Critical Praise

"Rich Cohen’s passionate, engaged, thoroughly modern book is --- dare I say --- a revelation."

—Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

"Cohen is a masterful and slyly provocative writer who marches boldly into the most controversial issues posed by the existence of Israel. Blending historical narrative with contemporary reportage, Israel Is Real makes an argument that cannot be ignored. Along the way, Cohen establishes himself as being among the most talented essayists of his generation."

—Evan Wright, author of Generation Kill

"A fascinating big-picture account of Israel from its distant past to what happened last week. Rich Cohen tells this story central to mankind with skill, passion, common sense, and wit."

—Ian Frazier, author of Great Plains

"The best book I’ve ever read about Israel (that troubled state), and the last word on it: all the stories, all the figures, all the fires, all the battles, all the exiles, all the personalities, all the strikes, and all the gutters. Rich Cohen has delivered the full big thing, a monumental book, the best I’ve read and expect to read for a long time. As the priests in the old city would say, it has hava: it’s full of life."

—David Lipsky, author of Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point