Product Description

In 1967 the future of the state of Israel was far from certain. But with its swift and stunning military victory against an Arab coalition led by Egypt in the Six Day War, Israel not only preserved its existence but redrew the map of the region, with fateful consequences. The Camp David Accords, the assassinations of Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the intifada, and the current troubled peace negotiations--all of these trace their origins to the Six Day War. Michael Oren's Six Days of War is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic and important episodes in the history of the Middle East. With exhaustive research in primary sources--including Soviet, Jordanian, and Syrian files not previously available--he has reconstructed the tension-filled background and the dramatic military events of the conflict, drawing the threads together in a riveting narrative, enlivened by crisp characters sketches of major characters (many of whom, from Ariel Sharon to Yasser Arafat, are still leading figures today). Most important, Oren has unearthed some dramatic new findings. He has discovered that a top-secret Egyptian plan to invade Israel and wipe out its army and nuclear reactor came within hours of implementation. He also reveals how the superpowers narrowly avoided a nuclear showdown over the Eastern Mediterranean and how a military coup in Israel almost occurred on the eve of the war.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106463 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 480 pages

The Sunday Times June 2002
"This admirable book is likely to be the last word on the six-day war for a long time"

Review
This admirable book is likely to be the last word on the six-day war for a long time (The Sunday Times June 2002 )

the most detailed, the most comprehensive and by far the best-documented history that we have on this short but fateful war (The Guardian )

most comprehensive history yet... Six Days of War scores highly in telling an extremely complicated story within a narrative which despite being loaded with a crushing volume of research reads at times like the breeziest blockbuster... Oren's narrative is at its most gripping during the day-by-day account of the war (Financial Times )

Financial Times
"most comprehensive history yet... Six Days of War scores highly in telling an extremely complicated story within a narrative which despite being loaded with a crushing volume of research reads at times like the breeziest blockbuster... Oren's narrative is at its most gripping during the day-by-day account of the war"

Customer Reviews

Well researched, well written, highly recommended.
A very impressive and well researched account of the events surrounding the 1967 Six Day War. The reader will find themselves hooked from the very first page.

Michael Oren's authoritative research reveals a disturbing and alarming similarity between the events of 1967 and those of the present day. The reader sees from this book that Palestinian/Arab terrorist attacks upon innocent Jewish civilians were just as common-place leading up to the 1967 conflict as they are now.

Another alarming similarity drawn from the text is that of the apparent impotence and reluctance of the UN and the International Community in their unwillingness to condemn, hinder or prevent these attacks upon Israel prior to and leading up to the Six Day War. The reader sees that these same entities were even then still so ready to condemn the Jewish state for defending itself such terrorism.

The book reveals from the text that the Gaza Strip and the so-called 'West Bank' were not even in Israeli hands prior to the 1967 conflict. The author shows in his account that despite being in the hands of Egypt and Jordan respectively, no attempt was made to forge any 'Palestinian' state during the 19 years between 1948 and 1967.

To the contrary, Egypt is shown to have created the Palestine Liberation Organisation in 1964, three years before the conflict and that these very aforementioned territories were used as a base from which to seek the destruction of the Jewish state and the genocide of the Jews from the midst of the surrounding Arab nations.

This really is an absolute must read on the Middle East.

Whilst this will always be a contentious subject, this book certainly puts to rest once and for all the myths and allegations that Israel was responsible for this conflict. The detail and depth of study behind this presentation provides an excellent objective, accurate analysis of one of the most pivotal conflicts in World History.

A conflict in which the fledgling Jewish state of Israel recovered all of it's ancient, capital city of Jerusalem. An incredibly important and relevant issue all of it's own. An essential read for anyone interested in Middle Eastern history.

A very good analisis
Michael Oren has written a wonderful and very balanced book upon the Six Days War. Using a wide range of sources -Arab, Jewish, American, Soviet- he has constructed a thoroughly researched account of those six days that shook the world. His narrative is precise but not boring. I highly recommend it for everyone interested in the Middle East.