HISTORICAL FICTION: "The Glory" by: Herman Wouk

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BOOK TITLE: "The Glory"
FULL TITLE: "The Glory: A Novel"
AUTHOR: Herman Wouk
TYPE: Historical Fiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company
PUBLICATION DATE: 1994 original (1995 mass market paperback edition)
BINDING: Paperback
ISBN: 0316-955-280

SYNOPSIS
- This is the sequel to The Hope (1993), which dramatized the unlikely course of modern Israel's history, ending with its smashing victory over the Arabs in 1967. As in previous sagas of Woukian dimensions, The Winds of War to name one of a dozen, ordinary people become heroic figures against a turbulent backdrop of war, death, and love. As emotional encapsulations of this century's ghastly and glorious Jewish experience, Wouk's epics have been automatically popular, regardless of their schmaltzy, made-for-TV texture. Here he places a dozen military characters and their families in crucial roles in the post-'67 fighting: the Barak family has a military attache in the Washington embassy and a son on a gunboat; the Luries fly fighters; and the Pasternaks lurk in the Mossad's shadows. From such vantage points, they fight along and over the Suez Canal and fend off disaster in the Yom Kippur War, pull off the exhilarating Entebbe rescue, and bomb Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981, an endpoint that leaves out the less triumphant '80s. Wouk humanizes these intense events with scenes of passage (affairs, weddings, funerals) and mixes in real Israeli leaders such as Golda Meir, Dayan, Sharon, and Rabin, who consult with his characters. While action-minded readers await a possible televised adaptation, this spacious panorama of battle should sustain their interest.
By: Gilbert Taylor.

HISTORICAL FICTION: "The Hope" by: Herman Wouk

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BOOK TITLE: "The Hope"

FULL TITLE: "The Hope: A Novel"

AUTHOR: Herman Wouk

TYPE: Historical Fiction

LANGUAGE: English

TRANSLATOR: nil

ILLUSTRATOR: nil

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company

PUBLICATION DATE: 1993 original (1994 mass market paperback edition)

BINDING: Paperback

ISBN: 0316-852-570

SYNOPSIS

- In the Historical Notes to this solid saga encapsulating three Israeli-Arab wars, Wouk makes astute reference to the element that gives the novel its considerable power: he refers to his "arduous personal research . . . which is one reason that my books appear at long intervals." Conceding the impossibility of using "cool perspective" about events so recent and often still hotly debated, he then clarifies which episodes in the novel are based on fact. These accounts of specific battles, behind-the-scenes political skirmishes in Israel and diplomatic strategy in Washington, D.C., provide the novel's fascinating historical background and true drama. Among and between his accounts of the 1948 War of Independence, the Suez crisis and the Six-Day War, Wouk weaves a story of two protagonists and their fortunes in love and war. Young Polish immigrant Yossi Blumenthal first distinguishes himself in battle in such a reckless manner that he is dubbed Don Kishote; he goes on to become a military hero. His first commander, Zev Barak, is "sidelined" into diplomacy and becomes an attache in Washington. Such actual figures as David Ben Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir and others are depicted with candor and credibility. While his account is sympathetic to Israel, Wouk does not paint the Arabs with a tarred brush; nor does he put a false gloss on less-than-admirable episodes in the short history of the Jewish nation. Though his prose at times peregrinates into the pedestrian, Wouk has not lost his touch: this is an engrossing and often moving tale.

Copyright 1993. Reed Business Information, Inc.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Jewish Brigade: An Army With Two Masters, 1944-45" by: Morris Beckman

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BOOK TITLE: "The Jewish Brigade"
FULL TITLE: "The Jewish Brigade: An Army With Two Masters, 1944-45"
AUTHOR: Morris Beckman
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Spellmount Publishers Ltd.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1998
BINDING: Hardback
ISBN: 1862-270-325


SYNOPSIS:
- Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the formation of the state of Israel, this volume tells the full story of the Palestine Jews' struggle to form a Jewish fighting force under the British flag during the Second World War.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947-1982" by: Shlomo Aloni

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BOOK TITLE: "Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947-1982"
FULL TITLE: "Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947-1982 "
AUTHOR: Shlomo Aloni
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: Mark Rolfe
PUBLISHER: Osprey Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: 2001
BINDING: Paperback
ISBN: 1841-762-946

