Brotherhood of Warriors: Behind Enemy Lines with a Commando in One of the World's Most Elite Counterterrorism Units

by Aaron Cohen and Douglas Century

Book Overview

At the age of eighteen, Aaron Cohen left Beverly Hills to prove himself in the crucible of the armed forces. He was determined to be a part of Israel's most elite security cadre, akin to the American Green Berets and Navy SEALs. After fifteen months of grueling training designed to break down each individual man and to rebuild him as a warrior, Cohen was offered the only post a non-Israeli can hold in the special forces. In 1996 he joined a top-secret,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061236152
• ISBN13: 9780061236150
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "A JEWISH BOY FROM *90210* BECOMES AN ISRAELI SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER!"

One of Israel's most highly respected Special Forces Unit is called "SAYERET DUVDEVAN". The name "DUVDEVAN" is something of an inside joke to Israelis; it literally means "cherry". As most native-born Israelis know, "there is a species of cherry in the Holy Land that looks no different from the edible variety, but which packs a strong and often lethal poison. As a Special Forces unit operating undercover disguised as Palestinian men and women, "DUVDEVAN" is the "cherry" that may look harmless but often proves deadly." The Jewish author Aaron Cohen was born in Canada and when his parents divorced moved with his Mother and sister to southern Florida. When Aaron was eight-years-old, as his mother was dropping him off at elementary school, she casually told him she was moving to Beverly Hills with his sister, but he couldn't come with them. He would have to stay in south Florida with his Aunt. Aaron felt abandoned, as of course any young child would in the same situation. His mother was pursuing a career in writing in the entertainment industry. She wound up meeting an older writer and producer Abby Mann, who had won the 1961 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the movie "JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG". A year or so later Aaron wound up moving to Beverly Hills where a normal week might include visits to the house by Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. His Little League team was coached by "Sonny Corleone" himself, James Caan. "Caan would show up on his Harley with some gorgeous young woman on the back, and there was always a different girl for every game. He obviously hadn't slept and was still bombed from the night before. Caan would show up at the ballpark blasted out of his mind, and start yelling and flipping out at the umpires for making a bad call. I was still pretty new to L.A. and seeing such over-the-top movie star antics was a little scary." The author's Mother and Step-Father were so caught up in their Hollywood lifestyle that he felt like a piece of furniture. When he was twelve-years-old he wanted to be Bar Mitzvah but his mother was tied up in one of her screen projects, so he asked if he could go back to Montreal to live with his Father, so his Father could fulfill his paternal obligation to help Aaron get Bar Mitzvah. During the year in Canada Aaron got into some trouble and was sent back to Beverly Hills where he got in more trouble and his Mother said: "Pack your bags, you're going to Canada to Military School!" Aaron kept a poker face, "but for me it was actually a relief. Deep down I knew I needed some structure, some priorities, and most important, some discipline in my life." It turned out to be "THE" positive turning point of his life. The Robert Land Academy is located in the Niagara Peninsula south of Toronto. The headmaster of the school was an officer in the Royal Canadian Army, Colonel Scott Bowman. "He was a Canadian intelligence officer who had done a yearlong stint in Israel, working with an international peacekeeping

Pulls no punches

A compelling read, very well-written and a good balance of very personal perspective and simply amazing descriptions of the brutal selection and training of Israel's top counter-terror commandos (as done in the 1990's). Cohen, like his instructors and fellows, pulls no punches discussing the positives and negatives of the process. His own experience of how this kind of preparation forever changes the men who survive it, and then how the work itself inevitably degrades social connectedness and relationships is as psychologically detailed and perceptive as anything I've ever read, and I commend his ruthless honesty. He also gives a fond but hard-eyed look at the changing Israeli society and the often unfortunate way it is absorbing some of our less positive qualities. VERY highly recommended. A great read.

excellent book

I heard the author being interviewed on the Michael Savage radio show and immediately went out to buy the book. I was definitely not disappointed an excellent read from a person who had everything except that which he felt was missing from his life which he went out to discover and found. A great book 100 stars could not put the book down once I started reading it. Hopefully he goes on a book signing tour or this is made into a movie

Astonishing story of courage

This book tells an an astonishing story of an 18 year old who gave up the option of the "good life" in Los Angeles to pursue some of the most difficult training and dangerous counter terror missions imaginable. (Look for the scene of Cohen going undercover to meet a terrorist big shot in a Jerusalem cafe.) It's a fast-paced, exciting memoir, one of the best I've read in years. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended to anyone interested in current affairs, counter terrorism and national security.

Amazing Read

I heard the author Aaron Cohen on a radio interview and decided to buy the book. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. It is much more than an inside look at the clandestine warriors on the front lines of the international war against terrorism. It is a coming of age journey about a young man who finds himself and the meaning of life amidst the most extreme circumstances imaginable. My girlfriend thought it might not appeal to her, but she started reading it after I finished and now she can't put it down. This would make an amazing movie.