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Mitla Pass
Writer Gideon Zadok leaves the glitter of Hollywood for the newly created State of Israel, where he learns much about himself and love on a dangerous military operation he covers as a war correspondent
495 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1988
251 people are currently reading
1386 people want to read
About the author
Leon Uris
90 books1,654 followersLeon Marcus Uris (August 3, 1924 - June 21, 2003) was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976.
Leon Uris was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Jewish-American parents Wolf William and Anna (Blumberg) Uris. His father, a Polish-born immigrant, was a paperhanger, then a storekeeper. William spent a year in Palestine after World War I before entering the United States. He derived his surname from Yerushalmi, meaning "man of Jerusalem." (His brother Aron, Leon Uris' uncle, took the name Yerushalmi) "He was basically a failure," Uris later said of his father. "He went from failure to failure."
Uris attended schools in Norfolk, Virginia and Baltimore, but never graduated from high school, after having failed English three times. At age seventeen, while in his senior year of high school, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Uris enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific as a radioman (in combat) at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and New Zealand from 1942 through 1945. While recuperating from malaria in San Francisco, he met Betty Beck, a Marine sergeant; they married in 1945.
Coming out of the service, he worked for a newspaper, writing in his spare time. In 1950, Esquire magazine bought an article, and he began to devote himself to writing more seriously. Drawing on his experiences in Guadalcanal and Tarawa he produced the best-selling, Battle Cry, a novel depicting the toughness and courage of U.S. Marines in the Pacific. He then went to Warner Brothers in Hollywood helping to write the movie, which was extremely popular with the public, if not the critics. Later he went on to write The Angry Hills, a novel set in war-time Greece.
According to one source, in the early 1950's he was hired by an American public relations firm to go to Israel and "soak up the atmosphere and create a novel about it". That novel would be Exodus, which came out in 1958 and became his best known work. Others say that Uris, motivated by an intense interest in Israel, financed his own research for the novel by selling the film rights in advance to MGM and writing articles about the Sinai campaign. It is said that the book involved two years of research, and involved thousands of interviews. Exodus illustrated the history of Palestine from the late 19th century through the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. It was a worldwide best-seller, translated into a dozen languages, and was made into a feature film in 1960, starring Paul Newman, directed by Otto Preminger, as well as into a short-lived Broadway musical (12 previews, 19 performances) in 1971. Uris' novel Topaz was adapted for the screen and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Uris' subsequent works included: Mila 18, a story of the Warsaw ghetto uprising; Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin, which reveals the detailed work by British and American intelligence services in planning for the occupation and pacification of post WWII Germany; Trinity, an epic novel about Ireland's struggle for independence; QB VII, a novel about the role of a Polish doctor in a German concentration camp ; and The Haj, with insights into the history of the Middle East and the secret machinations of foreigners which have led to today's turmoil.
He also wrote the screenplays for Battle Cry and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Uris was married three times: to Betty Beck, with whom he had three children, from 1945 through their divorce in 1968; Margery Edwards in 1969, who died a year later, and Jill Peabody in 1970, with whom he had two children, and divorced in 1989.
Leon Uris died of renal failure at his Long Island home on Shelter Island, aged 78.
Leon Uris's papers can be found at the Ransom Center, University of Texas in Austin. The collection includes all of Uris's novels, with the exception of The Haj and Mitla Pass, as well as manus
Leon Uris was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Jewish-American parents Wolf William and Anna (Blumberg) Uris. His father, a Polish-born immigrant, was a paperhanger, then a storekeeper. William spent a year in Palestine after World War I before entering the United States. He derived his surname from Yerushalmi, meaning "man of Jerusalem." (His brother Aron, Leon Uris' uncle, took the name Yerushalmi) "He was basically a failure," Uris later said of his father. "He went from failure to failure."
Uris attended schools in Norfolk, Virginia and Baltimore, but never graduated from high school, after having failed English three times. At age seventeen, while in his senior year of high school, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Uris enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific as a radioman (in combat) at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and New Zealand from 1942 through 1945. While recuperating from malaria in San Francisco, he met Betty Beck, a Marine sergeant; they married in 1945.
Coming out of the service, he worked for a newspaper, writing in his spare time. In 1950, Esquire magazine bought an article, and he began to devote himself to writing more seriously. Drawing on his experiences in Guadalcanal and Tarawa he produced the best-selling, Battle Cry, a novel depicting the toughness and courage of U.S. Marines in the Pacific. He then went to Warner Brothers in Hollywood helping to write the movie, which was extremely popular with the public, if not the critics. Later he went on to write The Angry Hills, a novel set in war-time Greece.
