The Human Scale Audiobook By Lawrence Wright cover art

The Human Scale

A Novel

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The Human Scale

By: Lawrence Wright
Narrated by: Peter Ganim
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About this listen

In this sweeping, timely thriller, a Palestinian American FBI agent teams up with a hardline Israeli cop to solve the murder of the Israeli police chief in Gaza—from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower and The End of October.

"A layered tale of intrigue and betrayal."—Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and Horse

Tony Malik, a half-Irish, half-Arab FBI agent based in New York, specializes in tracking money from drug and arms deals. His life takes a dramatic turn when a long-term relationship ends and his job hangs in the balance. Amid personal turmoil, Malik becomes intrigued by his Palestinian father's past. He decides to visit his ancestral homeland for his niece's wedding, accepting a seemingly simple FBI assignment along the way.

Upon arrival in the West Bank, Malik's world is upended when the Israeli police chief is murdered. Initially a suspect, Malik's investigative prowess soon earns him a place in the Israeli investigation. At the heart of the story is Malik's complex relationship with Yossi, the hardline anti-Arab Israeli police officer leading the case. They must learn to trust each other because, as they move closer to solving the case, they realize there is no one else they can trust on either side.

Lawrence Wright populates the novel with richly drawn characters: Yossi's daughter studying in Paris, Malik's niece whose wedding is shattered by violence, her peacenik fiancé with ties to Hamas, and a cast of religious leaders, corrupt cops, and militants on both sides. Through these intersecting lives, Wright weaves an intricate tapestry that culminates in the devastating Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

More than a thriller, Wright's novel explores the complex history between Israel and Palestine, revealing the tragic human scale of this long-standing conflict and offering a nuanced perspective on a tragedy that continues to shape the region and the world.

©2025 Lawrence Wright (P)2025 Random House Audio
Political Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Exciting
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Critic reviews

"In this lacerating novel, Wright draws on years of experience in Israel and Palestine to forge a layered tale of intrigue and betrayal. It is a novel of hard truths; a bitter indictment of the corrupt, cruel leaders on both sides who have caused immeasurable suffering."—Geraldine Brooks; Pulitzer Prize winning novelist

"Wright’s The Human Scale, set in Hebron, is a furnace of conflict between Israeli settlers and Palestinian terrorists but also between ordinary Israelis and ordinary Palestinians, an unsettlingly relentless suspenseful portrait of terror, intolerance and cruelty on both sides, on all sides, tempered by humanity, family and love, packed with knowledge and facts, a ticking bomb of a book that explodes in Hamas’s October 7 slaughter—this is the first October 7 novel."—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem

All stars
Most relevant  
Brilliant novel. Takes you into the minds of the people on both sides. Some are fanatics and some are just trying to live their lives. Brings much understanding but little hope.

Want to really understand the Israel - Palestinian war?

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The story is highly relevant to the current state of affairs in the Middle East!

Excellent and timely!

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America has the pleasure of not knowing - The awareness the author brings into his story is great.

Hopeless

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Great writing. No surprise from this Pulitzer Prize winner and historian. And, the narrator is fabulous!

A History Lesson within a Mystery/Thriller

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I enjoyed listening to this book. It is a book that every Jew and Muslim should read it!!

Incredible story

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The truth of this story . Difficult read . Shows the insanity of the extremist on both sides. The evil of the powers that rule both sides

Understanding more

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good balance. good story...heartbreaking. when will there be an end to this warning fractions. Great narration, easy to follow.

great perspective between Israel, Palestine and Hamas

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The author in telling the story packs in the ways Palestinians, especially in the West Bank, suffer from the Israeli occupation. By ending the story with October 7, I grasp why many Israelis want to kill every last Palestinian. But the book is not political-historical non-fiction. It is a thriller, full of suspense and hard to put down. I have one quip, for others who have listened to the book: How could Jamal, who fled alone to his initial hideout, have known at that point that Dina was a collaborator?

An thoughtful thriller

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Even handed. Gives better understanding of both sides. Would suggest every person listen. His non- fiction has made this real.

Even

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Thank you for this deeper understanding of BOTH sides in this unfortunate unending conflict. I am sad sad sad for everyone.

WoW

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