October 6, 1973. Yom Kippur. The holiest day of the Jewish calendar. At 2 p.m., a blinding shower of explosives rained down on a collection of concrete bunkers sunk in the Sinai sand. Minutes later, 600 Egyptian tanks rolled onto pontoon bridges to cross the Suez Canal. Simultaneously, 100 Syrian MiGs and Sukhoi bombers screamed through the skies above the Golan Heights. Burning at both ends, Israel was caught completely by surprise. The United States, after much vacillation, finally elected to help Israel, beginning a monumental airlift, code named: Operation Nickel Grass. In two weeks time, the U. S. armed forces would be on Def Con III and nuclear tensions would be mounting within the Kremlin.The Two OClock War is a minute-by-minute account of that fateful October when Israel was almost lost and the two superpowers stared down the barrel of the nuclear gun.
In The Two O'Clock War Walter J. Boyne chronicles with intense detail the brief but furious October 1973 invasion of Israel by Egypt and Syria, an episode also known as the Yom Kippur War. Boyne alternates his attention between actual battlefield descriptions and the equally frantic maneuvering by diplomats and statesmen of the combatant countries, their allies. and, most ominously, Russia and the United States, which refused to stop rattling their sabers at each other. At least twice, the region--and by implication the greater world--came perilously close to suffering the ultimate nightmare: nuclear war. Boyne's language is often blunt but he is generally fair-minded: his showers of blame and praise fall on individuals on both sides of the conflict. Running through the book is his premise, convincingly presented, that a massive American airlift--Operation Nickel Grass--was the decisive factor in Israel's fending off defeat. The book--especially its military sections--demands a reader's full attention. --H. O'Billovich
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A Great Read:
I have long held an interest in the Yom Kippur war. It has often been said to have been Israel's off-day. In fact if any other army but the IDF had performed it it would be praised. But of course Israel is supposed to be "Rabbi Rambo" and so having a hard fight is a bit of a let down from expectations. Past glories are not always easy to live with.
Yom Kippur was Israel's best performance ever. The '48 showed tenacity, ingenuity and resilience but little professionalism. It was also tainted by the... more info
A Compelling Read:
COL Walter Boyne tells a very compelling story of the Yom Kippur War and the efforts by the United States to resupply its closest ally in her time of need. The book is great at portrayng the war from almost every point of view - from Henry Kissinger's efforts through "Shuttle Diplomacy" to arrange a ceasefire to the disarray of Israel's leadership in response to the surprise attack to the cockpits of the C-5As and C-141s as the pilots winged their way to Israel with the desparately needed cargoes. The... more info
Too Much Fluff:
If you're looking for light, casual Middle East reading, this book is for you. If you prefer a to-the-point book (more difficult to write, because you can't ramble and have to constantly prove your point like an intelligent person), stay away. Especially if you need it for a book report. It's more of a general history of the 1973 War, with information about the airlift in there at random places. Why is it called the Two O'Clock War? See, I thought the airlift that saved the day was done at 2 AM, then... more info
Reply to Mr. Henning:
It was with some discomfort that I read Mr. Henning's review. I have heard this statement before, ie "The FACT is most of the weapons sent were replacements for those taken out or un-used additions to what was available and in use. Most never saw action." (His emphasis) Apparently that is the official Israeli position. Now, I can understand why the State of Israel would want to promote this idea, after all, no one surrounded by possible future enemies in another war wants to admit a weakness. The trouble... more info