SYNOPSIS:
- When the UN called for the end of the British mandate and the partition of Palestine into two independent states, the RAF found itself under attack from both sides. Tracing the development of hostilities in the Middle East, this book covers the period from the establishment of the first proper Israeli Air Force in 1948 to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Israel's War of Independence against its Arab neighbours, the inevitable 'round two', the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967, the Yom Kippur wars of 1973 and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 are all detailed in this fascinating chronicle of war in the Middle East.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948" by: Efraim Karsh

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BOOK TITLE: "The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948"
FULL TITLE: "The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948"
AUTHOR: Efraim Karsh
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Osprey Publishing
PUBLICATION DATE: 2002
BINDING: Softcover
ISBN: 1841-763-721

SYNOPSIS:
- N/A

NONFICTION BOOKS: "Foxbats Over Dimona" by: Isabella Ginor & Gideon Remez

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BOOK TITLE: "Foxbats Over Dimona"
FULL TITLE: "Foxbats Over Dimona: The Soviets' Nuclear Gamble in the Six-Day War"
AUTHOR: Isabella Ginor & Gideon Remez
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Yale University Press
PUBLICATION DATE: 2007
BINDING: Hardcover
ISBN: 0300-123-175

SYNOPSIS:
- Fearing an imminent invasion, Israel launched a preemptive air attack on Egypt in June 1967 and it achieved such staggering devastation that in just six days the war was won and the future of the Middle East was forever changed. But have our assumptions about the genesis of the Six-Day War been misguided? What was the involvement of the Soviet Union? Were the Israelis planning to use nuclear weapons? Were the Soviets?This book provides an account that is startlingly different from all previous histories of the Six-Day War. Award-winning Israeli journalists Isabella Ginor and Gideon Remez investigate newly available documents and testimonies from the former Soviet Union, cross-check them extensively against Israeli and Western sources, and arrive at fresh and frightening conclusions. Filled with astonishing new information about this crucial week in history, the book paints a disturbing picture of Cold War aggression, deception, and calculated willingness to precipitate a global crisis.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Heights of Courage" by Avigdor Kahalani

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BOOK TITLE: "The Heights of Courage"
FULL TITLE: "The Heights of Courage: A Tank Leader's War On the Golan"
AUTHOR: Avigdor Kahalani
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Steimatzky
PUBLICATION DATE: 1988
BINDING: Softcover
ISBN: B0007BZX90 (ASIN)

SYNOPSIS:
- Kahalani, commander of a tank battalion on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War, describes this experience in The Heights of Courage. Beginning with a description of the initial Syrian offensive, he recounts the personal endeavors of his men, their fears and their ambitions, as well as their emotional and physical hardships. His stark account traces the efforts of the Israel Armored Corps as they struggle to overcome extreme difficulties and setbacks. The author describes their ultimate penetration into enemy territory and their approach to within forty kilometers of Damascus.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "A Warrior's Way" by: Avigdor Kahalani

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BOOK TITLE: "A Warrior's Way"
FULL TITLE: "A Warrior's Way - Israel's Most Decorated Tank Commander Relives His Greatest Battles"
AUTHOR: Avigdor Kahalani
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: S.P.I. Books
PUBLICATION DATE: 1993
BINDING: Softcover
ISBN: 1561-712-396

SYNOPSIS:
- In 1967 Avigdor Kahalani was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for leading the relentless charge at the head of the first Armored Corps tank company which broke through Egyptian lines and advanced along the northern Sinai axis during the Six Day War. Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Kahalani was awarded the Medal of Valor, Israel's higest military citation for his courageous stand during the first critical days of the war at the head of a tiny force that engaged and fought to a standstill an overwhelming number of Syrian forces in fierce and bloody clashes on the Golan Heights. In this book written in 1989, Kahalani recounts the story of his years in uniform, during which he confronts difficulties, faces physical and mental challenges and overcomes obstacles.

Avigdor Kahalani was born in 1944 and is Leader of The Third Way Movement. In 1966 he was appointed Minister of Public Security in Israel's government.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "Duel For The Golan" by: Jerry Asher & Eric Hammel

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BOOK TITLE: "Duel For The Golan"
FULL TITLE: "Duel for the Golan: The 100-Hour Battle That Saved Israel "
AUTHOR: Jerry Asher & Eric Hammel
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Pacifica Press - CA, USA
PUBLICATION DATE: 1987
BINDING: Hardcover
ISBN: 0935-553-525