According to one source, in the early 1950's he was hired by an American public relations firm to go to Israel and "soak up the atmosphere and create a novel about it". That novel would be Exodus, which came out in 1958 and became his best known work. Others say that Uris, motivated by an intense interest in Israel, financed his own research for the novel by selling the film rights in advance to MGM and writing articles about the Sinai campaign. It is said that the book involved two years of research, and involved thousands of interviews. Exodus illustrated the history of Palestine from the late 19th century through the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. It was a worldwide best-seller, translated into a dozen languages, and was made into a feature film in 1960, starring Paul Newman, directed by Otto Preminger, as well as into a short-lived Broadway musical (12 previews, 19 performances) in 1971. Uris' novel Topaz was adapted for the screen and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Uris' subsequent works included: Mila 18, a story of the Warsaw ghetto uprising; Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin, which reveals the detailed work by British and American intelligence services in planning for the occupation and pacification of post WWII Germany; Trinity, an epic novel about Ireland's struggle for independence; QB VII, a novel about the role of a Polish doctor in a German concentration camp ; and The Haj, with insights into the history of the Middle East and the secret machinations of foreigners which have led to today's turmoil.
He also wrote the screenplays for Battle Cry and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Uris was married three times: to Betty Beck, with whom he had three children, from 1945 through their divorce in 1968; Margery Edwards in 1969, who died a year later, and Jill Peabody in 1970, with whom he had two children, and divorced in 1989.
Leon Uris died of renal failure at his Long Island home on Shelter Island, aged 78.
Leon Uris's papers can be found at the Ransom Center, University of Texas in Austin. The collection includes all of Uris's novels, with the exception of The Haj and Mitla Pass, as well as manus
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
January 18, 2019
Another fantastic historical human historical drama from Leon Uris Gideon the Writer is struggling to come to terms with a dysfunctional family (made up of a host of colourful characters make it read like a Jewish Dickens) and a difficult marriage to a wife who he takes for granted as well as his own wavering career He gets an assignment to write on Israels struggle to survive at the time of the Sinai War and has a steamy relationship with a sophisticated and powerful Jewish woman -who is a holocaust victim and an important consultant to the Israeli government But the story goes back to that of Gideons family many years before he was born and is exciting,illuminating,sad,humorous and picturesque
October 12, 2019
This started as an excellent book, but when the main character finally gets to Mitla Pass, the author starts bouncing back and forth between 1890's Russian and 1956 Israel, seemingly trying to give us the autobiography of every family member of the main character that ever existed. The book looses its' way quickly. Uris has enough material here for six novels, but does none of them justice. Well written for sure, but schizophrenic in the presentation. Recommended only for Uris fans.
March 10, 2019
I found this to be an okay read (2-stars). However, certain parts of the story were indeed interesting (and that is why the extra star):
- where life for the Jews is described in a shtetl in the 'Pale' during the Czarist regime in the late 19th century in Russia, along with what was it like for a Jew to travel outside of the 'Pale' back in those times. (The "Pale of Settlement " was a western region of Imperial Russia with varying borders that existed from 1791 to 1917, in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed and beyond which Jewish residency, permanent or temporary, was mostly forbidden. -SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_of... )
- life for the Jews in the first quarter of the 20th century in America.
It took me a quarter of the pages to read to gain a decent amount of interest to continue reading the book. Until then, although it was not boring, it was not allowing me to hold on to the story, and I was just awaiting for 'something' to happen. Eventually it did! The book had been on my to-read list since years now, and that way I was a bit disappointed with this one. This was the fifth Leon Uris title that I read, and no other had been so less interesting before.
The protagonist is a Jewish writer who wants to write a book based on the accounts of the war during the Suez War of 1956, in which he is posted along with the battalion to the Mitla Pass, a snaky pass in the Sinai of Egypt. The overall focus in the book is however not about this campaign. Most of the book is about the story of the protagonist himself, his past, and of his families from about three generations ago.
A drama, which I guess, some readers may like some may not, depending upon what the reader is looking for.
- where life for the Jews is described in a shtetl in the 'Pale' during the Czarist regime in the late 19th century in Russia, along with what was it like for a Jew to travel outside of the 'Pale' back in those times. (The "Pale of Settlement " was a western region of Imperial Russia with varying borders that existed from 1791 to 1917, in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed and beyond which Jewish residency, permanent or temporary, was mostly forbidden. -SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_of... )
- life for the Jews in the first quarter of the 20th century in America.
