Adjusting Sights

At the heart of this book lie some of the most engrossing and terrifying first hand accounts of war that I've ever read. Haim Sabato's story of a young and observant soldier fighting in the Tank Corps on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 is quite unlike any other book of war writing/memoir that I've previously encountered. Haim's (and his friends') experiences in that dreadful war were all too vivid and real. Threaded throughout the narrative are some of the contemplations, prayers, hymns and rituals, that a religious soldier takes a part in. Although of secular persuasion myself, I found many of these passages were extremely humbling. I was reminded of some of those I served with who were also soldiers while maintaining their religious observance. I always marveled at their dedication and resourcefulness in pursuing their faith in such difficult circumstances - this book reinforces that impression. ( )

Too realistic to be thought of as fiction, Sabato’s engrossing account of a tanker gunner’s experiences in the Golan during the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel blend traditional Jewish liturgy with wartime action. The story explores the grueling physical and psychological realities of war experienced by a soldier the Israeli tank corps. Haim relates his personal experience as he seeks to find an answer to what became of his yeshiva friend and study partner Dov who joined the tank corps at the same time that he did. This is a gripping account of what it means to be a soldier and how just one individual tries to cope in the chaos of an unexpected war. Long after the story ends, liturgical phrases will be sure to pop up with new meaning in the reader’s mind! This, my friends, is the ultimate never-ending story ( )

An excellent story about the soldiers fighting in the Yom Kippur war. The characters are compelling, the battlefield descriptions are moving and dramatic and the terror, grief and fear felt by the soldiers is palpable. Author Haim Saboto has written a phenomenal book that expresses the combining of faith, fear and fury that finds expression in wartime. Don't miss reading this one! ( )

A really impressive, really interesting book. This was the first book I can remember reading that dealt with the experience of warfare in Israel. Is that type of Israeli literature just not written or just not translated? This one really brought home the terror and confusion of the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the Golan through the experiences of a young, religious soldier. ( )