My country, my life : fighting for Israel, searching for peace

From the former Prime Minister and most decorated solder in Israel's history, this is essential reading to understand today's Israel-Palestine conflict and the precarious path to a two-state solution. 'There is scarcely one of Israel's security or military operations of the past four decades in which Barak has not been involved' Jewish ChronicleIn the summer of 2000, Ehud Barak set himself a challenge as daunting as any he had faced on the battlefield: to secure a final peace with the Palestinians.

He would propose two states for two peoples, with a shared capital in Jerusalem.

He knew the risks of failure. But he also knew the risks of not trying: letting slip perhaps the last chance for a generation to secure genuine peace. It was a moment of truth. It was one of many in a life intertwined, from the start, with that of Israel.

Born on a kibbutz, Barak became commander of Israel's elite special forces, then army Chief of Staff, and ultimately, Prime Minister.

My Country, My Life tells the unvarnished story of his - and his country's - first seven decades; of its major successes, but also its setbacks and misjudgments.

He offers candid assessments of his fellow Israeli politicians, of the American administrations with which he worked.

Drawing on his experiences as a military and political leader, he sounds a powerful warning: Israel is at a crossroads, threatened by events beyond its borders and by divisions within.

The two-state solution is more urgent than ever, not just for the Palestinians, but for the existential interests of Israel itself.