A Portrait of the Israeli Soldier: (Contributions in Military Studies)

'œAfter giving a brief historical background, Gal treats such subjects as: women in the army; motivation for service and fighting spirit; procedures involving selection, classification, placement, induction, and training; analysis of upper, middle and lower leadership echelons; and problems including battle stress, care of the wounded, military norms, and ethics. Many observations are based on survey data, e.g., polls and questionnaires conducted among soldiers and civilians. In a final chapter, Gal, former chief psychologist of the Israel Defense Forces, emphasizes four areas 'which pose a threat to the very foundation of the Israeli military during the dacade of the 1980s...': motivation problems, moral-ethical concerns, military competence, and quality of personnal. Despite military successes in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, that venture raised doubts about aspects of the military previously taken for granted, such as high morale and unstinting volunteerism. ... For students and general readers.'' ChoiceReuven Gal is the author of 'A Portrait of the Israeli Soldier: (Contributions in Military Studies)', published 1986 under ISBN 9780313243158 and ISBN 0313243158.