If you look at this nook as being merely a novel, rather than the purported true story it is claimed to be, you will find it much more enjoyable. For me there are just far too many incredible fantasies depicted by Mr. Ostrovsky, for this book to ring true. I suppose elements of it are, as is the case with many good novels.

Therefore, as a novel, I give this book 3 stars. If I reviewed it as a work of non-fiction, I would have given it the lowest rating possible (1 star), because it is simply unbelievable.

The author claims to be a rouge MOSSAD agent who "uncovered" a hidden agenda and embarked on a crusade to fix it all. Not likely. Instead he screws up whatever he can and yet he blames anyone and everyone around him. There isn't a bit of valor, honesty nor virtue in a man who cheats on his wife, betrays his children and his country. It is my perception that this story is mostly fictional, made up by the author around some factual events. I believe that Ostrovsky fabricated this story to justify his behavior and to make a quick buck.

The book starts with Ostrovsky reaching out to the Egyptian intelligence to sell out MOSSAD and his country to the enemy. He served in the Israeli army and then was a Naval officer for 5 years, yet when he joins MOSSAD, he's so "bored" and disgruntled just after 18 months of training that he finds it perfectly justifiable to cheat on his wife and shortly thereafter to betray his country! Please, Mr. Ostrovsky don't insult our, the readers intellect! If you could hang in there for 5 years in the Navy, why could you not "endure" a few training exercises for 18 months with MOSSAD? Anyway, he states clearly at the beginning of his story that low level operatives rarely knew of the whole operation. In fact typical operatives only know the bare minimum, whatever they need to know to carry out their task. Yet he proceeds to give all sorts of operational details about missions he participated in, well beyond what any single operative would need to know, let alone as a trainee such as the author was at the time. Where he got all those details is beyond anyone. But his "perceptions" that his superiors were setting him for failure were enough for him to sell out his country to his enemies and six months later he was dealing with the Egyptians and later on with the Jordanians, the Soviets, etc.! Blah, blah, blah....

In my view this book at best contains figments of Mr. Ostrovky's imagination. At worst, it is a fabrication to cover up the author's own incompetence at staying with the job, his leftist leanings, his own personal failures, his character flaws and infidelity. He needed to find some way to rationalize his own behavior and to justify his poor choices so he wrote this book to do the job.

I find no virtue in stories like this one when someone pretends to tell a true story when it is so obviously false. This book is a waste of time and I would not recommend reading it.

This is a very worthwhile read but not as fulfilling as the original blockbuster 'By Way of Deception.'

The ending is pretty weak, we are supposed to believe that Victors (book author) old friend send a kidon (Mossad assassins) group to 'take care' of Victor. It is also my opinion that the author over stretched when he vouched that Bush Sr had nothing to do with the Iran-Contra affair. Read 'Compromised' for a believable account of the involvement of many 'well placed' individuals in the Iran-Contra affair. Nevertheless, I find most of the book to present itself as being fairly credible.

More thrilling stories of almost impossible levels of Mossad skulduggery. I'm sure most readers will find themselves very thankful for the fact that the Mossad is, mostly, thousands of miles away.

The Mossad is simply too important to not get educated about. This is another good insider account by Victor Ostrovsky.