Customer Reviews

The Yellow Wind: With a New Afterword by the Author

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This is a good book providing good insight into the human dimension of the conflict. Well worth reading. I found two chapters particularly striking. First one is about a Palestinian village divided in two after a Jordanian and Israeli border agreement, and how members of the same family could grow differing identities (and even come to be not so fond of each other) due to such cruel separation for years. Second one is about a terrorist's father. Grossman gives this poor man's account as he told him, without adding his own commentary. Briefly, the son, who was grown up and living in another town away from the father's home, got involved in a terrorist act that took innocent Israeli lives. The father was subsequently picked up from work by the Israeli authorities, and pressured to disclose whereabouts of his son, which he maintained he didn't know (of the son's whereabouts and his alleged terrorist act). Torture and all sorts of humiliation were used, including threats of rape of his wife and daughters. His house was bulldozed to ground on fifteen minute's notice. He lost his work permit, and reduced to wander as a beggar from one village to another, avoiding his own out of shame. He and his family ended up living in one bedroom at a neighbor's house, without kitchen or bathroom. The son was found and killed eventually without the help of any of this effort on the father. After telling this story, Grossman says something like (paraphrasing), "of course, one's heart doesn't go out to this man's suffering and pain" vis-a-vis, I guess, the pain suffered by the Israeli victims of the son's act. And he continues (still paraphrasing), "but I guess, it is such instances where we have to be more rational and measured." Well, maybe this was all my misreading Grossman, but why wouldn't one's heart go out to this man? Mine did. And I thought modern states and tribes would have to differ a bit in such law enforcement and crime investigation matters. What is new about this? Maybe this (i.e., Grossman's slip, as I see it) too is an indication of how tough and convoluted the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has become. Actually, throughout the book, Grossman seems to respect and listen more to those Palestinians who manage to maintain their honor and dignity no matter what, and who therefore arouse curiosity and would impress anyone. Those who are truly wretched seem to barely touch him, if they do at all. I guess such condition of theirs is their own fault, or their parents' or sons' and daughters'. In any event, the book is free from preaching; it's not like the author's value judgments will get in the way of your reading. By all accounts, Grossman did a commendable job, and my little critique is, well, mine only.

An excellent read, and certainly the least biased book on the subject I've ever read. I was introduced to this book while reading a passage in THE OTHER ISRAEL written by Assaf Oron, a Sergeant Major in the Israeli Defense Force Reserves. Assaf is one of the reservists who has refused to serve in the occupied territories after years of serving there.

In THE OTHER ISRAEL, Assaf wrote, "A copy of THE YELLOW WIND..., which had just come out, crossed my path. I read it, and suddenly it hit me. I finally understood what I had done over there [in the occupied territories]. What I had BEEN over there."

This powerful passage taken in context moved me to buy and read the book that moved a soldier to completely change his outlook on the conflict, and I am so fortunate I did.

Grossman's book is written from a uniquely humanist point of view in regard to what life is like for both Palestinians and Israeli citizens since 1967.

He spent 7 weeks in the occupied territories, both in the camps and in the settlements to make a genuine attempt to see the immediate world around him through the Palestinian and Gush Emunim settlers' eyes.

This book does not bog down with the intricacies and interpretations of various peace agreements, nor does it bother to delve into the well-known positions held by political leaders on both sides as so many other books on the subject do. Rather, Grossman focusses entirely on those who are most affected by the situation in the region: the people.

The book was written originally in 1988, and has an afterward by the author written in April 2002. As Grossman says in his afterward, "Nothing has changed." This book is as fresh and revealing today as it was 15 years ago. I really gained a lot by reading this book. You will too.

David Grossman manages to do the seemingly impossible as he humanizes the conflict between the Jews and Arabs in Israel. An outstanding picture is drawn that shows the humanity of the conflict, both the ugly and beauty involved without any bias. A brief historical perspective is included to help further illustrate the ongoing problem. Grossman interviews and paraphrases his discussions along the way of his journey, seeking the truth without politicians interference from either side. The stories are for the most part heartbreaking, as Grossman explores and tells his revealed stories of the never ending conflict. Although written "early" on in the conflict, the issues and people are the same. Palestinians dispossesed, turned to bitter anger, further escalated by a Jewish authority that tries to mantain some order between the now, old adversaries. The book is insightful and unfortunatly prophetic of the current situation that now calls for a murder by one side in retaliation for another murder. The cycle is unending, the faces on the news all to real and Grossman revealed the faces long ago. He traveled throughout the country to gather the stories of those most affected by war. He talks to old and young alike as they complain and show their disdain, their fears and their little hope for a workable solution. The books raises many questions, often going deeper than the conflict itself, obviously there are no easy solutions.The cruely inflicted upon each group is part of the problem but the roots of the conflict date back to the partioning of the land and the changing landscape of the geography and it's inhabitants. This book is a very worthwhile read that is a fast page turner. Highly recommended for those interested in the conflict of the Middle East that seems to be the fuse of the powder keg.

"The Yellow Wind" doesn't need me to praise it. But I see few reveiws for it here. So, I must say that this book is more important today than when it was written in the late 80's. It shows all that has come to pass between ethnic rivals and it shows why. David Grossman is my hero, and will be yours too if you read this book, which is Highly Recommended!

Israeli novelist David Grossman spent time on the West Bank talking to Palestinians and Jews about how their lives have been affected by a constant state of hostility and frustration. He doesn't waste much ink on the complex political forces at work; instead, he gives the issues a human face. He visits refugee camps, radical Zionist settlements, universities and kindergartens; he describes the humiliating searches at the Allenby Bridge (and how necessary they are); he interviews a Jewish lawyer who defends Palestinians caught in a Kafkaesque legal system. He finds people on both sides who want to listen to each other but never seem to connect, despite their best efforts. He asks the question, Can an occupying army also be moral, or does the act of occupation contradict morality?

This book offers no easy solutions to the problems in that part of the world. In fact, although the book was written more than a decade ago, the situation has only gotten worse. But these essays remind us that there is always more than one side to a story, and that not every story has a happy ending.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Arab/Israeli relations; Grossman fleshes out the raw statistics we hear on the nightly news. I hope he eventually writes a follow-up that is more optimistic.

This book is more important today than when it was orginally written, in 1988. It contains a new afterward by the author. The author, a journalist, gives his impressions, and relates various converstaions, as he travels all over the West Bank, and through parts of both Israel and Palestine.

He presents views from both sides of the issue very well. The book is not about politics, or various peace agreements. It is about individual people's feelings. I have read many books on this topic, and this is one of the BEST. I feel that I understand MUCH better why all the peace agreements come to nothing. To sum it up in a nutshell, the extremists on both sides will EACH never accept less than ALL of the land-that is why nothing works.