It took me a quarter of the pages to read to gain a decent amount of interest to continue reading the book. Until then, although it was not boring, it was not allowing me to hold on to the story, and I was just awaiting for 'something' to happen. Eventually it did! The book had been on my to-read list since years now, and that way I was a bit disappointed with this one. This was the fifth Leon Uris title that I read, and no other had been so less interesting before.
The protagonist is a Jewish writer who wants to write a book based on the accounts of the war during the Suez War of 1956, in which he is posted along with the battalion to the Mitla Pass, a snaky pass in the Sinai of Egypt. The overall focus in the book is however not about this campaign. Most of the book is about the story of the protagonist himself, his past, and of his families from about three generations ago.
A drama, which I guess, some readers may like some may not, depending upon what the reader is looking for.
January 7, 2016
This is a fictionalised autobiography in which Uris also traces his family's roots from Russia and Romania without leaving out the meanness and eccentricities of his family. My 7th book by Uris and the dialogue and the passionate style is present here too.
February 20, 2009
You know what to expect with Uris - epic plots, larger than life hypermasculine characters, Judaism both held aloft for admiration and critiqued for its shortcomings (without the humor or skill of Phillip Roth!) To his credit, the book is a page-turner. The characters, while not always three dimensional, are nevertheless captivating. In typical Uris style, the scope is enormous, covering 19th century shtetls, depression-era Jewish Baltimore, the US Communist movement, the Spanish Civil War, always coming back to center around the 1956 Sinai war between Israel and Egypt. It all feels real enough, at least for someone who's never lived then and there. :)
The misogyny, Hemmingway-esque take on manliness and anti-Arab propaganda make the book unpalatable at times, BUT to Uris' credit he actually tries, at times, to acknowledge and even critique the first two shortcomings. He at least lets the reader know he's aware of these issues in his work, and his supermacho protagonist is just as often undone and made miserable by the ideal of masculinity to which he has held himself hostage. The battle of Mitla Pass becomes a giant metaphor for his own self-destructive need to prove himself, as well as that same need of the Jewish people to "prove themselves tough" in a post-Zionist age...yet it is also seen as kind of inevitable. It is clear that how much Uris also wants us to lionize this guy despite his faults, which I had trouble with.
There is pretty much one, count her, ONE female character who actually seems admirable, a schoolteacher/aviator who fights and dies in the Spanish Civil War. The protagonist announces directly that this is the one woman (besides his sister, whom we don't see much of) whom *he* finds admirable, and the narrative seems somewhat enslaved to his perceptions: pretty much all the other women in Mitla Pass whiners, seducers, manipulators, teases, victims and anchors, often all of the above. This is a shame, because EXODUS had several well-flushed out (for a Uris novel), admirable women (Jordana Ben-Cannan was my fictional crush for years!) Uris *can* write likable, believable women. I was disappointed that he chose not to here.
When I was 18 and rediscovering my Judaism, Uris' EXODUS was transformational. Later on, of course, I came to see all of the hideous propaganda...and even later, came to hold a place for the book in my heart. It was what it was. So too is Mitla Pass, although its tight binding to a rather unsympathetic protagonist makes it less well done than its predecessor.
The misogyny, Hemmingway-esque take on manliness and anti-Arab propaganda make the book unpalatable at times, BUT to Uris' credit he actually tries, at times, to acknowledge and even critique the first two shortcomings. He at least lets the reader know he's aware of these issues in his work, and his supermacho protagonist is just as often undone and made miserable by the ideal of masculinity to which he has held himself hostage. The battle of Mitla Pass becomes a giant metaphor for his own self-destructive need to prove himself, as well as that same need of the Jewish people to "prove themselves tough" in a post-Zionist age...yet it is also seen as kind of inevitable. It is clear that how much Uris also wants us to lionize this guy despite his faults, which I had trouble with.
There is pretty much one, count her, ONE female character who actually seems admirable, a schoolteacher/aviator who fights and dies in the Spanish Civil War. The protagonist announces directly that this is the one woman (besides his sister, whom we don't see much of) whom *he* finds admirable, and the narrative seems somewhat enslaved to his perceptions: pretty much all the other women in Mitla Pass whiners, seducers, manipulators, teases, victims and anchors, often all of the above. This is a shame, because EXODUS had several well-flushed out (for a Uris novel), admirable women (Jordana Ben-Cannan was my fictional crush for years!) Uris *can* write likable, believable women. I was disappointed that he chose not to here.
