The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East

In this galvanizing account of the most dramatic of the Arab-Israeli hostilities, Abraham Rabinovich, who reported the conflict for the Jerusalem Post, transports us into the midst of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Rabinovich's masterly narrative begins as Israel convinces itself there will be no war, while Egypt and Syria plot the two-front conflict. Then, on Yom Kippur, Saturday, October 6, 1973, we see Arab armies pouring across the shattered Bar-Lev Line in the Sinai and through the Golan defenses. Even the famed Israeli air force could not stop them. On the Golan alone, Syria sent 1,460 tanks against Israel's 177, and 115 artillery batteries against Israel's 11. And for the first time, footsoldiers wielding anti-tank weapons were able to stop tank charges, while surface-to-air missiles protected those troops from air attack Rabinovich takes us into this inferno and into the inner sanctums of military and political decision making. He allows us to witness the dramatic turnaround that had the Syrians on the run by the following Wednesday and the great counterattack across the Suez Canal that, once begun, took international intervention to halt. Using extensive interviews with both participants and observers, and with access to recently declassified materials, Rabinovich shows that the drama of the war lay not only in the battles but also in the apocalyptic visions it triggered in Israel, the hopes and fears it inspired in the Arab world, the heated conflicts on both sides about the conduct of the war, and the concurrent American face-off with the Soviets in Washington, D.C., Moscow, and the Mediterranean. A comprehensive account of one of the pivotal conflicts of the twentieth century.

"From the Hardcover edition."

“"The Yom Kippur War of 1973, exceeding in scope even the 1942 Battle of al-Alamein, has found its ideal chronicler. Abraham Rabinovich has long enjoyed a distinguished reputation for the acuity of his insights into Middle Eastern political and military issues. Nevertheless, while his earlier articles and books have been widely read and praised, the current volume may well be his magnum opus. Its revelations are astonishing. Its prose is gripping. Its conclusions, richly documented and austerely objective, are intensely relevant to the Middle Eastern crisis of our own day." --Howard M. Sachar, author ofA History of Israel From the Rise of Zionism to Our Own Time "As no one before, Abraham Rabinovich recounts the whole story of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, that most elusive round of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Based primarily on Israeli sources, his well-written history skillfully covers everything from the individual soldier's experience to the deep implications of the war." --Daniel Pipes, author ofMiniatures: Views of Islamic and Middle Eastern Politics From the Hardcover edition.”

"Never before has the Israeli experience in the Yom Kippur War been so sensitively and intricately documented . . . A seamless, riveting narrative [that is] both compelling and intelligent." --The Washington Post Book World "The best general history of the Yom Kippur War. The writing is clear, compelling, and precise and offers a good understanding of both the military operations and the political developments. At both levels it was a fascinating war. . . .Outstanding." --Ha'aretz

"Rabinovich's extra efforts to get inside the minds of Arab generals are especially welcome. . . . sheds light on a conflict that altered the psychology and diplomacy of the Middle East down to the present day." --The New York Times Book Review

"Superbly written. . . . The Yom Kippur War is easily the best and most complete general history of the conflict." --Parameters

"Truly striking. Rabinovich's book is brilliant, sweeping and insightful." --Naval History

"As no one before, Abraham Rabinovich recounts the whole story of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, that most elusive round of the Arab-Israeli conflict." --Middle East Quarterly

"Superb. I have found few works of military history so difficult to put down." --Jerusalem Report

"Rabinovich displays his keen comprehension of military tactics and strategies with detailed, fast-paced accounts. His eye for political and diplomatic maneuverings is equally sharp." --History Book Club

"Impossible to put down." --Gershom Gorenberg, author of Days of Awe

"Its revelations are astonishing. Its prose is gripping. Its conclusions, richly documented and austerely objective, are intensely relevant to the Middle Eastern crisis of our own day." --Professor Howard M. Sachar, author of A History of Israel

"Abraham Rabinovich has written an exceptionally exciting book." --Professor Edward N. Luttwak

Abraham Rabinovich, a graduate of Brooklyn College and a United States Army veteran, worked as a reporter for Newsday before joining the Jerusalem Post. His work has also appeared in the "New York Times," the "Wall Street Journal," the "Christian Science Monitor," the International "Herald Tribune," and" The New Republic," among other publications. The author of several books, including The Boats of Cherbourg, he lives in Jerusalem.

"From the Hardcover edition."

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