No comments about Smoke Over Golan: A novel of the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel.

2 comments about On the Banks of the Suez: An Israeli General's Personal Account of the Yom Kippur War.

1. I have read many books about the 1973 Yom Kippur War (Sometimes called the October War, the War for atonement, the Tishreen War, the Ramadan war, and even a few other names), but Avraham (Bren) Adan's "On the Banks of the Suez" is without a doubt the most professionally written and open-minded account of the fighting on the Egyptian front of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Several outstanding books exist for the fighting on the Golan at the Syrian front and I highly recommend the books by Avigdor Kahalani and Raful Eitan. For a general overview of the war including both fronts, I recommend Chaim Herzog's "The War for Atonement." However, "On the Banks of the Suez" has no equal for explaining the action on the Egyptian front.

   Some of the many reasons that make this a great book are:

   1. PROFESSIONAL MILITARY WRITING: A military professional wrote this book for other military professionals. Many authors have a tendency to remove military language and viewpoints to simplify the text for popular review. Bren Adan resisted doing that although he did write the book in as lucid and clear a method as is possible without "dumbing down" the work.

   2. IMPARTIAL CRITICISM: The book, while written by an Israeli general, is impartial. He doesn't hesitate to critique the fighting by either the Egyptians or the Israelis. In fact, he criticizes the Israeli actions much more so than those of the Egyptians combatants. There, of course, are some of his personal opinions and some discussions of the political factors, but Adan avoids overly moralizing history and instead presents it for the reader's review.

   3. LITTLE TO NO INTELLIGENCE "BLUR": One of the shortcomings of many books written about the 1973 Yom Kippur war in the first five to ten years after the war is the editing that IDF spokespeople did to the information released about the war. For security's sake, they often change unit names and other critical date making it difficult to track whom was where and when. Adan, being intimately aware of such restrictions, was able to write this book without having his writing made confusing.

   4. EXCITING ACCOUNTS OF THE ACTION: Adan holds no punches describing the action and successes of the fighters on both sides. I particularly enjoyed his accounts of the tough fighting by Egyptians commandos in the beginning of the war. The Israeli tankers, on the other hand, were tenacious dedicated fighters as well.

   5. INSIGHTFUL ANALYSIS OF NONCOMBAT FACTORS: Adan describes very well what's is going on in the background of the war: the superpower struggle, ineffective UN mediation, political factors in both the Egyptian and Israeli government, as well as the effect of the civilians behind the lines.

   I highly recommend this incredibly well written book to anyone interested in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. I particularly recommend it to military professionals.

   Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan




2. There exist very few books on the Yom Kippur War. 'No Victory No vanquished' is a useless account written just after the war. 'The war of Atonement' by Herzog is informative. 'Yom Kippur War' by the london insight team is slightly biased against Israel but very informative. 'Two O'clock war' by Boyne is totally americanized and does not have a good grasp on Israel. This read by General 'Bren' Adan is the most professorial of the books and one of the most dry but also most informative in regards to the SOuthern front.

   Adan found himself and his unit facing the brunt of the arab attack along the canal in the first days of the fighting. he lost 1/3 or more of his tanks in a wasted counterattack during the second day of the conflict. But although wounded his unit went on to cross the canal and take vengeance upon the Egyptians. This authoritative account is critical of the role of Sharon and commends 'Dado' for his original counterattack plan that was subsequently changed by Gonen.

   An interesting account of Israeli arms in a time of crises. the new book by Blum 'Eve of Destruction' is a much easier read but does not contain the detail of this dry account of the war by one of its cheif participants.

5 comments about The Eve of Destruction: The Untold Story of the Yom Kippur War.

1. Howard Blum's "The Eve of Destruction" is written in the unique narrative style that similar articles for Vanity Fair and like periodicals have utilized. These include looking at an historical period through the eyes of actual participants from different vantage points, using recently declassified intelligence, sprinkled in with some gossip, speculation, and innuendo. Nonetheless, Blum's book is an easy read that drills into the reader several concepts that he or she is sure to come away with.
   
   Among those themes: (1) the complete aura of self-confidence bordering on conceit among certain Israeli military and political leaders following their smashing victory in the 1967 Six-Day War that the Arabs would not even dare to launch an attack; (2) "The Concept", the plan designed by Egyptian Saad el Shazly which was predicated on crossing the Suez Canal, breaching the Israeli forces on the other side, and then STOPPING rather than continuing to penetrate deep into the Sinai; (3) the reliance on "The Source", an Egyptian spy (double agent?) who assured his Israeli handlers that war would not come; (4) the sense of panic among some Israeli leaders (Moshe Dayan's "Third Temple" cry, Golda Meir's contemplating suicide rather than being the prime minister who oversees Israel being overrun); (5) the valiant, courageous, and indefatigable bravery of men such as Avigdor Kahalani, commander of a tank battalion in the Golan Heights region on the Syrian front.
   
   The central characters continually revisited are Yossi Ben Hannan and his wife, Nati. Ben Hannan was an Israeli celebrity, featured on the cover of LIFE magazine right after the euphoric 1967 War. He and his wife were actually on their honeymoon in India when he made the trek back to Israel (using unconventional means!). Battlefield accounts as seen through various Israeli and Egyptian military men supplement the newlywed's storylines.
   
   Blum is way too critical when he attempts to second-guess military strategy and generals. Military decision-making involves split-second decision-making made in real time, in the heat of battle. Much like a baseball player's batting average, your misses are compared not to a 100% success rate, but to historical norms and other battlefield commanders. A hitter who is successful 1/3rd of the time is going to bat .333 and be a star, not someone criticized because he fails 2/3rds of the time. That said, the criticism of Ariel Sharon reeks more of the Vanity Fair mindset to disparage strong military men and conservatives, in this case a career general and former Likud political leader, rather than pointing to specific flaws in his battle strategies. Indeed, the post-war Israeli commissions praised Sharon, even as they whitewashed the judgments of Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan. Dado Elazar, the Chief of Staff, took the blame along with the intelligence services (brokenhearted, Elazar died of heart troubles and depression in 1975).
   
