Eighteen Days in October
The Yom Kippur War and How It Created the Modern Middle East
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ISBN10: 1250281881
ISBN13: 9781250281883
Hardcover
400 Pages
$32.00
CA$42.00
October 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, a conflict that shaped the modern Middle East. The War was a trauma for Israel, a dangerous superpower showdown, and, following the oil embargo, a pivotal reordering of the global economic order. The Jewish State came shockingly close to defeat. A panicky cabinet meeting debated the use of nuclear weapons. After the war, Prime Minister Golda Meir resigned in disgrace, and a 9/11-style commission investigated the “debacle.”
But, argues Uri Kaufman, from the perspective of a half century, the War can be seen as a pivotal victory for Israel. After nearly being routed, the Israeli Defense Force clawed its way back to threaten Cairo and Damascus. In the war’s aftermath both sides had to accept unwelcome truths: Israel could no longer take military superiority for granted—but the Arabs could no longer hope to wipe Israel off the map. A straight line leads from the battlefields of 1973 to the Camp David Accords of 1978 and all the treaties since. Like Michael Oren’s Six Days of War, this is the definitive account of a critical moment in history.
Reviews
Praise for Eighteen Days in October
"Pacy and enthralling."—Financial Times
"A valuable addition to the literature . . . Engaging, evenhanded account of a major Middle East conflict that still resonates today.”—Kirkus Reviews
"A lucid recounting of military engagements . . . a well-paced and informative account of a consequential conflict."—Publisher's Weekly
"[Kaufman] tells the story brilliantly. Anyone interested in the Middle East or military history will appreciate Kaufman’s work."—Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
"Stimulating and insightful . . . will no doubt find a permanent place on the Arab-Israeli bookshelf."—Michael Oren, The New York Times bestselling author of Six Days of War
"A valuable and essential read."—Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel's 17th Permanent Representative to the United Nations
"To understand modern Israel, this is a book worth reading."—Yaakov Katz, editor of The Jerusalem Post and author of Shadow Strike
"The Yom Kippur War was the event that made the modern Middle East. At last, a book has been written that tells this fascinating story in a way that reveals the decision making, strategy and heroism of those that fought it."—Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz, wounded officer and veteran of the Yom Kippur War, former Member of Knesset and top aide to Ariel Sharon
"Tells the story brilliantly."—Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
Read an Excerpt
1 A PARADE IN JERUSALEM
The U.N. Security Council deeply deplores the holding by Israel of the military parade in Jerusalem on 2 May, 1968 in disregard of the unanimous decision adopted by the Council on April 27, 1968.
—UN...