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Title: The Yom Kippur War : The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East by ABRAHAM RABINOVICH ISBN: 0-8052-4176-0 Publisher: Schocken Books Pub. Date: 20 January, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (5 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Definitive account of the Yom Kippur War
Comment: In reading military history, one will often find that all human perspective is drowned in tactics and weapons systems or, conversely, that human elements have distracted the author and overwhelmed the war's place in history. This can be especially true in regard to the wars of Israel because there is such an intense emotion surrounding them. Happily, Abraham Rabinovich has avoided both of these problems with his masterful "The Yom Kippur War". Moreover, he succeeds admirably in placing the war with in the broader context of the region and the times.
What makes "The Yom Kippur War" so successful is that Rabinovich captures and dissects all of the elements necessary to look at the war not just as a series of battles, but as a subject worthy of historical study. These might be described as the prologue, the war itself (battles, casualties, personalities, etc.), battlefield innovation (tactics and weapons), geopolitics and historical perspective. Alone, each area is well researched and written, combined they form one of the most effective and impressive military histories one is likely to encounter.
By defining the Yom Kippur War as a product of numerous clashes dating back to Israel's founding, Rabinovich transcends a simple narrative of events and forces the reader to consider the root causes of the conflict, and how those causes dictated its course. One simple example is how Israel's stunning victory in The Six Day War lead to an institutional arrogance that meant they started the war poorly deployed and with limited ability to improvise in its early days. Moreover, Rabinovich does a nice job of capturing the Arab, and particularly the Egyptian, point of view. Unlike previous Arab military misadventures, The Yom Kippur War was based more upon the demands of realpolitik and less upon ideology than ever before. Egypt took a calculated roll of the dice, and in spite of taking a beating, over time accomplished all of their goals as a result.
Tactically, The Yom Kippur War set a new standard for ferocity and violence in a relatively compact area. Never before had so much firepower been deployed so quickly and to such great effect. In particular, the massive deployment of RPG's and precision anti-tank weapons marked a genuine revolution in military affairs that rocked Israel to its very core. However, Rabinovich indicates a deft grasp of the rapid vacillations between offense and defense as he revisits the roles and interactions of infantry and tank time and again. Moreover, his purview isn't limited to tactics alone as he lays out a litany of failures in Israel's grand strategy which included such basic errors as a failure to dictate the shape of the battlefield by trading land for time, the failure to exploit greater maneuverability in flanking attacks, and the failure to concentrate armor at the critical point. All of these lapses would be glaring in most any army, but in Israel, where the tank reigned supreme, they were unforgivable. Likewise, he considers similar interactions between the fighter-bomber and the SAM at both the tactical and strategic level.
However, as I said before, this isn't a dry recitation of tactics and plans. Rabinovich infused his narrative with anecdotes and primary sources that nicely capture the tremendous pressure that Israel faced, and the enormous ingenuity that allowed it to eventually turn the tide. Arab perspective is likewise strong in the early sections and again at the book's conclusion, but is noticeably lacking during the actual fighting. Given the even-handedness and professionalism with which Rabinovich writes, it is my opinion that this is probably due to a regrettable lack of source material. This conclusion is supported by the fact that it is a problem that spans most Mid-Eastern military history as largely autocratic societies have little incentive to release information about their military's consistently mediocre performance. Also, Ariel Sharon is a central figure in the Yom Kippur War, and any student of current events will gain tremendous insight into his actions today from Rabinovich's portrait of him thirty years ago.
In terms of geopolitics, Rabinovich pays little head to the UN (appropriate given their total irrelevance in the war, which was in turn a function of their total ineptitude in the months before, during and after the Six Day War) but does a superb job of a detailing Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy and a surprisingly good job capturing the Kremlin's machinations. What is perhaps most shocking about these details is how completely out of the loop Nixon was as Watergate came crashing down around him. Had Kissinger not taken the initiative, it is entirely likely that a radically different, and most likely much worse scenario would have unfolded.
Finally, in a brief, but excellent conclusion, Rabinovich revisits the root causes of the war and considers how they changed because of the conflict. Of course, the most obvious outcome is the détente between Israel and Egypt that developed over the following six years, but the author also eloquently captures the wrenching national introspection that Israel underwent. The Yom Kippur War was a watershed that led to a complete rethinking of not just Israel's military, but it's entire world view.
To conclude, "The Yom Kippur War" has all of the characteristics of the best military history. Evenhanded and unflinching in criticism, offering astute insight and a superb portrait of men at war, Rabinovich has written what may prove to be the definitive history of the war.
Jake Mohlman
Rating: 5
Summary: I could not put it down
Comment: I've read and watched many books and documentaries on Israel's history and Wars. Abraham Rabinovich has done an amazing job with this book. He examines the war from every angle and his depiction of the battle is so colorful and real that its as though you are right there on the battlefield. I also liked the way Rabinovich explained the psyche of each of the generals, Saddat, Meir, Kissinger, and all the other players in the conflict. The only thing I craved more detail on was the activation of Israel's nuclear arsenal. I have read about this in other texts and some relate this to the possible outcome of the war. Rabinovich doesn't get into this at all. This should be a required reading for every Israeli student and for anyone interested in Middle East history. Great job Mr. Rabinovich!! A+++
Rating: 5
Summary: An Excellent Work
Comment: This is a generally well written and comprehensive history of the Yom Kippur War. It includes an extensive discussion of the days leading up to the war, as well as its immediate aftermath.
While I strongly recommend the book, I believe there were areas for improvement. The detail on some of the battlefield encounters could have been shortened. In addition, while the book discusses the thinking and actions of Arab leaders, the focus is overwhelmingly on the Israeli side. More detail on the Arab side would have made for an even more interesting book.
Among the more fascinating parts of the book:
1. The sheer volume of intelligence ignored by the Israeli defense and intelligence establishments prior to the war.
2. Ariel Sharon standing out not so much for his military daring but for being one of the few senior Israeli military leaders not initially paralyzed by the surprise and early success of the Arab invasion.
3. The role of Henry Kissinger who almost micro-managed the conflict to a draw to set the table for future peace negotiations.
4. The degree to which individual initiative at relatively low ranks in the Israeli Army helped Israel stem the tide until it was able to counterattack.
This book argues, convincingly, that the Yom Kippur War was actually the first step in the Egyptian-Israeli peace process. It is an important work in understanding the Middle East today.
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