   On the other hand, Blum does give you an in-depth look into the difficulty of the decision making that Israeli leaders had to make. When "The Source" had warned of a possible attack in May 1973, the entire country was put on alert. This is something that we in the United States never have to contend with. However, Israel is a small country (population in 1973: about 4 million) and mobilization and then de-mobilization for false alarms is not only nerve-wracking but also costly in economic terms (most able-bodied young men and women have to leave civilian jobs and report to their units). When you are convinced that you are superior to your enemy, and you have a border-line call about whether he is going to attack, and if a false mobilization will cost your economy a good chunk of yearly production growth, you may decide "eh, what the hell" and downplay it. This is what Israeli intelligence did (for a number of reasons, not just economic) and since the overconfidence was not justified, it had nearly disastrous results.
   
   "The Eve of Destruction" is not a book that introduces any new historical insight. It's a narrative that weaves together articles from Israeli and Arab newspapers, first-person accounts and autobiographies from men involved in the conflict, and recollections from some of the major actors. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at some key individuals involved in the 1973 conflict, this book gives it. If you are looking for a comprehensive account of the 1973 conflict -- like Rabinovich's "The Yom Kippur War" -- you're looking in the wrong place.
   
   My main quibbles with this book: if you are going to utilize narratives of various characters who tell you how they lived through and experienced the 1973 conflict, then you need a "Where Are They Now" section to complete it. What did Yossi and Nati Ben Hannan and all of the other characters do after the war the next 30 years? Blum's post-war summary is woefully short of telling us what happened between the 30 years since the end of the Yom Kippur War and the suicide-bombing war that Israel was confronting in 2003 which introduces the book.
   
   There is also very little tactical or strategic military overview; most of the book focuses on localized battles (this is the nature of the narrative style he uses so it is not unexpected). The book itself fails to live up to the attention-grabbing title; there is not much coverage of the deliberations (serious or feigned) considering the use of nuclear weapons, as Israeli leaders (if not Dayan) never really considered Israel to be on "the eve of destruction." Finally, the detail drops off very quickly as we approach the end of the conflict; the war just seems to end very quickly relative to the in-depth accounts leading up to the war and during it's early stages.
   
   All things considered, a good story that is easy to read and understand. If you don't want to read a longer, more difficult story of the 1973 conflict, this book will give you the basics and you can pursue more detailed analysis from any of the paths Blum's book just touches upon.



2. The Israeli swagger that became a regional pose following the military victories of 1948 and 1967 quickly became a limp following near defeat at the hands of Egypt and Syria in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Howard Bloom's appropriately-titled chronicle of that October surprise reads like a novel, complete with an amorous young couple whose honeymoon was rudely interrupted by the outbreak of hostilities and a mysterious double agent called 'the In-Law'. Yet the events he describes were all too real.
   
   Though Blum is able to distill the self-denying heroism of Egyptian and Israeli soldiers into page-turning narrative, he reserves harsh invective for the Israeli military and political leadership whose success 17 years earlier blinded them to the realities of Egyptian and Syrian military rehabilitation on two of their nation's borders.
   
   Had it not been for Egyptian over-reaching-a breathtaking victory of hubris over battlefield facts-the Jewish 'Third Temple' experiment might well have gone down in flames. The close call stunned Israel and contributed to the volatile mix of military strength and a persistent sense of insecurity that has characterized the state ever since.
   
   Blum is especially compelling when he describes the internecine battles within Egypt's ruling caste and the impossible survival of the Israeli line in the Golan during the hellish tank battles that should have put Syrian tanks in Tel Aviv rather than left them in smoking ruins just miles from Damascus. In its desperation, Israel nearly went nuclear, a scenario almost too dire for contemplation.
   
   Blum's reporting is heavily dependent on personal interviews with those for whom a now settled fact was a minute-by-minute struggle for survival.



3. On 6 October 1973 , on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar , the Arab nations launched a cowardly surprise attack on Israel.
   After three days of intense and bloody fighting , Israel was fighting for survival , while Arab armies where closing in on the Jewish heartland , poised to destroy Israel and anihilate her Jews.
   In this gripping and skilfully written volume , Howard Blum brings the Yom Kippur War to life , through meticulous research based on declassified Israeli government documents and revealing interviews with soldiers , generals and intelligence operatives on both sides of the conflict.
   We are reminded of just how close Israel came to being destroyed , hence a second holocaust.
   The author enters the mind of General Moshe Dayan and his review of events during the frightening early days of the war:
   "When he reviewed the events that brought him to this point he saw another continuum of Jewish history: a woeful march from Masada , to the Holocaust , to October 7 , 1973 - the destruction of the Jewish state"
   We learn therefore how precarious Israel's position is and the reason for this tiny nation having to take all steps neccesary to ensure her security.
   Focusing on commanders such as Ariel Sharon and Avigdor Kahalani , and on the Egyptian side Saad El Shazly , we are given an exciting and lively account of the war , always focusing on the human side.
   We are also given an insight into the lives of the men and women of Israel who , through their sheer determination to see their country survive , snatched victory from the jaws of a horrible defeat.
   The intelligence war is also well detailed.
   The author also highlights the sheer numerical superiority of the Arab forces with over 1 million troops , 5000 tanks , more than a 1000 planes and 4 800 in field artillery , compared to Israel's 415,000 troops; 1,500 tanks , 561 airplanes and 945 artillery units.
   After the Yom Kippur War , the Arabs realized that it would not be possible to defeat Israel by conventional millitary means and embarked on a two pronged war of terrorism and invidious propaganda against Israel and her people , to prepare for Israel's destruction.
   The survival of Israel is indeed a miracle.
   Long live the State of Israel.



4. Thirty years ago, on October 6th 1973, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, the Arab world launched a bold and ingeniously conceived surprise attack on Israel. Caught totally unprepared, the attack nearly destroyed Israel and changed the Middle East forever.
   
