Living History, by Chaim Herzog (Phoenix, £7.99 in UK)

Herzog was Irish by birth and education, born in Dublin as the child of a rabbi and educated at Wesley College (which he says he did not much like). He did not stay long in Dublin, however, becoming a barrister in London and then an officer in the British Army. From there, of course, he became a leading Zionist and played a lead role in the foundation of Israel in whose army he served as a general, as well as its ambassador to the UN, before becoming his country's presi dent. In that capacity he served for ten years and built up a world reputation as a statesman. In spite of his relatively liberal image, Herzog's political views, at times, sound surprisingly to the right - he was, for instance, a warm admirer of Thatcher and also of Reaganism.