and the conflicts that existed.
Our two main heroes are young, twenty somethings at the beginning of the story (this is so we can grow old with them through this books’ 20 year tenure as well as the follow up book). Zev Barak and Don Kishote are our protagonists. Actually “Don Kishote” isn’t his real name – he has several names/monikers throughout the book – a Hebrew thing, I guess, and I really don’t remember his many other labels. We see our two heroes on the battlefield, with the above mentioned real people, and their limited home lives as well. All of this is good, but it’s the personal lives of these two individuals that sapped a lot of the enjoyment out of this book for me.
SPOILER ALERT: Now, perhaps my standards of morality are higher than many, but I don’t like reading about characters that I am supposed to admire get engaged in frivolous infidelities. Zev, for example has a beautiful wife and beautiful children. Well, one day when Zev travels to the United States, he meets an associate that has a 12 year old daughter. The young girl is obviously very smitten with this young chap about 10 years her senior. So, she follows him around, corresponds with him and makes sure she’s available every time he visits the States to confer with her father. As the years go by, she’s no longer 12, and the innocent infatuation seems to turn into an unhealthy obsession. Zev is aware of it. Does he put an end to it? No, he does not. So obviously, as history teaches us time in time again, her feelings are eventually reciprocated and Zev is well down the path of marital infidelity. What’s really sad is it never seems to really bother him, and there never seems to be any unhappiness with his wife that would warrant such unforgivable behavior. Oh sure, he knows it’s wrong and he wrestles a bit with his conscious from time to time, but I lost a lot of respect for this character that I’m supposed to like.
Don Kishote has somewhat similar romantic issues as well, and at times it feels like Herman Wouk feels he can’t quite tell a great story without involving elements of sleazy soap operas (this happened as well with his two World War II books). The whole romantic tryst element seemed to make me appreciate this book a bit less than I had hoped. It’s not that I don’t enjoy personal stories with the action, I just wish his characters could have had a bit more moral guidance with some of their choices. Maybe I’m a prude, but I don’t find myself thinking this after many books.
My conclusion is that this book was “good” yet not “great”. Sadly, I’m in no real rush to read the follow up novel any time soon. I would recommend that you start with “Winds of War” and then “War and Remembrance” first. I seem to recall that each of those books were either close to, or more than 1,000 pages. They were worth it though. This work was only about 650 pages, and, sadly it seemed a lot longer.
Being that the author is Jewish himself and was alive and well during these events, it’s very obvious that he’s a perfect person to write about such events which take place from 1948 up until the 6 Day War in 1967. It helps that Mr. Wouk is an outstanding writer, as he does the narrative justice by incorporating fact with fictional characters. Like the previously mentioned books, he also adds some of the famous Israelite figures to his story. Some of the major ones include David Ben Gurion, Moshe Dayan, and Golda Meier among several others. This book really isn’t their story, however. He doesn’t use these people as mere historical references in the book. No, they actually interact with the main (fictitious) heroes of the story in order to give to reader a better understanding of the feelings and the conflicts that existed.
Our two main heroes are young, twenty somethings at the beginning of the story (this is so we can grow old with them through this books’ 20 year tenure as well as the follow up book). Zev Barak and Don Kishote are our protagonists. Actually “Don Kishote” isn’t his real name – he has several names/monikers throughout the book – a Hebrew thing, I guess, and I really don’t remember his many other labels. We see our two heroes on the battlefield, with the above mentioned real people, and their limited home lives as well. All of this is good, but it’s the personal lives of these two individuals that sapped a lot of the enjoyment out of this book for me.
SPOILER ALERT: Now, perhaps my standards of morality are higher than many, but I don’t like reading about characters that I am supposed to admire get engaged in frivolous infidelities. Zev, for example has a beautiful wife and beautiful children. Well, one day when Zev travels to the United States, he meets an associate that has a 12 year old daughter. The young girl is obviously very smitten with this young chap about 10 years her senior. So, she follows him around, corresponds with him and makes sure she’s available every time he visits the States to confer with her father. As the years go by, she’s no longer 12, and the innocent infatuation seems to turn into an unhealthy obsession. Zev is aware of it. Does he put an end to it? No, he does not. So obviously, as history teaches us time in time again, her feelings are eventually reciprocated and Zev is well down the path of marital infidelity. What’s really sad is it never seems to really bother him, and there never seems to be any unhappiness with his wife that would warrant such unforgivable behavior. Oh sure, he knows it’s wrong and he wrestles a bit with his conscious from time to time, but I lost a lot of respect for this character that I’m supposed to like.
Don Kishote has somewhat similar romantic issues as well, and at times it feels like Herman Wouk feels he can’t quite tell a great story without involving elements of sleazy soap operas (this happened as well with his two World War II books). The whole romantic tryst element seemed to make me appreciate this book a bit less than I had hoped. It’s not that I don’t enjoy personal stories with the action, I just wish his characters could have had a bit more moral guidance with some of their choices. Maybe I’m a prude, but I don’t find myself thinking this after many books.
My conclusion is that this book was “good” yet not “great”. Sadly, I’m in no real rush to read the follow up novel any time soon. I would recommend that you start with “Winds of War” and then “War and Remembrance” first. I seem to recall that each of those books were either close to, or more than 1,000 pages. They were worth it though. This work was only about 650 pages, and, sadly it seemed a lot longer.
October 10, 2020
Herman Wouk's breathtaking narrative follows a small number of fictional IDF officers and their exploits in Israel's wars in 1948, 1956 and 1967. I did not love the heavy use of fictional dialogue at first but I did appreciate how Wouk crafted a series of personal stories around the narratives of the wars. By following the characters, the reader learns a ton about the military and political developments in each conflict. Especially highlighted is Israel's thorny relationship with the U.S. Eisenhower stood against Israel and its allies in 1956 under a misguided perception that this would curry favor with Nasser and the Arab World. That never came to be. Instead, U.S. feeling toward Israel began to warm during the JFK administration and did not take the form of full support until Israel provided its worth with its stunning air strike on June 5, 1967.
August 16, 2019
Another great one from the master.
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