   This book is the story of those who made the plan, those who executed it, those who inspite of ample warnings ignored it, those who attacked fearlessly and those who, defending their motherland, "fought and fell like lions". This also is a love story of a young bride and groom, tossed into the conflict.
   With a fast paced and gripping narrative that gives it the feel of a Dan Brown novel, the author takes us on a historical journey to the Middle East of the 1970s. Israel, triumphant, basking in the glory of its military victory in the Six Day war, is celebrating the wedding of the year, between a young army man and woman, Yossi and Nati. To the entire nation they personify the best of Israel: youthful, brave and victorious. To many, it was not just a wedding celebration, but also "the crowning era of the return to Zion".
   
   Caught up in the carnival atmosphere, Israel fails to hear the slow drumbeats of the approaching war. The Egyptians, seething in their defeat in the Six Day war, are busy plotting vengeance. The chief of staff of the Egyptian army, a pragmatic officer called Saad el Shazly, has in his mind the key to an ingenious strategy. Coordinating with the Syrians who are to the north of Israel, the Arab armies unleash a torrent of destruction on Israel on Yom Kippur.
   
   The ratios are staggering: in the north an Israeli force of 157 faces an onslaught from 1,100 Syrian tanks. In the south, a 100,000 strong Egyptian force with 1550 tanks pound an Israeli force of 436 soldiers and 3 tanks. Stunned, the Israelis react bravely. Some of the individual acts of heroism are mind blowing. In their darkest hour, Israel considers the "Samson option", nuking the population centers of Arab countries.
   
   But within two weeks, the tide turns and the Israelis bravely push back the Syrians and invade Egypt.
   
   While the first half of the book details the events leading to the war, the second half focuses on the battle mostly from an Israeli perspective. An excellent read. Do check it out.



5. Overwhelmed by a massive surprise attack, the Israeli armed forces were nearly decimated within 72 hours. How did the Israelis reverse their bad fortune? How did this happen to begin with? In this narrative, Mr. Blum presents us with the perspective of individuals, major and minor, on both sides of the conflict.
   One must ponder what the result could have been, had the Israeli people failed in their darkest hour. Israel's enemies have stated very frequently and openly about the genocide to follow, if they ever succeed in their goal. Israel, a thriving free nation on the very precipice, can not afford to make such errors in judgement again.

3 comments about Campaign 118: The Yom Kippur War 1973 (1) The Golan Heights.

1. Given the space constraints, this is a concise and well-balanced summary of the war, and synthesizes the usual sources quite well. The "Battlefield Today" section is especially nice. The big disappointment is the illustrations, which concentrate on Israeli forces. The few Egyptian photos are well-known and have been widely reprinted in the west, and are poorly reproduced here. The 3 two-page spread paintings are remarkable for their lack of detail. Given Osprey's extensive back catalog of Middle East titles, it's amazing they didn't reproduce any of the much better photos and paintings that graced earlier books. If you're looking to own a single book on the Sinai Front in the 1973 War, this could be it. If you already own standard works like Dupuy, Herzog, Shazly and Pollack, give this one a miss unless you're a completist.



2. Osprey's The Yom Kippur War: The Sinai is the first in a two-volume study of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and a departure from the Campaign series normal aversion to modern topics (in the last 13 years and 126 volumes, the series has had only one other title on a post-1945 campaign). Armor aficionado and film maker Simon Dunstan provides a detailed summary of the dramatic events between 6-24 October 1973 on the Sinai front, where the war swung between initial Egyptian success, to stalemate, to Israeli triumph. Overall, most readers should find this volume excellent, if slightly biased toward Israel and armor issues (at the expense of air operations).

   The Yom Kippur War: The Sinai begins with a short introduction that covers the results of the 1967 Six Day War, the construction of the Bar Lev line and the 1969-1970 War of Attrition. In the next section, the author covers the meticulous Egyptian planning for Operation "Badr" - the assault crossing of the Suez Canal - and the Israeli defensive plans. The only really weak section in the entire volume is that covering opposing armies, which is only four pages in length. Although there is considerable detailed data available on the Yom Kippur War, the author fails to incorporate it into this section. For example, the author only mentions that the Egyptians had about 1,700 tanks, without breaking out how many there were of each model (an odd omission for an armor expert). Both the Egyptian and Israeli air forces are fairly ignored, with no order of battle provided, or breakdown by type. The section on opposing commanders is overly weighted toward Israel, and there are too few photos of the principal military leaders (amazingly, none of Sharon). The Yom Kippur War: The Sinai also has too few maps to support the narrative; there are only five 2-D maps (Israel in 1973, the Bar-Lev Line, the Egyptian bridgeheads, Battle of Chinese Farm phase 1 and phase 2) and three 3-D Birds Eye View maps (the Egyptian assault, the Egyptian offensive on 14 October 1973, and the Israeli crossing of the canal). The 3-D maps were designed to cover tactical battlefields, not entire operational areas, and these BEVs are zoomed too far out to convey much detail. The initial Israeli counterattacks on 6-8 October and the crossing of the canal are particularly difficult to follow on these maps (critical items mentioned in the text, like the "Missouri" position are not depicted on any of the maps). On the other hand, the three battle scenes (the Egyptian crossing of the canal, the Israeli roller bridge and Israeli tanks SAM-hunting) are quite good and add value to this volume.