SYNOPSIS:
- This is the story of the largest tank battle since World War II: Syria and its Iraqi and Jordanian allies lost some 1,450 tanks in the struggle for the Golan Heights in October 1973. The Israelis lost 250 and won the battle in four days. The combat scenes are well done, but the most interesting aspect of the book is the description of the emergency mobilization of the Israeli army amidst Yom Kippur observances and the improvisations necessary as the high command thrust units helter-skelter into battle. There is new information here about the Syrian buildup and the uneasy alliance between President Assad and Egyptian President Sadat. Asher (an Israeli) and Hammel (author of several military books) argue that despite Assad's assumption that his forces would be able to roll over Israeli positions before significant reinforcements arrived, the Syrian grand strategy was doomed from the start because of the planners' fears of possible political repercussions. Photos.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

MODELLING: "Israeli Military Vehicles" by: John Myszka

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BOOK TITLE: "Israeli Military Vehicles"
FULL TITLE: "Israeli Military Vehicles - The First 50 Years 1948-1998"
AUTHOR: John Myszka
TYPE: Modelling Guide
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Mouse House Enterprises
PUBLICATION DATE: 1998
BINDING: Softcover
ISBN: 0646-360-027

SYNOPSIS:
- 232 pages, A4 soft cover, over 220 photos, forty 1/76 scale plans.

WARGAMING: "Genesis 48" by: Bob O'Connor

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GAME TITLE: "Genesis 48"
FULL TITLE: "Genesis 48: The First Arab-Israeli War"
AUTHOR: Bob O'Connor
TYPE: Gaming Rules / Background / Scenarios
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Critical Hit, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: 2001
BINDING: Softcover
ISBN: nil

SYNOPSIS:
- Genesis 48 is an expansion to the Advanced Squad Leader game system. From the game sleeve:

"Genesis 48 tells the story of a war unlike any before or since. Kibbutzniks defending their homes, fighting alongside their wives. Homemade armored cars trundling into battle. Davidka mortar shells exploding with terrifying shrapnel--due to the soft metal used in the underground shops--with unexpectedly deadly results. The 1948 siege of Jerusalem. Numerous, well-equipped but poorly organized Arab armies.

It's all here in Genesis 48 in a well-researched and extensive module presentation. Three sheets of color die-cut counters include 20 troop-types ranging from elite Israeli Palmach soldiers to Moslem Brotherhood conscripts. Israeli Molotov Tank Hunting Heroes. And more. You also receive numerous new vehicles, including 3 types of Israeli Homemade armored cars, Davidka and Parosh mortars, the Marmon Herrington IV, Jewish 'Sandwich Car' APC, and a variety of half-tracks up-armed with small turrets and a variety of armaments. You also receive a 22" x 34" historical map of Old Jerusalem, a color overlay of a kibbutz, three color card-stock play aids and a 32-page VARIANT rulebook full of vehicle and ordnance notes. All of this equipment is provided to use with the Jerusalem Campaign Game and the 15 well-tested scenarios provided."

(Ownership of ASL, Beyond Valor, Hollow Legions, and Croix de Guerre is necessary to play this game).

NONFICTION BOOKS: "Six Days of War" by: Michael B. Oren

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BOOK TITLE: "Six Days of War"
FULL TITLE: "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East"
AUTHOR: Michael B. Oren

TYPE: Nonfiction

LANGUAGE: English

TRANSLATOR: nil

ILLUSTRATOR: nil

PUBLISHER: Oxford Univ Pr, Cary, North Carolina, U.S.A

PUBLICATION DATE: 2002

BINDING: Hardcover

ISBN: 0312-338-643

SYNOPSIS:

- Based on newly available information in archives, this political and military history of the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict recalls the surprising and decisive victory of Israel over its adversaries that established a new balance in that region.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "Fighters Over Israel" by: Lon Nordeen

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BOOK TITLE: "Fighters Over Israel"
AUTHOR: Lon O. Nordeen
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: Ken Kotik
PUBLISHER: Greenhill Books, London, United Kingdom
PUBLICATION DATE: 1991
BINDING: Hardcover
ISBN: 1953-670-987

SYNOPSIS:
- The story of the Israeli Air Force from The War of Independence to the Bekaa Valley.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "Air Warfare in the Missile Age" by: Lon Nordeen

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BOOK TITLE: "Air Warfare in the Missile Age"
AUTHOR: Lon O. Nordeen
TYPE: Nonfiction
LANGUAGE: English
TRANSLATOR: nil
ILLUSTRATOR: nil
PUBLISHER: Smithsonian Books
PUBLICATION DATE: 1985 (2002 Edition)
BINDING: Hardcover
ISBN: 0874-746-809

