"Shay Rabineau's Walking the Land offers a fascinating history of a largely unstudied topic - the creation of a network of trails in Palestine and Israel since the early 20th century and the development of a thriving recreational culture among natives and visitors. Who would have suspected that trails themselves reveal a slice of a country's history? The author's choice of illuminating maps and evocative photographs will draw the reader right onto the trails."—Jehuda Reinharz, Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History, Brandeis University

"In his deeply original Walking the Land, Shay Rabineau takes what seems like a surface-level issue – hiking trails – and explores their profound implications in and on Zionist thought, Israeli society, and Palestinian national aspirations. He does so with the seriousness of a scholar and the sparkle of a great storyteller who has enjoyed an adventure or two himself on these winding paths."—Christa Case Bryant, former Jerusalem bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor

"Rabineau's book, in short, offers an authoritative introduction to the history of hiking and trail-marking in the Land of Israel, and it is certain to become a 'go to' work on these phenomena for the foreseeable future."—David Rodman, Israel Affairs

"Shay Rabineau forges new connections between Middle East geography, history, politics, and the environment as he chronologically traces the development of a vast network of trails in Israel and the role they play in the construction of national identity. The book itself is highly readable, with research that comes to life through his ability to craft compelling narratives."—Kyle Boggs, Boise State University, H-NET Reviews Humanities & Social Sciences

"Shay Rabineau's Walking the Land offers a fascinating history of a largely unstudied topic - the creation of a network of trails in Palestine and Israel since the early 20th century and the development of a thriving recreational culture among natives and visitors. Who would have suspected that trails themselves reveal a slice of a country's history? The author's choice of illuminating maps and evocative photographs will draw the reader right onto the trails."—Jehuda Reinharz, Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History, Brandeis University

"In his deeply original Walking the Land, Shay Rabineau takes what seems like a surface-level issue – hiking trails – and explores their profound implications in and on Zionist thought, Israeli society, and Palestinian national aspirations. He does so with the seriousness of a scholar and the sparkle of a great storyteller who has enjoyed an adventure or two himself on these winding paths."—Christa Case Bryant, former Jerusalem bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor

"Rabineau's book, in short, offers an authoritative introduction to the history of hiking and trail-marking in the Land of Israel, and it is certain to become a 'go to' work on these phenomena for the foreseeable future."—David Rodman, Israel Affairs

"Shay Rabineau forges new connections between Middle East geography, history, politics, and the environment as he chronologically traces the development of a vast network of trails in Israel and the role they play in the construction of national identity. The book itself is highly readable, with research that comes to life through his ability to craft compelling narratives."—Kyle Boggs, Boise State University, H-NET Reviews Humanities & Social Sciences

Shay Rabineau is Assistant Professor of Israel Studies and Associate Director of the Center for Israel Studies at Binghamton University. His research is at the intersection of Middle East history, geography, politics, and environment.