   Dunstan's description of the Egyptian preparations for the canal crossing and the very successful deception operations are first-rate, and should be studied carefully by military readers. Indeed, Operation "Badr" was almost a model of how opposed river crossings should be conducted. While the author mentions the defeat of the initial Israeli armor counterattacks against the crossing, he fails to discuss the simultaneous shock when the initial Israeli air counterattacks ran into the SA-6 belt along the canal. Indeed, for an armor enthusiast, the author might have mentioned that these engagements between Egyptian commandos and Israeli armor on 6-7 October 1973 were one of the rare instances when light infantry defeated armor. The rest of the campaign narrative covers the political pressure that resulted in the abortive Egyptian offensive of 14 October and the Israeli counterstroke that decided the campaign. The emphasis in this account is primarily on armor operations, with little mention of the contributions of other branches and even air operations are overly neglected. The author's background as a filmmaker also betrays itself in one indiscretion where he notes in a photograph caption that an Israeli "squadron of Phantom [jets] was loaded with 13 20-kiloton nuclear weapons" when Israeli leaders feared defeat. Where is the source on this wild claim? While Israel's possession of nuclear weapons has been an open secret for some time, this claim seems unusually detailed and suspect. After the first few days of war, Israel had fewer than 90 F-4 Phantoms still operational and the author wants the reader to believe that the IAF would tie up 15% of its best strike asset to sit around on "nuclear strip alert." Such a preposterous claim certainly warrants a footnote or explanation.

   The final sections on the outcome of the war and the battlefield today are brief but interesting. Indeed, Sadat's limited objective campaign is also a model for demonstrating Clausewitz's dictum of "war as an extension of politics." Unfortunately, the author's bibliography is not very impressive, consisting mostly of stock secondary sources, like Trevor Dupuy. There are also more Egyptian sources available in English than the author suggests, but the author seems but little interested in their viewpoint (even Sadat's book has considerable detail on planning for the attack). The photographs throughout the volume are good, but heavily weighted toward armor issues and Israel, with most of the Egyptian-source photos being those normally available in most other sources on the war.




3. We have to admit that the Egyptian Propaganda machine was indeed very fierce and offensive before and during the 1967 Six Days War.
   Before the war, it was specialized in distributing subtle propaganda attacks against the Jordanian and Saudi Arabia monarchies. The Voice of the Arabs (VOA) beamed twelve hours a day directly to Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the more headway it made the bigger the cash they received from the Egyptian purses.
   VOA employed the `best' writers and easy-to-learn articles broadcast live on the high frequencies Egyptian Radio station.
   Ahmad Saeed - a literary agent -in happier times the mastermind behind the VOA, for some reason every thing he said and propagated imprinted itself on the Egyptian (and the Arab) people.
   Even those who took a dislike of Ahmad Saeed were labelled reactionaries, a prelude to being accused of treason.
   
   During the 1967 war, Saeed's influence had been sinister except on both Nasser and Mohamed Hassanein Heikal (a prominent Egyptian Journalist) in particular.
   It is to be noted that VOA was indeed the nerve centre of Egypt at the time, trying with noticeable success to send the impulses of the battle to the rest of the Arab World.
   But the manner in which the Egyptians fought the 1967 war was the inauspicious beginning for Saeed's `lies'.
   The worse the ongoing of the battle had deteriorated the more Saeed's propaganda machine became flagrant and very few could then realize the increasing degeneration of the performance of the Egyptian command (Under Abdul Hakeem Amer).
   Nasser was under no illusion that the tattered Egyptian Command (Amer) could hold for long and he felt that Saeed could not hold back `his tongue' in the middle of the `battle'.
   And when Nasser finally decided to do something with Saeed, alas, it was too late, the die was cast and defeat was inevitable.
   
   During the Yom Kippor War in 1973, Saeed had already been 'shelved'.

No comments about War in the Middle East: A Reporter's Story: Black September and the Yom Kippur War.

5 comments about The War of Atonement: The Inside Story of the Yom Kippur War (Greenhill Military).

1. This book gives a comprehensive account of the war through the IDF's eyes. The author gives us the overall tactical history of the war, in addition to many stirring accounts of individual acts of bravery. Highly recommended for those who are interested in historical accounts of warfare.



2. October 1973. The Yom Kippur War. Few people will be ignorant of this conflict when Egypt and Syria carried out their surprise attack upon the Israelis at the most Holy time in the Jewish calendar, when the Israeli forces were at their most vulnerable due to religious observance.

   As I had just begun my own military training in my own country, I remember wondering if the conflict would expand and include our own military due to the sabre-rattling of the super-powers as the Israelis turned initial defeat into eventual victory.

   I have read a number of accounts of that historic conflict since then, but few come close to this account by Major General Chaim Herzog.

   It's recent re-release is most welcome. The author's articulate and extremely well written record and analysis is a worthy addition to anyone's library. Some might find it controversial and expect it to be biased due to the author's own nationality. I did not find this.

   Instead I found this to be a brilliant account of unbelievable bravery in the face of heavily outnumbered forces, self-sacrifice and incredible counter-attacks. The author describes how early Egyptian and Syrian advances which threatened the very existence of the Jewish state, were thwarted and repulsed. Advances that subsequently turned into a retreat which saw Israeli forces within artillery range of the Syrian capital Damascus and well on the road to the Egyptian capital Cairo.

   This is not all about the `glamour and glory' of an Israeli victory. Far from it. It endeavours to tell the real story, as much as possible the full story of the war with all it's successes, omissions and failures. It is also the story of a people in possibly their greatest hour of challenge in present day history.

   The Arab media had promised it's masses that the entire Israeli population, men, women and children, would be subject to destruction and annihilation in the most brutal manner. With the horrors of the holocaust being only recent memories, those Israelis who took these threats seriously must have been horrified.

   The outset of the war and initial Israeli losses have been subject to a variety of claims surrounding poor intelligence etc.. The impotence of the UN and the super-powers in preventing this conflict is there for all to see, as is the shadow of a potential nuclear catastrophe resulting from the super-powers' involvement towards the end. Notable is the fact that whilst the Egyptian and Syrian attacks were in full swing, there was little movement towards enforcing any ceasefire. Yet when the roles were reversed, the world bent over backwards to ensure a ceasefire was adhered to.

   It is also notable that Chaim Herzog, even a quarter of a century ago, makes reference in this book to the phased plan of the Arab nations towards destroying Israel involving an initial withdrawal by the Jewish state to the 1967 borders.

