Shut up, I'm talking : and other diplomacy lessons I learned in the Israeli government : a memoir

by Gregory Levey

Hardcover, 2008

Status

Available

Call number

327.5694

Genres

Biography & Memoir

General Nonfiction

Biography

Politics, Government, Law and Public Policy

Nonfiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

New York : Free Press

Description

When twenty-five-year-old law student Gregory Levey applied for an internship at the Israeli Consulate, he got more than he'd bargained for. The speechwriter for the Israeli delegation to the United Nations quit, and Levey was asked to fill the vacancy. The situation got even stranger when he was transferred to Jerusalem to write speeches for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Shut Up, I'm Talking is the startling account of Levey's journey into the nerve center of Middle Eastern politics. During his three years in the Israeli government, Levey was repeatedly thrust into highly improbable situations. With sharp insight and great appreciation for the absurd, Levey offers the first-ever look inside Israeli politics from the perspective of a complete outsider, ultimately concluding that the Israeli Government is no place for a nice Jewish boy.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Meggo

This was a quick read, but more because it was almost impossible to put down, rather than because it was too simple. The story of a Canadian working at the Israeli mission in New York who gets hired to be Ariel Sharon's speechwriter in Jerusalem. Engaging and well written, it helps that Levey is

writing at a tumultuous time in history for Israel. Recommended.

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LibraryThing member Lonsing

An amusing read. Well written and difficult to put down. Though some of the things he wrote about its culture i did not agree with.

LibraryThing member -Eva-

I'm quite sure that Levey exaggerates the lunacy of the UN delegations for humorous purposes, but if even part of his story describes day-to-day functions at the UN, I'm quite scared on behalf of the world. Granted, Levey didn’t attend really high level meetings and wasn’t familiar with Israeli

culture, so obviously his descriptions are grass-roots, and for what it is, it's a hoot. He obviously refers to his actual work in very loose terms, so if you're after an in-depth look into the workings of the UN or Israeli government life, then this isn't it. It's more a quasi-Picaresque with some serious stuff thrown in. It is, however, very funny and if you keep in mind that it's written for humor rather than any political commentary, it'll be a very enjoyable read.

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