Kanook Kibbutznick by Michael Hoover

Review by New York Times best selling author Ellen Tanner Marsh. (read more)

Review by Patty Inglish, MS (US Representative to Supreme Council for Sports in Africa Zone-3) (read more)

Read More Reviews below...

Review by New York Times best selling author Ellen Tanner Marsh. In the aftermath of the 1972 massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics, a secret Israeli squad was assigned to track down and assassinate the Palestinians believed to be responsible.

The mission, carefully orchestrated and coolly executed, took place on several continents over a number of years. One of these operations, carried out in Montreal, Canada, is chillingly re-created in Michael Hoover's first-person account, Kanook Kibbutznick.

As a troubled youth, Hoover, a Canadian citizen, found discipline and a sense of belonging in the United States Marine Corps, where he completed an exemplary tour of duty in Vietnam. Honorably discharged but unable to assimilate into civilian society, he quickly volunteered for a stint on an Israeli kibbutz, where his self-described "psychotic" behavior with a bayonet and hand grenades drew the attention of members of Mossad, Israel's highly secretive intelligence agency.

Like the CIA, Mossad is responsible for counter-intelligence, covert operations and paramilitary activities and, as Hoover explains in his nail-bitter of an autobiography, by late 1973 its members had tracked down two of the Munich terrorists to Montreal, Canada. Now they need an inconspicuous Canadian native like Hoover to assimilate into the city's society and pave the way for their deadly mission of revenge. Hoover's training for the mission is extensive, and his book is a clear-eyed and honest account of his not always successful outcomes. Young and passionate, his bravado often proves challenging for his team of skilled professionals, not to mention that he could well endanger the mission itself, but the result is a fascinating look into the painstaking preparations behind a professional assassination.

With a style as spare and efficient as the role of the killer he has assumed, Hoover does not argue the politics of Mossad's intentions. Instead he paints a picture as honest and brutal as the modern-day struggle against terrorism of all kinds. Readers interested in the Middle East and in Mossad and the Munich Olympics in particular will not be disappointed.

Review by Patty Inglish, MS
(US Representative to Supreme Council for Sports in Africa Zone-3)

Kanook Kibbutznick is a surprising story. It is an autobiographical adventure tale of the dedication of a Canadian to upholding the cause of universal morality. He is one that does so in the face of catastrophic obstacles at the potential cost to him of his sanity and life. Michael Hoover shows us a child that fought for the honor of his Christian nuns and priests at Catholic school. However, they did not appreciate his good intentions. Rather, they punished him. After other misunderstandings, the Kanook dropped out of school to work, using his off time to drink alcohol under a bridge with his cronies and to gather some legal difficulties.

The protagonist eventually traveled to Seattle to live with an aunt. He attempted to enlist in the US Army, but was turned down and joined the US Marines in 1969, where he was trained to kill in Viet Nam - all at the age of 17. He had needed a direction, something to do, and a cause to champion and America was it. At the end of Kanook Kibbutznick , Mr. Hoover writes about the 40,000 Canadians that freely volunteered to serve in the US Armed Forces and how their records were unfairly lost or perhaps buried in obscure files after the Viet Nam Conflict ended.

It is not well known to Americans that there are 103 Canadian names etched into the black wall of the Viet Nam Veterans War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Other Canadian records that show their service to the USA in Viet Nam are coming forth and being recognized, finally, after 30 years. We Americans need to commemorate these individuals on the 4 th of July, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day at the very least. The fact that a Canadian citizen would subject himself to US Marine Drill Instructors and the horrors of Viet Nam is nothing but astounding. However, the Kanook not only survived, but also learned to thrive in this environment.

Injured, recovered, re-upped for Viet Nam, wounded, and finally finished with the war, the protagonist made his way to West Virginia and began college on the GI Bill. However, he heard a speech by Golda Meir in 1973 after the atrociously unjustified slaughter - a hate crime - of Israeli Olympic athletes in 1973's Munich. Profoundly moved to fight this injustice, he quit school and went to Israel and the Golan Heights to fight through volunteering in a kibbutz. His stories of the kibbutz are riveting. There is the account (sworn to be true) of an Israeli's reprieve on the battlefield against the Syrians by a heavenly vision of 1000s of armed warriors on camels and horses behind him that horrified the enemy onto flight. This book is worth reading for such events alone, not to mention mountain climbing, ambushing the enemy for a Pink Floyd cassette tape, and being recruited into an elite Israeli assassination agency that also made use of the Kanook's Shakespearean acting in Montreal.