   (Ring any bells pertaining to present day politics ?)

   Notably also is the authors remarks of that time to the effect that the civilian populations in the region will become exposed to no less a degree than the military forces in any future war. We need only look around us now to see the veracity in his remarks.

   Read this book to see what, if any lessons have been learnt by either side, and how the world reacted at different stages of the conflict. It is a sobering read and will open your eyes, not only to the military situation in the Middle East in 1973, but to the attitude of the nations and a present day scenario which threatens similar conflicts in the future.




3. The most amazing war fought by the Israelis agains their neighboors was the Yom Kippur war when the Israeli army, in the first few days of the war, suffered enormous losses in armor and aircraft. For many it was a trauma, when the undefeated IDF and IAF seemed impotent to arab aggression. For Egypt it marked the popular triumph over thier hated enemy. Harzog, former president of Israel, was on hand to be an eyewitness as the events unfolded. THis is his study of the conflict. It is throrough and he gives an unbiased account of the many israeli actors who fought the war, men like generals Aden and Sharon and the prime minister Golda. The downside of the book is that it appears to emphasize the Syrian front far to much. The Syrian offensive, like the Egyption one, took the ISraelis by suprise when it was not defeated in the first day. But the Syrian front was not, in my opinion, the most important theater of the conflict. THe large egyptian army(we must remmember Egypt and Nasser had been ISraels principal antagonist since 1948) and the fighting near the suez was the most important and where the war was decided(when Sharon brilliantly crossed the canal and encircled the Egyption third army). So this is a fair account of the war, their are other books. Aden(Bren) wrote a book about his experiences in the Sinai, as well as Sharons 'Warrior'(autobiography) and the book 'Two of Clock war' appears to be well written although not lenghty. Their is also at least one other book entitled 'the Yom Kippur War' that is a very professional, although critical of Sharon, account of the war.



4. The 1973 Yom Kippur War left in it's wake shattered illusions , an escalation in the energy crisis and a reshaped poltiical situation in the Middle East.
   
   This work , originally written two years after the Yom Kippur War , by one of Israel's foremost millitary analysts and later President of Israel, traces the roots of the war to the Six Day War , and gives a detailed analysis of the war on two fronts , the Northern Front , in the Golan against the Syrian attackers (aided by auxiliaries from Iraq, Jordan , Morocco , Saudi Arabia . Kuwait and Cuba among others) and the Southern Front , in the Sinai , against the Egyptian invaders.
   
   The author , in tracing the conflict from the 1967 Six Day War , illustrates how the Soviet Union instigated the war , arming the Arabs , falsely advising the Syrians about the concentrations of Israeli troops on their borders , playing down the escalation in the United Nations and heavily arming Syria , Egypt and Iraq , egging them on to a war of anihilation against Israel.
   
   Herzog details the backdrop to the war with the reality that Israel was faced with:
   "As Arab hysteria rose and the Arab media promised the Israeli population - men , women and children - destruction and anihilation in the most brutal manner , the horrors of the Nazi holocaust rose to the fore in Jewish consciousness. The Jewish people knew that these where not mere words , recalling how many nations nurtured on the tenets of Christianity had either participated in the previous bloody massacres or had looked on. And indeed the world looked on , petrified , incapable of taking action".
   
   Herzog details how Israel's extraordinary victory in the Six Day War lulled that nation into a false sense of security. The War of Attrition (1969-1970) by Egypt against Israel. The very magnitude of the Arab defeat in the Six Day War , with it's damaging implications for Arab pride , self-respect and honour set the stage for the next war , points out the author , detaling Nasser's resolve that "what was taken by force must be returned by force". The Soviet Union rebuilt the armed might of Egypt , Syria and Iraq , with the latest weapons and equipment , continually urging the Arabs into another war with Israel.
   The author details the political machinations of the Soviet Union and Arab powers leading to the war , and reveals the shocking fact that Israel knew several days before the war that a massive Arab attack was imminent on Yom Kippur but miscalculated the hour , believing it would be four hours later then when it actually took place.
   
   The author details how "the inherent strength and resilience of the people of Israel was revealed in the stark , grim and tragic days at the outset of the war , when fighting back against overwhelming odds , they overcame the initial setbacks and achieved millitary success."
   He sizes up in his opinion the strengths and weaknesses of Israel's foremost Generals in the conflict such as Moshe Dayan , David Elazar , Shmuel Gonen , Ariel Sharon , Chaim Bar Lev and Raful Eitan. Finally he detailed the political implications of the war.
   Looking at his comments today about perfidious role of the Soviet Union in encouraging the Arabs not to compromise with Israel , and egging them on to belligerance , one realizes that although the Soviet Union is no more , Communist rule having collapsed in that part of the world , it's role has been overtaken by others with an implacable hostility to Israel, including Red China ,and the South African led Non Aligned Movement , which continue the Marxist inspired hatred of Israel , originally created by the Soviets.
   Finally Herzog reminds us how Israel has never been the elment to block peace moves and that the basic problem continues to be Arab insistence that Israel has no right to exist (today backed up by the international hard left).
   "Only when Arab actions indicate a willingness to modify their atttitude to the basic issue of the existance of the State of Israel will it be possible for Israel make concessions."
   Unfortunately the failed Oslo process proved that the Arabs only saw the agreement of Arab rule of the disputed territories as an intitial stage in the road to Israel's destruction.
   Those on the international Left who encourage the Arab dream of Israel's destruction , only make genuine peace more unrealizable.
   The Israeli people desperately want peace and always have wanted peace , but must fight to
   survive and avoid a second holocaust.
   If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence.
   
   If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.



5. Of all the volumes on the 73 war, this one perhaps is the most informative picture of the overall war in a small package. Although not going into extreme detail of any particular front or aspect of the war, it does touch on all of them. Unfortunately, this overall review, does come at the expense of making the book somewhat dryer read than many of the excellent first hand accounts of the people actually invovled in the fighting. If someone really wants a detailed look at the war, the definitive work is yet to be written, although their are a number of books that give detailed examinations of particular theaters of the struggle - especially the battle for the Golan Heights.
   