SYNOPSIS:
- Lon O. Nordeen has completely updated his 1985 chronicle of military aviation's evolving role in warfare, now covering the major conflicts of the past four decades through the addition of chapters on the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and the Bosnia-Kosovo conflict, and new material concerning past and recent actions in Afghanistan. He presents the historical and political background of each conflict and includes in-depth discussions of the aircraft, weapons, tactics, training, new systems, and other factors that influenced the outcome of each war. New and existing chapters have been enhanced with information based on recently declassified material -- especially regarding Vietnam -- and new sources in Egypt, Israel, and the former Soviet Union. As "smart" bombs have become more successful in reducing the risks for pilots and frontline troops, air-missile warfare has become the central player in military conflicts. Air Warfare in the Missile Age, Second Edition, is a valuable resource for understanding the evolution of modern air warfare.

REVIEW (by: Maksim-Smelchak):
- Lon Nordeen has been a writer in various defense and aviation magazines for more than twenty years. I first became aware of him after reading his book "Fighters Over Israel," a very cogent and incisive account of the rise of Israel’s air force and the many battles they have fought. Mr. Nordeen has done no less with this book; he has turned out one of the best overviews of the effect that missiles have had on aerial warfare since the Vietnam conflict until the Falkland Island War and the various wars in the Middle East as of the book’s 1985 publishing date.

The book has an introduction, ten chapters, two appendices, notes, a glossary, an index, and a very comprehensive bibliography. The book devotes the first two chapters to the Vietnam conflict detailing the constantly evolving tactics between North Vietnam’s excellent air force and air defenses versus the combined air forces of the United States. The next two chapters detail the little-known conflicts between Pakistan and India, which were a paradigm for the shape of aerial warfare to come. The next four chapter detail the many Arab-Israeli wars as well as inter-Arab warfare such as the conflict between Iraq and Iran. The book’s last two chapters detail the short but intense Falkland Islands conflict and draws conclusions about the effect and direction missiles have had on military aviation.

The supplemental material at the end of the book is extremely useful: lists of aircraft, aerial cannon, missiles, and bombs. The notes reference all of the hard data that Mr. Londeen uses. If you want to know where he read that information, look it up by footnote and you’ll find it. The glossary is of immense use to those of us studying military aviation who weren’t a part of military aviation. For instance, do you know what an Ironhand flight is? If you don’t, both the text and the glossary have ready explanations / definitions for you.

The bibliography is very comprehensive and uses books from both sides of every conflict where they were available. When reading about the Arab-Israeli conflict, for example, Mr. Londeen has made every effort to quote both Arab and Israeli sources. In fact, rather than state that "so many aircraft were shot down on this day," Mr. Londeen states both sides’ claims and often additionally references other sources that support those claims. For example, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War (known popularly in the Arab world as the Ramadan War), he states at one point the combined claims of the Arab air forces accounted for more aircraft than the Israel Air Force flew! He quotes an Egyptian Air Force officer who explained that the Israelis have more aircraft than anyone knows. Very interesting. I also want to mention that Mr. Nordeen has written not only a history of Israel’s air force, but also a history of Egypt’s air force called: "Phoenix over the Nile: A History of Egyptian Air Power 1932-1994." I would also like to mention that my edition is the older 1985 printing and that a more up-to-date 2002 version has been published, but I haven’t seen or read that edition.

At any rate, Mr. Londeen has done an excellent job of telling the rise of missile warfare without taking a strong bias for any side. He points out, from a very even keel, the strengths and weakness of the various combatants in major conflicts involving aerial warfare since the advent of the missile.

I highly recommend this very well written book for anyone wanting to learn more about the effect that the missile has had on military aviation.

NONFICTION BOOKS: "Adjusting Sights" by Haim Sabato

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BOOK TITLE: "Adjusting Sights"

AUTHOR: Haim Sabato

TYPE: Nonfiction

LANGUAGE: English

TRANSLATOR: Hillel Halkin (from Hebrew)

ILLUSTRATOR: nil

PUBLISHER: Toby Press

PUBLICATION DATE: 2003

BINDING: Hardcover

ISBN: 1902-881-702

SYNOPSIS:

- Young Haim is drafted reluctantly into the Yom Kippur War. As he experiences the agonies of battle, he talks himself into being an exemplary soldier as well as an observant Jew.