Bibi

"Superbly timed...insightful...Pfeffer is one of the smartest and most prolific of Israel's younger generation of journalists...Bibi, obsessed by hostile 'left-wing media,' complained preemptively that this biography would be a cartoon. It is not: it fleshes out a superficially familiar and invariably quotable figure with a wealth of background information and analysis that provide necessary and, of course, often highly critical context...This book is a necessary contribution to understanding a high-profile and internationally contentious figure and the fractured country he has led for so long."

"[Pfeffer is] one of Israel's best informed writers...[Bibi is] a must read for everyone who is interested in the undercurrents of today's Israeli society"

"Readers who are rooting either for or against Netanyahu will find that Pfeffer's reporting quenches their thirst for the complete picture of his rise to power."

"A perceptive history of a beleaguered nation and one deeply flawed leader."

"Weaving together stories from Netanyahu's time in America and Israel, and from his family history, military service, and political career, Anshel Pfeffer's fascinating and insightful Bibi paints a portrait of the indomitable outsider who became Israel's three-time prime minister. Pfeffer's riveting account illuminates the ways in which the man leading Israel today is both a product and a beneficiary of bitter divides that have shaped the nation's politics from its earliest days."

"In a career that could yet make him the longest serving Prime Minister in Israel's history, Benjamin Netanyahu turned out to be much more than the temporary speed bump in Israeli politics his critics once imagined. In this lively and trenchant biography, Anshel Pfeffer explains why and how Bibi came to dominate and embody the changing face of the remarkable and divided nation he still leads."

"Certain to elicit both consternation and praise, Anshel Pfeffer's Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu is a fascinating exploration of the complex ideological and familial foundations that continue to shape the thinking and governing of the man who may soon become Israel's longest serving Prime Minster. This is a book that will lead both Bibi's friends as well as his foes to see him a new--and infinitely more nuanced--light."

"Anshel Pfeffer has done something hard to do. He's given us an understanding, even compassionate, portrait of Benjamin Netanyahu--the family, the formative experiences, the logic of his belligerent ideology--while keeping his distance from Netanyahu's stances and exposing many of the unpleasant truths that lie beneath the surface Netanyahu works so hard to polish. Not coincidentally, Pfeffer has also given us a short-hand account of Israel's political history. Pfeffer is essential reading in Haaretz. His book gives Western readers some idea why."