Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1108320 in Books
• Published on: 1991-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Synopsis
Chaim Herzog had been involved in every war in Palestine and later Israel since he joined the Haganah as a teenager. He was a major general in the Israeli army and served as the country's Ambassador to the United Nations. In this invaluable book he tells the story of Israel's fight since 1947 to preserve her existence against the repeated attacks of neighbouring Arab nations.

Customer Reviews

Well written study of the Arab-Israeli conflicts.
This excellent study is written by Chaim Herzog, who has been personally involved, in one way or another, in every war involving Israel during the time period covered, since joining the Haganah as a teenager. He further served as a Major General in the Israeli Army and as the country's Ambassador to the UN, and last but not least holding the position of Israeli President.

Covering all the Arab-Israeli conflicts in one volume is a remarkable achievement. Many of the principal figures on both sides of these wars & the UN have been interviewed for their own views and accounts in connection with this publication.

The book delves back into the archives surrounding the 1917 Balfour Declaration, the promises made by the British and the International Community to both the Jewish people and also to the region's Arabs. In so doing and extending Chaim Herzog provides a valuable context to the origins of the subsequent wars.

He also remarks on the UN General Assembly vote in 1947, which voted 33-13 (with 10 abstentions) in favour of partitioning 'Palestine' west of the Jordan River into two states, one Jewish & one Arab, with Jerusalem as an internationally administered area. The reactions of both sides are studied and the consequent invasion of Israel by six Arab countries beginning Israel's War of Independence.

The latter war is covered in some depth, as indeed are the Sinai Campaign of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967, the 'War of Attrition', the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the 'War Against Terrorism of that era' including the Entebbe incident and the 'Operation Peace For Galilee' in Lebanon in 1982.

(My copy of this book was published in 1984, so any reference to the Palestinian 'intifadas' of more recent times is obviously missing.)

The experiences learnt in all of these conflicts is also discussed from both an Israeli and Arab perspective, as is the conflict with the PLO.

All these conflicts are covered in commendable detail in just one volume, making this quite an extraordinary book and reference on the turbulent history of the Jewish state.

Might I also recommend another book by Chaim Herzog entitled, "The War Of Atonement", which is solely devoted to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. An excellent work by this author in it's own right.

An informative and well written book
Chaim Herzog, a former Isreali president is suprisingly impartial in his detailed analysis of the Arab Isreali wars. His descriptions of battles and strategies are at times confusing for someone without a military background but it is an interesting read throughout and Herzog sheds a lot of light on the cause and effect of each war including the Palestinian problem.It includes moving accounts of extreme bravery and self sacrifice in battle and saddening accounts of the trajedy of war. You do not have to be a history or military scholar to enjoy this book. I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the turbulent history of Middle Eastern affairs.