   The author has been critisized for being biased. Given his role as an Israeli cabinet member, a certain amount of bias should not be a surprise to anyone reading the book, realizing it's written from the Israeli perspective. However given the fact that the book is admittedly written from the Israeli side, it's actually relatively objective in its examination - much more so than anything likely to be written from the Arab side. An example of a more Arab view of the war would be Edgar O' Balance's No Victor, No Vanquished.

5 comments about Adjusting Sights.

1. This is a book about the Yom Kippur War. It tells the story of one young religious soldier .It describes beautifully his neighborhood home synagogue .And it tells of his experience in battle, and the confusion and difficulty of this. It is also the story of a friendship and of the hero's search to find his longtime friend who it turns out has fallen in battle. It is a very moving work. And the religiousness of the main character is not imposed or extraneous but rather so within that religious discussions in the book read naturally and meaningfully. The disorentiation and suffering caused by war are described here in a muted and yet most deeply felt way. A wonderful book on a sad and painful reality.



2. I picked this book up in the Tel Aviv airport and read it from cover to cover on the plane ride back to New York. The author presents a personal, gripping account of tank warfare on the Golan in the 1973 Yom Kippur War suffused with spiritual and philosophical radiance. Very spiritual, very deep...a wonderful extraordinary and transforming read.



3. This book is written with obvious love and passion. However, I was not able to become involved with the characters or get into the flow of the narration.
   
   The story relies heavily on religious imagery and commentary. I have a hunch that deeply religious people with scholarly interests, especially religious Jews, will find the story very appealing. The main character cares deeply about his faith, and the war experiences are obviously an important test of that faith. I simply am not familiar enough with the sources and imagery to make the story come to life for me. I found myself stopping to try to figure out the connections instead of enjoying the story. In short, I found a story with a narrow and well-defined target audience, but that target audience simply was not me.
   
   Besides personal reading pleasure, my other goal was to find a fictional work for an American audience. I teach a class on Middle East cultures to students with little or no background in the Middle East. Unfortunately, my students need a broader and more accessible introduction to Israeli fiction. I reluctantly leave this book to readers who are better able to appreciate its complexity and passion.



4. Although a bit repetitious at times, this is a work of passion. Young men, ripped from their studies, seek to wend their way through the chaos of war started on their holiest Day of Atonement. They must try to make sense of an illogical and frightening situation while safeguarding their physical and spiritual lives. It is a quick and worthwhile read, no matter what your beliefs, since it easy to sympathize with the characters.



5. Since I cannot say enough about Adjusting Sights, I will say very little.
   From a literary, historical and religious perspective the author Rabbi Haim Sabato "Nails it:".
   After reading this book as part of a course given by Rabbi Bruce Ginsburg, I couldn't help but give at least 2 dozen copies to friends.
   And...I rushed to buy and to read Rabbi Sabato's other books.
   My advise to one and all. Read it. Buy it.
   Herschel Sennett

2 comments about The Yom Kippur War: The Arab-Israeli War of 1973 (General Military).

1. I don't often buy a newer edition of a book I already own, but there are reasons to do so in this case. The production quality is excellent (paper, binding, layout, etc.), well selected new photo content that adds to a greater understanding of the battle, and Simon Dunstan is worth supporting. He's excellent, and tackles the subjects so many others won't touch. Go Simon.



2. Author Simon Dunston has written a superb historical account of the the Arab -Israeli war of 1973. Better known as "The yom kippur war", this 225 page book leaves no stone unturned. On October 6th 1973, during the holiest of Jewish holiday's, Egypt and Syria launched a two front surprise attack on the nation of Israel. Wanting to regain land that were lost during the six day war of 1967, the two Arab nations caught the nation of Israel off guard and ill prepared to fight a major two front war. The Egyptians had crossed the Suez Canal and Syria launched a fierce attack on the Golan Heights, causing Israel to fight for its survival as a nation. The Gov't of Golda Meir, new of an Arab build up of soldiers and divisions of Arab tanks along its borders, but chose to ignore it and not launch a pre-emptive strike, for fear that the world would view the Israelies as aggressors if they carried out such an attack. This was a huge military blunder, and the fact that they did not mobilize their defense forces and reserves to full alert was nothing short of military negligence. This became the Israeli Pearl Harbor that proved to have a lasting effect on that nation to this day. The nation of Israel became dependent on American airlift power to deliver supplies and weaponry during the first phase of the Arab offensive. The state of Israel, even considered the use of nuclear weapons if the situation had gotten to the point that Israel would lose her nation. The Euphoric Arab armies of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Syrian president Hafez Assad underestimated the IDF's[Israeli Defense Force] resolve, and paid heavily in loss of life and military hardware during the second half of the war as the Israeli's did during the first weeks of the war. Col Dani Matt led the Israeli Army across the Suez Canal on the night of Oct 15th, and changed the course of the war. A modern day version of George Washington crossing the Delaware river. General Ariel Sharon, a George Patton type of general, made the Arabs pay dearly, as the Israelies pushed the Syrians out of Israel and marched to Damascus tearing up the Syrian enemy every step of the way. On Oct 14th, Egypt launched a major offensive in the Sinai desert, and engaged the Israeli army to inflict more bloodshed, but in the biggest tank battle since ww-2 in kursk 1943, the IDF destroyed 260 Egyptian tanks to just 20 Israeli tanks. The Israeli Airforce overwhelmingly took control of the skies, as Israeli pilots scored one victory after another against Russian, Pakastani and North Korean pilots who were known to be flying jets for the Arabs. Although the IDF won this war, it came with a huge price. Loss of life and the notion of Israeli invincibility was shredded. This book is well layed out on heavy glossy paper with lots of diagrams, maps and hundreds of rare photo's from the battle front. Also many interesting facts are presented throughout the book, for example, the IDF was so desperate for survival, that they put back into service some 350 ww-2 era Sherman Tanks modified with a 105mm main gun. The tank proved to still be a formidable weapon, as the Sherman destroyed Russian T54/55 tanks in the sinai some 30 plus years after they made their debut for the allies in ww-2. It was the final war that the Sherman would engage in, and for the state of Israel, she performed heroically one more time. The war had some positive effects on the region, as Egypt and Israel have found a lasting peace. This book should be part of any good military library and is a must for any student interested in the history of the middle east. I give this book my highest recommendation and it already has a permanent place on my bookshelf.