When I was 18 and rediscovering my Judaism, Uris' EXODUS was transformational. Later on, of course, I came to see all of the hideous propaganda...and even later, came to hold a place for the book in my heart. It was what it was. So too is Mitla Pass, although its tight binding to a rather unsympathetic protagonist makes it less well done than its predecessor.
August 5, 2015
I first read a book by Leon Uris many, many years ago - Exodus - about the establishment of Israel. I then went on to read almost all of his books because I enjoyed his blend of storytelling with solid historical research. Somehow, I never got around to this one until now. In this book, he returns to Israel, primarily in 1956, during a brief war with Egypt. Mitla Pass is a pass in the Sinai Peninsula only 14 miles long, but somehow the book moves from there to other continents and times to tell the story of Gideon Zadok, his father, mother, grandparents and just about anyone Uris could squeeze in. It's a good story, but a bit overdone. Gideon is a WWII vet of the Pacific campaign, now a writer who is dealing with demons. I think Uris pinned just about every imaginable cliché on him and his family. In spite of all that, Uris still tells a good story, and that's the main thing, I guess.
January 23, 2008
This is a fantastic book. I think it is one of Leon Uris' best (and I have read them all). It treads roughly the same ground as his other projects that came from writing Exodus (e.g., Mila 18, QB VII). It deals not only with the Zionist project but also the American Jewry. I love the way the history of 3 generations prior effects the psyche of the current generation.
March 22, 2021
Always a good read - as usual, Leon Uris's characters are people you would want to know. He gets you to really care what happens to them.
April 17, 2019
I had only read one other novel by Leon Uris before this, Mitla Pass, but I enjoyed it. When I read the blurb for Mitla Pass, I saw the main character Gideon Zadok, a writer, had written for films, and I was hooked. Any story that has to do with Hollywood likely gets into my “to read” pile. Furthermore, the book deals with Judaism, and that, too, is a favorite topic of mine. Mitla Pass is a sweeping tale. I was in awe of Uris’s writing. As a novelist myself, I can’t imagine how an author can write a very long novel (almost five hundred pages) that is non-linear and still keep everything straight and building toward a climax. Uris starts in 1956 then makes forays into ten or so years earlier, back to 1956, and long passages that start with the late 1800s. During all this, at times, you wonder how it all will fit together, but it does indeed. All the background simply builds to why Gideon is Gideon. Hints are made that don’t form a climax until the very end, where the character grows and has his epiphany. And I was with the author all along the way. I found the story compelling, the characters complex and at times winning, at other times exasperating. I’m not a fan of war stories, but the war passages are well-written and add up to why Gideon is the way he is. Ultimately—and I can’t say why—I was not as satisfied with the conclusion as I wanted to be. It all wrapped up nicely and the ending was not one of those “throw the book against the wall” things. I was glad it ended the way it did. But the impact, for me, wasn’t there. But all reading experiences are different. If I’d read this book at a different time in my life, I might have been totally happy with the ending. I know I’ve seen movies multiple times where the first viewing turned me cold, the second viewing elated me. So just because I wasn’t elated at the ending of this book, you might be. And that’s what’s reading is all about: a personal connection. It’s a wonderful book. Read it.
June 13, 2019
I loved every minute I spent in this book. It is too long to write a thorough review, so let me say, 'Read the book.' The author's mechanics are excellent, and his pick up timing leads the reader through the book without the reader ever wondering where he is.
It is the story of the Jews as a nation and of individual Jews beginning in the Victorian era and ending with the Israeli/Egypt war of 1957. The main character is referred to as 'Cowboy' by one or more lovers. The ultimate compliment a rodeo cowboy can get after a good performance is a 'Good ride, cowboy,' from fellow Cowboys. Lawyers compliment one another by a handshake and saying 'Counselor.' Writers get a 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' If you were a cowboy, Mr. Uris, I would say, 'Good Ride, Cowboy!'
Thank you, Mr. Uris, for a Good Read.
It is the story of the Jews as a nation and of individual Jews beginning in the Victorian era and ending with the Israeli/Egypt war of 1957. The main character is referred to as 'Cowboy' by one or more lovers. The ultimate compliment a rodeo cowboy can get after a good performance is a 'Good ride, cowboy,' from fellow Cowboys. Lawyers compliment one another by a handshake and saying 'Counselor.' Writers get a 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' If you were a cowboy, Mr. Uris, I would say, 'Good Ride, Cowboy!'
Thank you, Mr. Uris, for a Good Read.
August 30, 2023
Mitra Pass
Fabulous!!! As always, his mature books are heart rending, raw, earthly, painful demonstration of dysfunctional relationships at home, and jubilant depictions of people giving their life for a cause.
