MANY PEOPLE HELPED in the preparation of this book, and I am grateful to them all: Professor Moti Golani read the manuscript and made valuable comments. Aaron Kaplo-witz’s editorial insight was much appreciated. Simcha Nir and my wife, Erela, helped edit it. Yael Dinovitch, secretary of the Ben-Zvi Institute, patiently helped me unravel the mysteries of the Internet. Evelyn Abel helped with the English. I especially thank Neora Matalon-Barnoach, who placed at my disposal the pre-publication manuscript of her book Makom Tov BaTzad (A Good Spot on the Side) and enlightened me about various episodes in which she had been involved. I would like to express my appreciation to General Shlomo Gazit, who worked with Dayan for many years, and to Ruth and Rachel Dayan, his first and second wives, who were good enough to shed light on lesser-known aspects of his personal life. Other people who kindly provided testimony, and the sources I used, are cited in the notes. The appraisals and criticism throughout the book are entirely my own.
Special thanks go to Professor Anita Shapira, who persuaded me to write the book and warmly followed its development from start to end, and to Dr. Zvi Zameret, director of the Ben-Zvi Institute, which in recent years has been my academic sanctum for this and other works.