'The Scout is a romp, a quirky, charming, funny, and terrifically readable jaunt that lights up the most unexpected corners of Middle East history and culture. The Scout will leave you feeling good right down to your kidneys'
Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe and syndicated columnist
'Plaut's fast-paced account reads like a novel but is even better - an informative and insightful page-turner that centers on the life of a Bedouin with uncanny tracking abilities. Read it, enjoy it and learn from it. Northern Israel won't look the same again'
Daniel Pipes, Publisher of Middle East Quarterly, Director of Middle East Forum and syndicated columnist
'An original and heartfelt portrait of Israeli society told through the life of the 'Scout,' one of Israel's greatest Bedouin trackers. This memoir captures the humor and humanity underpinning the mosaic of cultures and experiences that is Israel.'
Efraim Karsh, Head of the Mediterranean Studies Program at King's College, London
'Steven Plaut, hitherto known as Israel's Jonathan Swift for his political satire, here shines forth as biographer, folklorist, and historical novelist. This richly imagined account of his relations with a Bedouin fellow-patient in an intensive-care ward in Haifa reminds us that all men are equal in the face of death.'
Edward Alexander, Prof. of English at University of Washington
In an Israeli hospital, two men battle with death. Two men who could not be more different - Salim Saadi, the legendary Arab Bedouin scout, and author Steven Plaut, an American-Israeli professor. They lie together in the ward, one next to the other, sharing their life stories, unearthing layer upon layer of the history of the Bedouin scouts, a history enshrouded in biblical themes and rich folklore.
The Scout centers on the extraordinary true story of Salim Saadi, yet at the same time reaches outward, to embrace a broader examination of Bedouin-Jewish relations in Israel. Plaut skillfully and tenderly arranges the numerous fragments of narrative to produce a richly variegated, mosaic-like portrayal of Bedouin history that is steeped in adventure, honor and spirit.