Fabulous!!! As always, his mature books are heart rending, raw, earthly, painful demonstration of dysfunctional relationships at home, and jubilant depictions of people giving their life for a cause.
December 31, 2017
A page-turner from Uris...compelling and informative.
April 16, 2013
Well, where to start? The concept was interesting and I was happy to find out more about the early days of the modern state of Israel and the conflicts they got involved in, as my knowledge of this period is limited. I also generally quite enjoy stories that go into the history of a family and the characters there-in BUT (and it is a big BUT) it really helps if the cast of characters have a redeeming feature among them! The main character was a self-absorbed, misogynist writer and the majority of his ancestors seemed to be abusive husbands or men-haters depending on their sex. It was a struggle to get through to the end. I have seen this referred to as a semi-autobiographical novel, and certainly parts of it seem to follow what little I know of Leon Uris' life, but you do wonder why he would paint such an unflattering picture of himself...or perhaps he was focused on the "hero goes off to fight" aspects rather than the "sorry excuse for a husband"?
April 5, 2011
I've read many Uris books, and enjoyed them all. Mitla Pass was so awful I can't believe he actually got it published. After about 25 pages, I didn't like it but thought I should stick with it -- this is a Leon Uris book after all, I told myself. Getting tougher after about 50 more pages, but thought it's got to improve. At 100 I couldn't take it any more. Horribly written, with a jerk protagonist that the IDF is supposedly impressed by and trusts not to tell all the women he screws what he knows? Never mind.
January 1, 2008
In my opinion not even close to Uris' best work. He is something of a pulp writer so I expect a few cheesy scenes laced with grit but this was a very rough novel. He drew away from his masterful storytelling several times by the awkwardness of his prose and dialogue. This book would have been a definite two star if he hadn't put together the ending so well. If you are a Uris fan it won't hurt to pick it up, otherwise I would read Exodus or Mila 18 as a first Uris novel.
August 8, 2018
Reviewers have suggested that this book is semi-autobiographical and I can see how they would say this. Although the title is Mitla Pass, the battle there is not the major part of the book. Instead, Uris tells the family history of the main character, Gideon Zadock, a Jewish writer. Reading the book makes me want to reread Exodus, which is like the book that Gideon is trying to write in Mitla Pass.
April 28, 2018
I read all the Leon Uris books many years ago and have decided they were so good I need to read them again. This is not my favorite, but it's still out of this world fantastic. Love the way he gives us so much historical background and doesn't feel the need to make his characters warm and lovable!
September 2, 2019
Good read
October 31, 2022
Mitla Pass has less to do with the Sinai War and more to do with a Jewish writer trying to prove himself as a novelist and a man. This semi-autobiographical account covers the protagonist’s family history, from the shtetls of Eastern Europe, flirtations with Zionism, and growing up in the South in pre-WWII years under the sway of antisemitism and communism.
The similarities between Uris and the protagonist, Gideon Zadok, are eerie. According to Wikipedia, the father is a ne’er do well immigrant paperhanger from Poland/Russia who spent a brief time in Palestine after World War I. Zakok/Uris grew up in Baltimore and Norfolk, failed English in high school, enlisted in the Marines, served in Guadalcanal and Tarawa, contracted Dengue Fever and met his wife while recovering. They both wrote a successful novel about their war experiences and went to Hollywood to turn it into a screenplay. They both researched their next novel in Israel during the mid-1950s.
Wikipedia does not vouch for other interesting bits of Zadok family history. Moses, the embittered, penny-pinching grandfather. Hannah, the man-hating grandmother. Nathan, the cold, unsuccessful Communist Party hack. Leah, the narcissistic, unfaithful mother. Except for his older sister Mollie, none of the immediate family could offer much love to Gideon.
Gideon emerges as a driven and brawling and willing to achieve literary success no matter what the cost - from wrecking his marriage, putting his family in financial instability and endangering his own life. Along the way, he has numerous affairs, especially while in Israel where he takes up with the ravishing Natasha Solomon. The actual account of Mitla Pass is almost anti-climatic.
The story jumps from one period to the next with different narrators throughout. Perhaps it was his own upbringing, but Uris portrays Jewish family life in the early 20th Century as insular, socialistic and bigoted. The repeated use of the words shvartze and wop would never pass today’s PC censors.
Overall, a great epic novel but not Uris’s best work.
