At an Israeli kibbutz in the Galilee, a grandfather turns Boaz, his shy, introverted grandson, into "Bo," an extroverted Fighter who joins an army terrorist termination unit and becomes a sergeant. At age 24, after several attempts to find a bride in the army, Bo falls in love with a 16-year-old girl at his kibbutz, lives with her, and finances her 3-year Hi-Tech course. While he is on a secret mission in Marrakesh, his live-in girlfriend betrayed him with an officer. She claimed they only indulged in "mutual masturbation." Bo thrashed the officer, a severely punishable act that violates the first commandment of all armies: "Thou shall worship officers as gods." The Army hushed up the incident, fearing an open trial would reveal that many officers engaged in this activity including Israel's national hero, Moshe Dayan. Publicity would encourage religious boys and girls to avoid service in the army. The Army cracked down on this activity which resulted in a wave of complaints by female soldiers and resignations by officers. This book is full of wife-hunting advice, ideas about the evolution of culture, and insightful comments about political, religious and social conflicts in Israel today.

Author Biography

Macabee Dean was born in Philadelphia, grew up on a farm in New Jersey, and served in the American army in Italy during World War II (Purple Heart plus Oak Leaf cluster). A professional journalist, he settled in Israel in 1947 "to live in and report on the most interesting country in the world." He has two daughters from his first marriage, another two from his second (plus two adopted sons), and a flock of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.