Scan barcode
larry1138's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Saul David's history of Operation Thunderbolt is a detailed and interesting overview of one of the many infamous hijackings done in the long struggle between Israel and Palestine.
For obvious contemporary reasons, I am currently drawn into learning more about the conflicts about and around Israel/Palestine. There are a few points I want to emphasize in this review that I took away from this book. Firstly, terrorism is perhaps the worst possible strategy you could deploy if you want global support for your cause. The Palestinians are understandably incredibly angry at losing their homeland to the Israelis. The sympathy for their cause today, even among Westerners who share sympathy with Israel, is proof that there is legitimacy for their cause. And yet, by horrible decision making by radicalized leaders and external forces, terrorism is the strategic and tactical choice of domestic Palestinian organizations again and again.
Had this strategy worked, it is arguable Palestinians would have much more than they do today. But it hasn't, because terrorism as a strategy for political ends is inherently flawed. The tactic of hijacking civilian planes is demonstrably counterproductive, as is perfectly demonstrated in this book. Non-Israeli nations will not appreciate having to be put in the difficult situation of rescuing their citizens from hostage takers. And to this day, I have never heard of a hostage situation that was pleasant for the hostages, except perhaps for those who have succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome. Terrorism backfires for every entity that uses it. You can see this pattern throughout history from Rome, Mongolia, feudal Japan, the French Revolution, and the instantaneous social media reactions to terror attacks today.
Second, I am glad I got a decent look at African politics through the lens of Uganda and Kenya. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Idi Amin, who is an authoritarian figure I have wanted to research more but haven't gotten around to much. I would also like to do more research on left wing terror groups in Germany as well, which is an interest brought up by the fact that two of the hijackers were German and included one woman. European left wing terror groups seemed to be much more successful in their states than American leftist counterparts during the second half of the 20th century (perhaps because of the ease with which Soviet agents could foment unrest and support their causes). I'd like to learn more about them as a counterterrorism researcher myself.
Third, I am fascinated by the end of the book which provides the theory that the success of Israel's raid on Entebbe Airport to rescue their hostages was a turning point in global counterterrorism, as it was daring enough and successful enough to prove that governments did not need to negotiate with terrorists as long as they had special forces good enough to fly anywhere in the world. It's a compelling suggestion, but one that will require more convincing analysis for me to fully accept.
Overall, a high recommend from me for anyone interested in counterterrorism history. Another excellent history book down!
For obvious contemporary reasons, I am currently drawn into learning more about the conflicts about and around Israel/Palestine. There are a few points I want to emphasize in this review that I took away from this book. Firstly, terrorism is perhaps the worst possible strategy you could deploy if you want global support for your cause. The Palestinians are understandably incredibly angry at losing their homeland to the Israelis. The sympathy for their cause today, even among Westerners who share sympathy with Israel, is proof that there is legitimacy for their cause. And yet, by horrible decision making by radicalized leaders and external forces, terrorism is the strategic and tactical choice of domestic Palestinian organizations again and again.
Had this strategy worked, it is arguable Palestinians would have much more than they do today. But it hasn't, because terrorism as a strategy for political ends is inherently flawed. The tactic of hijacking civilian planes is demonstrably counterproductive, as is perfectly demonstrated in this book. Non-Israeli nations will not appreciate having to be put in the difficult situation of rescuing their citizens from hostage takers. And to this day, I have never heard of a hostage situation that was pleasant for the hostages, except perhaps for those who have succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome. Terrorism backfires for every entity that uses it. You can see this pattern throughout history from Rome, Mongolia, feudal Japan, the French Revolution, and the instantaneous social media reactions to terror attacks today.
Second, I am glad I got a decent look at African politics through the lens of Uganda and Kenya. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Idi Amin, who is an authoritarian figure I have wanted to research more but haven't gotten around to much. I would also like to do more research on left wing terror groups in Germany as well, which is an interest brought up by the fact that two of the hijackers were German and included one woman. European left wing terror groups seemed to be much more successful in their states than American leftist counterparts during the second half of the 20th century (perhaps because of the ease with which Soviet agents could foment unrest and support their causes). I'd like to learn more about them as a counterterrorism researcher myself.
Third, I am fascinated by the end of the book which provides the theory that the success of Israel's raid on Entebbe Airport to rescue their hostages was a turning point in global counterterrorism, as it was daring enough and successful enough to prove that governments did not need to negotiate with terrorists as long as they had special forces good enough to fly anywhere in the world. It's a compelling suggestion, but one that will require more convincing analysis for me to fully accept.
Overall, a high recommend from me for anyone interested in counterterrorism history. Another excellent history book down!
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
4.0
I zipped through this substantial account in three sittings over two days. On two evenings I quit only in the small hours of the morning.
Like any writer, David works with the material he has. This means A LOT about the deliberations of the Israeli government and the development of the rescue plan. (David is at his best talking equipment and planes).
But it also means other areas are slighted. To list a few:
1
--
We get nothing -- zero -- about the efforts of the French government.
2
--
We never see a complete list of the passengers and their fates.
3
--
There's also no list of the soldiers who participated.
4
--
Most glaringly, David does not even mention that a plaque describing Yoni Netanyahu in heroic terms now hangs in the Entebbe airport. Uganda is honoring the leader of a mission that violated their national sovereignty and killed dozens of Ugandan soldiers. Isn't there a story behind this?
Of course, it's easy to pick at what's missing. Bottom line, and my last line: this is a deeply researched, grippingly told story of a truly heroic mission.
Like any writer, David works with the material he has. This means A LOT about the deliberations of the Israeli government and the development of the rescue plan. (David is at his best talking equipment and planes).
But it also means other areas are slighted. To list a few:
1
--
We get nothing -- zero -- about the efforts of the French government.
2
--
We never see a complete list of the passengers and their fates.
3
--
There's also no list of the soldiers who participated.
4
--
Most glaringly, David does not even mention that a plaque describing Yoni Netanyahu in heroic terms now hangs in the Entebbe airport. Uganda is honoring the leader of a mission that violated their national sovereignty and killed dozens of Ugandan soldiers. Isn't there a story behind this?
Of course, it's easy to pick at what's missing. Bottom line, and my last line: this is a deeply researched, grippingly told story of a truly heroic mission.
jpbooks13's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Very informative and interesting;
It read like a fast paced thriller.
It read like a fast paced thriller.
lawrencetallon's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
4.75
carlos1979's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Detailed account of the Israeli raid into Uganda to rescue hostages from a hijacking, a great book to accompany the recent film 7 days in Entebbe.
xkay_readsx's review against another edition
5.0
Well done. A detailed account- day by day- of the hostage rescue mission by the Israeli Defense Force in the hijacking of Air France at Entebbe, Uganda. This reads like an action thriller.
bla254's review against another edition
4.0
The writer has a way with words that is perfect, a good chronology of events and a perfect timing to include flashbacks, and at the same time ensures he leaves you with enough suspense to make you want to open the next page.
Apart from one spelling error (editorial error)-which normally bugs most of us- it is a great documentation of history.
Apart from one spelling error (editorial error)-which normally bugs most of us- it is a great documentation of history.