The similarities between Uris and the protagonist, Gideon Zadok, are eerie. According to Wikipedia, the father is a ne’er do well immigrant paperhanger from Poland/Russia who spent a brief time in Palestine after World War I. Zakok/Uris grew up in Baltimore and Norfolk, failed English in high school, enlisted in the Marines, served in Guadalcanal and Tarawa, contracted Dengue Fever and met his wife while recovering. They both wrote a successful novel about their war experiences and went to Hollywood to turn it into a screenplay. They both researched their next novel in Israel during the mid-1950s.
Wikipedia does not vouch for other interesting bits of Zadok family history. Moses, the embittered, penny-pinching grandfather. Hannah, the man-hating grandmother. Nathan, the cold, unsuccessful Communist Party hack. Leah, the narcissistic, unfaithful mother. Except for his older sister Mollie, none of the immediate family could offer much love to Gideon.
Gideon emerges as a driven and brawling and willing to achieve literary success no matter what the cost - from wrecking his marriage, putting his family in financial instability and endangering his own life. Along the way, he has numerous affairs, especially while in Israel where he takes up with the ravishing Natasha Solomon. The actual account of Mitla Pass is almost anti-climatic.
The story jumps from one period to the next with different narrators throughout. Perhaps it was his own upbringing, but Uris portrays Jewish family life in the early 20th Century as insular, socialistic and bigoted. The repeated use of the words shvartze and wop would never pass today’s PC censors.
Overall, a great epic novel but not Uris’s best work.
January 15, 2026
Meh. Add a star if you just really like Uris' writing.
I read Exodus a few years ago and liked it much more than this.
I'm not even entirely certain why the book has this title, which, probably not coincidentally, is a complaint I had about that book as well. By the end, what started as the main narrative of the battle for Mitla Pass during the Suez Crisis seems almost superfluous. About half of the book tells the back stories of Gideon Zadok's (theoretically the protagonist of the novel), family — father, mother, grandparent, uncles, et al. Overall, I liked those parts, much as I liked the back stories of Ari Ben Canaan's family in Exodus. However, in this case, they really didn't add for me any insight into Gideon's character, who, unlike Ari, isn't an especially empathetic person. As I understand it the book is at least somewhat autobiographical. If so, I would be unlikely to befriend the author although that won't stop me reading more from him. Also, these narrative switches were more jarring. It wasn't immediately clear why you were suddenly following the life tale someone, and having some parts in first person and others in third kept making me shake my head, wondering why the author had chosen to do so. I still don't know.
I read Exodus a few years ago and liked it much more than this.
I'm not even entirely certain why the book has this title, which, probably not coincidentally, is a complaint I had about that book as well. By the end, what started as the main narrative of the battle for Mitla Pass during the Suez Crisis seems almost superfluous. About half of the book tells the back stories of Gideon Zadok's (theoretically the protagonist of the novel), family — father, mother, grandparent, uncles, et al. Overall, I liked those parts, much as I liked the back stories of Ari Ben Canaan's family in Exodus. However, in this case, they really didn't add for me any insight into Gideon's character, who, unlike Ari, isn't an especially empathetic person. As I understand it the book is at least somewhat autobiographical. If so, I would be unlikely to befriend the author although that won't stop me reading more from him. Also, these narrative switches were more jarring. It wasn't immediately clear why you were suddenly following the life tale someone, and having some parts in first person and others in third kept making me shake my head, wondering why the author had chosen to do so. I still don't know.
November 20, 2022
Many decades ago I read about four or five of Uris's novels, and while I don't remember details, I liked them. He really brings history alive, and is very pleasant to read for hours on end. But this book just didn't do it for me. First of all, Mitla Pass itself plays a very small role in this novel, so I suppose if I were a little more ambitious I would think about what allegorical meaning Uris meant it to have. This is mainly a story about a very selfish, self-centered writer and some of his equally unpleasant relatives . There is a good deal of history in the background as we learn about several generations of his family. However, Uris was clever enough to go back and forth and round and round in time, introducing characters whose relevance only came later, by which time I could hardly keep straight who they were anymore. The background to the events in this book are important to me, and moved me not because of, but in spite of, Uris's presentation of them. The read itself was , as I said, enjoyable, but the terrible characters in the book barely aroused my sympathy. Uris is an important writer but I think I am probably done with him.
August 27, 2020
(i read it to exercise my english.)
i liked all the (other) characters(/stories) but the main one ("commercial" and unappealing).
maybe, two stars and a half...
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Once you compromise, you can never get it back. You've got to put your foot down and make your fight when you're hungry. Once you're fat, you'll always do as they say."