5 comments about The Two O'Clock War: The 1973 Yom Kippur Conflict and the Airlift That Saved Israel.

1. Mr. Roberts states he has problems with the statements made concerning the idea that the war would have been lost if not for US aid in terms of weapons. I cannot agree more and it is an important point considering this book is concerned with the US airlift. The FACT is most of the weapons sent were replacements for those taken out or un-used additions to what was available and in use. Most never saw action. The majority of weapons used were already at hand. The airlift, in effect, increased Israel's available vehicles, artillery, etc. once the cease-fire had been imposed. The air-lift provided needed feelings of security and support more than battlefield resources. I may be off here, but I believe the numbers were around 80% of what was sent was not actually used in that conflict. Mr. Roberts makes a number of other good observations and should be considered by those that read his review.



2. Mr. Boyne does an incredible job of explaining all the facets of this terrible war. He investigates Israel's decision to not call up the their reserves (I believe 20% of the IDF is composed of reservists) & the mistaken belief that air power would overwhelm the Arabs as it did in 1967. On the Arab side(mostly Egyptian), Boyne discusses the improved battle plan over the 1967 Six Day war debacle. Of course, the Soviet Union was responsible for arming them and instructing in how to use the anti-aircraft SAMS that devastated the IAF.
   Also, unlike the hideous "Eve of Destruction" book, Mr. Boyne keeps us up to speed throughout the book on the diplomatic actions that were occuring.
   Mr. Boyne does a great job explaining all the major players on all sides: Henry Kissinger, Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, Anwar Sadat, vegetarian Assad, but also other future figures Hosni Mubarak and Ariel Sharon.
   Finally, he recounts in intimate detail the story behind the Henry Kissinger led US airlift that essentially saved the great State of Israel.
   Thank you Mr. Boyne for an incredible book.



3. It was with some discomfort that I read Mr. Henning's review. I have heard this statement before, ie "The FACT is most of the weapons sent were replacements for those taken out or un-used additions to what was available and in use. Most never saw action." (His emphasis) Apparently that is the official Israeli position. Now, I can understand why the State of Israel would want to promote this idea, after all, no one surrounded by possible future enemies in another war wants to admit a weakness. The trouble is, that statement is just plain nonsense. I was there. I was a US Air Force C-141 pilot at the time and flew a load of supplies from Charleston to Lajes, then was detached from my crew and used to augment other crews on the round trip to Lod. As a result I flew multiple round trips without ever returning to the States, thereby making many more trips to Israel than most. I remember what we were carrying and how much we were carrying. I remember the frantic atmosphere and the sense of desperation among the people at Lod. (I also remember the lovely El Al stewardesses who met every flight and gave every crew member a dozen red roses!) I remember the post mission recap where it was disclosed that the time from arrival at Lod until the ammunition was expended was eight hours. And I remember the FACT (my emphasis) that the vast majority of the Arab tanks destroyed were destroyed by Maverick and Tow anti tank missles, missles which were almost nonexistant in the prewar Israeli inventory.
   I haven't really thought much about Operation Nickle Grass in the thirty years since but was amazed when I recently became aware of this apparent attempt to minimize the impact of this airlift. It is just not true and, frankly, is a bit irritating and insulting.



4. If you're looking for light, casual Middle East reading, this book is for you. If you prefer a to-the-point book (more difficult to write, because you can't ramble and have to constantly prove your point like an intelligent person), stay away. Especially if you need it for a book report.
   
   It's more of a general history of the 1973 War, with information about the airlift in there at random places. Why is it called the Two O'Clock War? See, I thought the airlift that saved the day was done at 2 AM, then the title would be commemorating the last-minute nature of the airlift. No, it turns out that the Arab attack occurred at 2 PM on October 6th. Huh? The current Iraq War began at 9:30ish PM, do we start calling that the 9:30 War? I can understand if the time was an unusual time of day, but two in the afternoon? Sheesh.
   
   OK, so it's full of fluff and anecdotes, which is good if you're not up-to-date on Middle East history and looking for relaxing fireplace reading, but for Middle East wonks, it'll largely be a waste of your time.
   
   As said previously, it's kinda easy to write a book filled with tangents and your points of view on everything from American foriegn policy to Golda Meir's humble origins in Russia. Doing research to write 200+ pages on the airlift, and how it saved Israel? Not here.
   
   It can still be for you, depending on your level of familiarity with the conflict. If you're new to Middle East history, it's a great start. If you're looking for quirky anecdotes, also great. Serious info about the airlift which takes up half the subtitle? Nah.



5. COL Walter Boyne tells a very compelling story of the Yom Kippur War and the efforts by the United States to resupply its closest ally in her time of need. The book is great at portrayng the war from almost every point of view - from Henry Kissinger's efforts through "Shuttle Diplomacy" to arrange a ceasefire to the disarray of Israel's leadership in response to the surprise attack to the cockpits of the C-5As and C-141s as the pilots winged their way to Israel with the desparately needed cargoes.
   
   The airlift saved a nation in dire need. So important was this aerial lifeline that Prime Minister Golda Meir paid a personal visit to Lod airport to see, "the great planes", for herself and show her appreciation of the young pilots who flew them.
   