Most interesting is the account of the miraculous things the human mind can accomplish when a person is held alone in an undecorated room without any stimulation – not even a pencil and paper, a book, or conversation. While there are stunning accounts of POWs in North Viet Nam replaying all their favorite golf courses mentally to hold their sanity; and of Holocaust survivors reciting the scriptures in the concentration camps for the same reason, Mr. Hoover's accounts rival even these accomplishments.

This book contains horrendous moments and very funny ones as well. It is certainly hard to put down until read from cover to cover. The story causes me to reconsider the plight of war veterans of all eras and how they have suffered for America, even after returning home. I have known service men and women from the Civil War, WWII, Korean War, Viet Nam Conflict, Desert Storm, and the War in Iraq. They were Americans, Irish nationals, Canadians, and others from around the world, fighting for the USA. We need to treat them as the heroes they are, and remember them.

Kanook Kibbutznick's author is a hero in many ways. Today, Michael Hoover operates the Writer's Retreat-Okanagan Valley in Olive, not far from Penticton, B.C. where the Kanook grew up. There, he must surely be teaching people how to be heroes with words, using the dedication, patience, and highly concentrated focus he embodies in this book. Anyone in the latter part of high school and older should read it.

Patty Inglish, MS
US Representative to Supreme Council for Sports in Africa Zone-3

Email Review from Shar Bailey

A good writer tells a story, develops characters, and makes a reader feel like a fly on the wall. You do all of the above. You write with humor and choose words that are readible yet with enough sophistication that shows you have left your block a time or two. Believe in yourself...I do!

Yes, you need to get back to your writing! I've been hanging off this cliff for months and months!! You need to believe in yourself. You are a writer and a great one. Not just good, but great. You could be a wealthy man.

Shar Bailey Portland Oregon

Email Review from Anthony Lanza

As I'm about to give you some (unsolicited) thoughts on your book, I suppose I should first introduce myself? My name (as my email address might suggest) is Tony Lanza. My wife, Micheline Cote, and I founded The Writers' Retreat... of which (your email address definitely suggests) you are now a part of.

Anyway, this last summer, Micheline was kind enough to give me a copy of your book. But I dilly-dallied around, never finding the time to give it a good read. Having finally done so, I regret it took me so long. It's a fine book, Mike... a real page-turner.

Okay, okay, it's got it's flaws - but as Micheline will testify, I can always find something to throw darts at... but I guess that's my job.

The point is, it's a great story (and is there really any other point?). Sure, I see room for refinement, some more dramatization and deeper characterization, but Wow! It's pretty damn good just the way it sits.

Some specific points that hit me, though:

Occasionally, I felt the text got a little repetitious - not annoyingly so, but I was thinking 'doesn't this guy think I can remember what he just said?'

I noticed a tendency to transpose some settled grammatical rules -'were' for 'was' comes immediately to mind (though I hasten to add that Canadian English may employ a whole subset of rules with which I am unfamiliar).

The style (of writing) is quite 'matter-of-fact' and (almost) plodding at times. This was off-putting at first, but it began to grow on me. In spite of the extremely dangerous and dramatic context, the writing was devoid of any melodrama... to say it is 'unpretentious' would be an understatement. Stiill, the 'dramatic' (and American) side of me says "give me more 'attitude'."

All that said, It's a hell of a book. You made that proverbial movie play in my mind... and that's what it's all about, right?

Speaking of, it would make one hell of a good movie.

Thanks for a great read.

Tony

Email Review from Vickie Fairburn (Coy)

Hi Mike; it's another Coy here......just wanted to let you know I read your book on my holiday. I enjoyed it very much and didn't want it to end. I was savouring every last moment. Looking forward to the sequel.

You have a wonderful gift and I felt like I could see the sights, smell the cities, hear the music and so on - you took me right into the story and I even felt my heart racing at times when I thought "you" were in trouble. Hurry up with the next book.

You totally surprised me though about your support of Israel; I would have never suspected. Why, I don't know.

Has your father read the book yet or made any comments to you about it?

Anyhow, all the best in your future endeavors. It's good to hear about your success and I know there will be more with the sequel.

Vickie Fairburn (Coy)
Qualicum Beach

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