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Delay it, stuff it in the closet, do anything but face up and get it over with. Half of our life was the unspoken words.
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"You know how it goes. When you're young and sitting around the campfire and life is just beginning and this question comes up, everyone says they would kill, they would break bones, they would walk away. Today? If she still loved me, I'd probably forgive her. It would kill her inside if I didn't forgive her. You don't kill the woman you love because she makes a normal, human mistake. Hell, anybody can get hot pants. The trouble with you Americans is you're always playing Jesus, Joseph, and Mary."
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It's fun because you can do anything in fantasy. I honestly feel that a lot of grown men play sports games out in their heads, in which they are always a superhero. That's the only way they can accomplish what they can't do in real life.
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i liked all the (other) characters(/stories) but the main one ("commercial" and unappealing).
maybe, two stars and a half...
==========
Once you compromise, you can never get it back. You've got to put your foot down and make your fight when you're hungry. Once you're fat, you'll always do as they say."
==========
Delay it, stuff it in the closet, do anything but face up and get it over with. Half of our life was the unspoken words.
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"You know how it goes. When you're young and sitting around the campfire and life is just beginning and this question comes up, everyone says they would kill, they would break bones, they would walk away. Today? If she still loved me, I'd probably forgive her. It would kill her inside if I didn't forgive her. You don't kill the woman you love because she makes a normal, human mistake. Hell, anybody can get hot pants. The trouble with you Americans is you're always playing Jesus, Joseph, and Mary."
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It's fun because you can do anything in fantasy. I honestly feel that a lot of grown men play sports games out in their heads, in which they are always a superhero. That's the only way they can accomplish what they can't do in real life.
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December 31, 2020
Magnífico livro! Um, daqueles, que nos levam a ficar noite fora, devorando páginas.
Inicialmente, parecia que nos ia contar as aventuras de um ex-fuzileiro americano, de origem judaica, que, regressado da guerra, obtivera enorme sucesso com o seu primeiro romance.
Depois começamos a perceber ser muito mais que isso.
Ao longo das suas 470 páginas vamos conhecendo a família judia do pai, desde o início do século XX, na Rússia, passando pelo novo estado de Israel, até chegar à América. Segue-se a família da mãe que é seguida, desde o final do século XIX, no seio de judeus da Irlanda, até à chegada à América.
Muitos dos familiares de Gideon Zadok contam, na primeira pessoa do singular, partes da narrativa que nos irão ajudar a compreender a personalidade do protagonista.
Um autêntico ‘puzzle’ que somos convidados a montar.
Será um livro autobiográfico? Após ter feito algumas leituras, fiquei com a ideia de que há muito de autobiográfico.
E, assim, passamos pelo "progroms", pela I e pela II Guerras Mundiais, pela criação do Estado de Israel, pela Grande Depressão, pelas contradições do comunismo, pela Guerra de Espanha e pelo mundo do cinema americano, na sua vertente industrial.
Inicialmente, parecia que nos ia contar as aventuras de um ex-fuzileiro americano, de origem judaica, que, regressado da guerra, obtivera enorme sucesso com o seu primeiro romance.
Depois começamos a perceber ser muito mais que isso.
Ao longo das suas 470 páginas vamos conhecendo a família judia do pai, desde o início do século XX, na Rússia, passando pelo novo estado de Israel, até chegar à América. Segue-se a família da mãe que é seguida, desde o final do século XIX, no seio de judeus da Irlanda, até à chegada à América.
Muitos dos familiares de Gideon Zadok contam, na primeira pessoa do singular, partes da narrativa que nos irão ajudar a compreender a personalidade do protagonista.
Um autêntico ‘puzzle’ que somos convidados a montar.
Será um livro autobiográfico? Após ter feito algumas leituras, fiquei com a ideia de que há muito de autobiográfico.
E, assim, passamos pelo "progroms", pela I e pela II Guerras Mundiais, pela criação do Estado de Israel, pela Grande Depressão, pelas contradições do comunismo, pela Guerra de Espanha e pelo mundo do cinema americano, na sua vertente industrial.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2020
1956 and Israel is in a fight for its young life with neighbors, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Gideon Zadok, world famous writer (read Leon Uris) is there on a personal quest to connect with his heritage and hopefully find himself. He accompanies the Israeli army on a mission to Mitla Pass where the invading Egyptians must be stopped if the country is to survive. Gideon is wounded and that takes us on a long trip through the history of his family, past and present, from Poland to America. Mitla Pass is held and Gideon survives, finding peace in the process.
