By Way of Deception by Victor Ostrovsky is a fascinating book about the author's years in the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service. He only worked for the Mossad for a period of four years, but he completed the three year training program and spent one year as a katsas. He was proud to be a part of the Mossad for the period he worked for them but then there was a botched operation in which his warnings were ignored. He was set up as a scapegoat and forced to resign. In addition, he was assigned front-line military duties the day after he resigned. This would have cost him his life. He fled from Israel and he and his wife and two daughters eventually settled in Ottawa, Canada.

Ostrovsky writes a very interesting book. The Prologue begins with a discussion of Operation Sphinx and Israeli operation that began with the recruiting of Iraqi scientist Butrus Eben Halim in August 1978 and ended with the bombing and destruction of the Iraqi nuclear complex at Tamuze on June 7, 1981. This Prologue introduces the reader to the Mossad and its tactics. It is very thorough and rather ruthless. This is the first of the Mossad operation that Ostrovsky discusses.

Ostrovsky presents his history and how he lived in both Canada and Israel. He served in the Israeli army, returned to Canada for five years and then returned to Israel in May 1977. He was called in to a meeting and knew that he was being considered for a job with the Mossad. After going through all of the tests and interviews, he was told that the job involved his being out of the country and away from his family, so he refused the job. He finished his service with the navy and later learned that the job he refused was with the Mossad's assassination unit.

In October 1982, he was contacted again. This time he joined the Mossad. There are three chapters that deal with his three years of training. This includes what was covered in the training and a discussion of the various people involved. This ends with the botched operation and his resignation.

The last half of the book describes various Mossad operations that Ostrovsky learned about during his brief four year career with the organization. These stories include how the Mossad foiled the planned Strella missile attack on Golda Meir and how they foiled Carlos and Arafat and caused problems in America during the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He also explains how the Israelis obtained an Exocet missile in exchange for providing training for the Chilean secret police. He also tells the stories of how agents were recruited in Syria and Libya.

Ostrovsky wrote the book because he thinks the Mossad has too much power with no one to control it. They do what they want and Ostrovsky feels that this is corrupting the Israeli government and society. The book is relatively quick and easy reading and the reader will find the book well worth the time.