   But what is only touched on is the real story of a very professional and very capable United States Air Force of the 1970s. While the rest of the U.S. Armed Forces remained borderline disfunctional from the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force was an experienced, well trained and professional force who accomplished astounding achievements in the early 1970s. Only 18 months before the Yom Kippur War, the U.S. Air Force expeditiously deployed enough fire power back to Southeast Asia to stop North Vietnam's 1972 Easter Offensive and forced the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. They followed this up with a massive airlift of munitions and equipment to make good on ARVN material losses early in that offensive. In hindsight, one can say that this airlift was a rehearsal for the even larger one that took place during the 1973 war.
   
   Equally important, in his epilogue COL Boyne outlines the lessons learned from this operation that shaped our nation's airlift capability. This included adding an aerial refuelling capability to our airlifters so that we no longer had to rely on our "allies" for refueling stops. More of the valuable C-5s were added to the fleet. And command and control changes were made that allowed the USAF authority to control joint airlift forces. All this proved invaluable when the nation's airlifters were called once again in 1990 to sustain our response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
   
   The story of the airlift and its importance is unknown to the American public and largely forgotten now except by those who were there. Yet it will go down in aviation history along side the Berlin Airlift as one of America's best moments and COL Boyne's book gives overdue credit and recognition to those who made it happen.

5 comments about The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East.

1. This is the best account of the Yom Kippur War publicly available. It brings to life the critical decisions made in the capitals and battlefields of the Middle East that would shape its events for the next 30+ years. I would highly recommend it for those with an interest in the politics and history of the region. The book gives a highly detailed review of a frantic 18 days in October 1973 that would have a huge impact on Middle Eastern relationships going forward.



2. I was somewhat disappointed when I read this book especially after all the good reviews I read about it. If you are interested into the little fighting details, then this book is excellent. However, if you are looking for an analysis of the big pictures, this book is not for you.
   
   Its main focus is on the Israeli side of the fighting. While it has a small discussion on the Egyptian politics and leadership conflicts, it has absolutely nothing on the Syrian side. A tiny and shy analysis is made of the cold war and its impact on the war. The position of the other Arab countries, like Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the Palestinians is completely ignored by the author (besides telling us that Iraq and Jordan send a few tanks to help the Syrian). The book gives the impression that King Hussein was simply a traitor that told the Israeli of the incoming war before it started (no analysis whatsoever on the motivation of King Hussein to do that).
   
   The oil embargo and its consequences are mentioned in one sentence. There is no discussion whatsoever on the political aspects of the war. The challenges the US administration was going through. You have to guess that the US established an air bridge to re-arm the Israeli army (as the author barely mentions it). The book is just a series of stories of the heroism and sacrifices of the Israeli soldiers. From that perspective, it is an excellent book.



3. Just as I said, a thumping good read. Extremely well-written, from the Israeli point of view (for the mist part) this is a very engaging page-turner, that does a marvelous job of illustrating the war of 1973 in both military and political terms. Highly recommended.



4. This book does an excellent job of recounting the entire Yom Kippur War from both the military and political standpoints. The first 100 pages cover the lead up to the war and the diplomatic maneuverings on both sides. It assesses the United States and Soviet Unions role and the fear of what detente would mean for the participants. You even see the ironic nature of Jordan's King warning Israel of the impending attack. Israel left itself blind to the possibility of an attack and was caught completely off guard. When Egypt and Syria launched their invasion it was a devastating blow for Israel. Syria proved its military ineptness fairly quickly and although recapturing part of the Golan proved that it was not going to advance much further. Even the intervention of other Arab powers, most notably the Iraqi's, were unable to break the Israeli hold. Egypt would be another story entirely.
   Building the bridges literally in the face of the Israelis, the Egyptians crossed the Suez and attacked driving the Israelis back. Israel's own Patton, Arik Sharon, delivered some devastating attacks to the Egyptians and could have done more if not held back. The Israeli air force was hampered severely by SAM sights in Egypt. All of these aspects of war are very well covered and I will leave the surprising twists and turns out. One of the more notable parts is the Israeli reaction to the cease fire which they see as limiting their options and their attempts to flaunt it are many. The Israelis go so far as to get bogged down in invading Suez city. The end result of the war was a great victory for Egypt and a sober realization for Israel. This books analysis is top notch and does a wonderful job of showing what the wars significance is. If you want to understand the modern Middle East this is an essential book to read.



5. On a par with Michael B. Oren's 'Six Day War' as to detailed accounts of the minute by minute war in question. Almost 600 pages that sound repetitive over and over again. The difference with Mr. Oren's book is that this one doesn't deal so much with diplomacy and behind-the-battleground scenes. It's down to the level of tank and soldier; you're right there on the sand dunes with the men doing the fighting, the wounded and the killed, the officers and the rank and file. This is good; this is fine, to a point... because scenes like these happen all through the book, so much that one doesn't know where it is this time, who're we (the Jews) fighting (is it the irakis, the syrians, the egyptians...). It's just overwhelming with names, actions, decision-making.
   
   I wish there was some analysis, some pause in all the action to see things from a more detached and calm point of view, to find our bearings. But I'm in page 400 and I haven't seen any. I'm sure the book is fabulous, if you only can get focused all the time without losing the thread.
   
   I just wonder (after reading Oren's book and this one) what's the motivation for writing to us, readers, books with so much detail -unrefutable data-. Is it it's imperative need to seem impartial, objective? Vanity of vanities. Israel is such a black-or-white hot topic that no account, no matter how full of proof it is, is going to convince the public. And those who are for Israel (not blindly, on the contrary: because we've seen proof enough) are going to be pretty much agravated by the style used in the telling.
   
   Yes, it's seen from the Israeli side. Could you imagine any impartial reporting from the ranks of the Arabs? I recommend to read this book, in spite of the negative comments I made, because it's a heck of a lot of info. Funny how the Arabs were expecting to meet ape-looking Jews, and how candidly surprised they were to see they were normal. Anecdotes like these are practically the only comment you'll find, and which I am missing so much; because little things tell a lot.