This is a very good book, as is usual with Leon Uris' work. If it is not quite up to the level of some of his other works, such as QBVII or Trinity to name two, it is still a fine read, fast paced and intelligent as well as an interesting look into the heart of the author himself.
This is a very good book, as is usual with Leon Uris' work. If it is not quite up to the level of some of his other works, such as QBVII or Trinity to name two, it is still a fine read, fast paced and intelligent as well as an interesting look into the heart of the author himself.
October 5, 2019
At 40% I was so wholly disappointed - so disgusted - with this writer that I immediately went to my TBR and removed both “Armageddon” and “The Haj”. (Far too much graphic detailing of sexual encounters and vile language for my liking.)
Had I not already had a DNF at the end of September I likely would have set this one aside and missed out on some fantastic character development and the evidence of a tremendous amount of research invested in the making of this read. That much is certainly worthy of a strong ⭐️⭐️.
PS . By the way , thanks Mr Uris for providing your female readers with a single positive and powerful female character - Miss Abigail - amidst all the vamps, whores, and man haters.
Had I not already had a DNF at the end of September I likely would have set this one aside and missed out on some fantastic character development and the evidence of a tremendous amount of research invested in the making of this read. That much is certainly worthy of a strong ⭐️⭐️.
PS . By the way , thanks Mr Uris for providing your female readers with a single positive and powerful female character - Miss Abigail - amidst all the vamps, whores, and man haters.
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October 11, 2021A good read, but not his best
Milta pass is very autobiographical, and a fairly accurate recounting of historical events. It is interesting that Uris mentions his move from Norfolk to Baltimore on the President Warfield, the boat that eventually served to transport troops and wounded after D-Day, and most important for Uris, became the Hagana ship Exodus.
Uris did attend Stewart Elementary School in Norfolk as well as Maury H. S. there also. I will do some further research to determine if his 6th grade teacher was a real person in his life or a creation of his imagination.
The book is worth a read if you are into these historical fiction works so popular in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Milta pass is very autobiographical, and a fairly accurate recounting of historical events. It is interesting that Uris mentions his move from Norfolk to Baltimore on the President Warfield, the boat that eventually served to transport troops and wounded after D-Day, and most important for Uris, became the Hagana ship Exodus.
Uris did attend Stewart Elementary School in Norfolk as well as Maury H. S. there also. I will do some further research to determine if his 6th grade teacher was a real person in his life or a creation of his imagination.
The book is worth a read if you are into these historical fiction works so popular in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
December 2, 2017
The book follows the life of an American Jewish author, who has experienced a troubled and confused childhood about his religion and family. The book comprises stories narrated by the author's parents, ancestors, wife, girlfriend, Israeli soldiers and even Ben Gurion - the stories cover a timeline that ranges from the early 1800s' until 1956. For those, that have an interest in Israel's history, this will provide some nice insights. In terms of style, the book didnt meander seamlessly for me - at times, it just jumps abruptly from one timezone to another. A good one for the history buffs, nonetheless.
November 17, 2020
Much less about Mitla Pass and much more about protagonist Gideon Zadok's back story. I suspect Gideon is a proxy for Uris himself, and more learned readers may have greater insight on this. I actually enjoyed the stories from the Pale, Palestine, and the early 1900s in the US. I less enjoyed the whole affair with Natasha; that was a little too cheap and pulpy for my taste and a bit of a miss for Uris, whose books I generally enjoy. As f0r Israel, I enjoyed Herman Wouk's The Hope and The Glory more than Mitla Pass.
May 22, 2025
I rate this book 3 of 5 — GOOD. I have read Exodus, Trinity, and Armageddon, and this book pales in comparison. Parts of Mitla Pass are interesting, such as what life as a Jew was like from the late 19th Century to the mid 20th century in Eastern Europe, America, and Israel. But much of the book was spent by Uris seemingly “bragging” about his sexual exploits and prowess, which got really old. Also, reading this novel felt more like I was reading a screenplay or script for a movie. Oh, well, it was still good, but not great.
October 14, 2019
Didn't like this book. It was supposed to be about the war when Egypt blocked the Suez Canal, British and French promised their help, but wouldn't go against USA and USSR. A US writer, doing research for his book, went with Israelis to the war.
The book is like several novels tossed together, the writer's family and his Israeli mistress, all his relatives from several generations back in Russia and Ukraine. It would have made several nice books, the stories just don't belong together.
The book is like several novels tossed together, the writer's family and his Israeli mistress, all his relatives from several generations back in Russia and Ukraine. It would have made several nice books, the stories just don't belong together.
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