Six Days of War : June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East

In Israel and the West it is called the Six Day War. In the Arab world, it is known as the June War, or simply as "the Setback." Never has a conflict so short, unforeseen and largely unwanted by both sides so transformed the world. The Yom Kippur War, the war in Lebanon, the Camp David accords, the controversy over Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in West Bank, the intifada and the rise of Palestinian terror: all are part of the outcome of those six days of intense Arab-Israeli fighting in the summer of 1967. Michael B. Oren's Six Days of War is the most comprehensive history ever published of this dramatic and pivotal event, the first to explore it both as a military struggle and as a critical episode in the global Cold War. Oren spotlights all the participants--Arab, Israeli, Soviet, and American--telling the story of how the war broke out and of the shocking ways it unfolded. Drawing on thousands of top-secret documents, on rare papers in Russian and Arabic, and on exclusive personal interviews, Six Days of War recreates the regional and international context which, by the late 1960s, virtually assured an Arab-Israeli conflagration. Also examined are the domestic crises in each of the battling states, and the extraordinary personalities--Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser, Hafez al-Assad and Yitzhak Rabin, Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin--that precipitated this earthshaking clash. Cover......Page 2 Copyright Info ......Page 5 TOC ......Page 8 List of Maps ......Page 9 Acknowledgments ......Page 10 A Note on Sources and Spellings ......Page 12 Foreword ......Page 14 The Context: Arabs, Israelis, and the Great Powers, 1948 to 1966 ......Page 20 A Context Contrived ......Page 21 The Impossible Peace ......Page 25 Cold Wars/Hot Wars ......Page 31 The Context Redux ......Page 37 Out of the Icebox ......Page 41 The Catalysts: Samu' to Sinai ......Page 52 Athanasius Contra Mundum ......Page 57 The Syrian Sphinx ......Page 61 Thirty Seconds over Damascus ......Page 65 Improbable Duo ......Page 68 Action and Reaction ......Page 72 The Crisis: Two Weeks in May ......Page 80 Egypt Deliberates ......Page 83 Eviction ......Page 86 Israel Waits ......Page 94 Closure ......Page 101 Rabin Waits ......Page 105 'Amer's "Dawn"......Page 111 Every Delay a Gamble ......Page 116 Eban Abroad ......Page 118 En Route to Regatta ......Page 122 Alone or Not Alone ......Page 125 Enter Kosygin ......Page 135 Sunset on Dawn......Page 138 Reprieve......Page 140 Countdown: May 31 to June 4 ......Page 146 Eshkol's Eclipse......Page 151 Every Possible Effort ......Page 158 Dayan ex Machina ......Page 166 Arab World Resurgent ......Page 177 The Shortest Night ......Page 183 The War: Day One, June 5: Israel's air force strikes. The ground war begins. Jordan and Syria counterattack ......Page 189 Red Sheet over Sinai ......Page 197 The "Whip" Cracks ......Page 201 Diplomacy Stumbles ......Page 215 "The First Day's Turkey Shoot"......Page 219 The War: Day Two, June 6: Israeli advances and Arab retreats. America on war and peace. "Big Lies" and cease-fires.......Page 230 The Charnel House ......Page 237 Damascus and Jerusalem......Page 247 Battling for Cease-Fire ......Page 252 Day Two: Denouement......Page 256 The War: Day Three, June 7: The fateful battle for Jerusalem. Egypt's "Curtain" torn. Soviet threats and American brainstorming.......Page 259 "The Curtain" Falls ......Page 266 Brave New Worlds ......Page 271 The War: Day Four, June 8: Israeli coups de grâce. A fatal accident. Nasser capitulates and the Syrians wait.......Page 276 The Golan Looms ......Page 279 Anatomy of an Accident ......Page 281 A Four-Day War? ......Page 290 The War: Day Five, June 9: Showdown atop the Golan. Nasser attempts to resign. The UN resurgent and the Soviets riled. Israel's constitutional crisis.......Page 297 Between Hammer and Pincer......Page 299 Curtain Call ......Page 303 "Imperialist Pressures"......Page 308 The War: Day Six, June 10: The Golan vanquished. Furtive maneuvers at the UN. Superpower saber-rattling. Visions of impending peace. ......Page 313 Crisis and Credibility ......Page 314 Playing for the Brink ......Page 319 Aftershocks: Tallies, Postmortems, and the Old/New Middle East ......Page 324 "A Peace of Honor Between Equals" ......Page 331 Three No's or Three Yeses? ......Page 336 242: Legacy and Reality......Page 342 Photos ......Page 347 The Context ......Page 363 The Catalysts ......Page 371 The Crisis ......Page 379 Countdown ......Page 395 The War: Day One, June 5 ......Page 405 Day Two, June 6 ......Page 413 Day Three, June 7 ......Page 419 Day Four, June 8 ......Page 422 Day Five, June 9 ......Page 426 Day Six, June 10 ......Page 429 Aftershocks ......Page 431 Archives ......Page 437 Oral History Interviews ......Page 438 Books in English, French, and Spanish ......Page 440 Articles in English ......Page 447 Books in Hebrew ......Page 448 Articles in Hebrew ......Page 450 Books and Articles in Arabic ......Page 451 Books and Articles in Russian ......Page 453 Internet Sites ......Page 454 Index ......Page 455 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first comprehensive account of the epoch-making Six-Day War, from the author of Ally—now featuring a fiftieth-anniversary retrospective Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended. Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting. Writing with a novelist's command of narrative and a historian's grasp of fact and motive, Michael B. Oren reconstructs both the lightning-fast action on the battlefields and the political shocks that electrified the world. Extraordinary personalities—Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser, Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin—rose and toppled from power as a result of this war; borders were redrawn; daring strategies brilliantly succeeded or disastrously failed in a matter of hours. And the balance of power changed—in the Middle East and in the world. A towering work of history and an enthralling human narrative, Six Days of War is the most important book on the Middle East conflict to appear in a generation.Praise for Six Days of War“Powerful... A highly readable, even gripping account of the 1967 conflict... [Oren] has woven a seamless narrative out of a staggering variety of diplomatic and military strands.”—The New York Times “With a remarkably assured style, Oren elucidates nearly every aspect of the conflict.... Oren's [book] will remain the authoritative chronicle of the war. His achievement as a writer and a historian is awesome.”—The Atlantic Monthly “This is not only the best book so far written on the six-day war, it is likely to remain the best.”—The Washington Post Book World “Phenomenal... breathtaking history... a profoundly talented writer.... This book is not only one of the best books on this critical episode in Middle East history; it's one of the best-written books I've read this year, in any genre.”—The Jerusalem Post “[In] Michael Oren's richly detailed and lucid account, the familiar story is thrilling once again.... What makes this book important is the breadth and depth of the research.”—The New York Times Book Review “A first-rate new account of the conflict.”—The Washington Post “The definitive history of the Six-Day War... [Oren's] narrative is precise but written with great literary flair. In no one else's study is there more understanding or more surprise.”—Martin Peretz, Publisher, The New Republic “Compelling, perhaps even vital, reading.”—San Jose Mercury News Though It Lasted For Only Six Tense Days In June, The 1967 Arab-israeli War Never Really Ended. Every Crisis That Has Ripped Through This Region In The Ensuing Decades, From The Yom Kippur War Of 1973 To The Ongoing Intifada, Is A Direct Consequence Of Those Six Days Of Fighting. Michael B. Oren's Magnificent Six Days Of War, An Internationally Acclaimed Bestseller, Is The First Comprehensive Account Of This Epoch-making Event. Oren Reconstructs Both The Lightning-fast Action On The Battlefields And The Political Shocks That Electrified The World. Extraordinary Personalities - Moshe Dayan And Gamal Abdul Nasser, Lyndon Johnson And Alexei Kosygin - Rose And Toppled From Power As A Result Of This War; Borders Were Redrawn; Daring Strategies Brilliantly Succeeded Or Disastrously Failed In A Matter Of Hours. And The Balance Of Power Changed - In The Middle East And In The World. A Towering Work Of History And An Enthralling Human Narrative, Six Days Of War Is The Most Important Book On The Middle East Conflict To Appear In A Generation.--jacket. The Context : Arabs, Israelis, And The Great Powers, 1948 To 1966 -- The Catalysts : Samuʻ To Sinai -- The Crisis : Two Weeks In May -- Countdown : May 31 To June 4 -- The War : Day One, June 5 -- Day Two, June 6 -- Day Three, June 7 -- Day Four, June 8 -- Day Five, June 9 -- Day Six, June 10 -- Aftershocks : Tallies, Postmortems, And The Old/new Middle East -- Afterword -- A Conversation With Michael B. Oren. Michael B. Oren. A Presidio Press Book--t.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended. Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting. Michael B. Oren’s magnificent *Six Days of War*, an internationally acclaimed bestseller, is the first comprehensive account of this epoch-making event. Writing with a novelist’s command of narrative and a historian’s grasp of fact and motive, Oren reconstructs both the lightning-fast action on the battlefields and the political shocks that electrified the world. Extraordinary personalities—Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser, Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin—rose and toppled from power as a result of this war; borders were redrawn; daring strategies brilliantly succeeded or disastrously failed in a matter of hours. And the balance of power changed—in the Middle East and in the world. A towering work of history and an enthralling human narrative, *Six Days of War* is the most important book on the Middle East conflict to appear in a generation. "In Israel and the West it is called the Six-Day War. In the Arab world, it is known as the June War, or simply as "the Setback." Never has a conflict so short, unforeseen and largely unwanted by both sides, so transformed the world. The Yom Kippur War, the war in Lebanon, the Camp David accords, the controversy over Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the intifada and the rise of Palestinian terror: all are part of the outcome of those six days of intense Arab-Israeli fighting in the summer of 1967.". "Drawing on thousands of top-secret documents, on rare papers in Russian and Arabic, and on exclusive personal interviews, Six Days of War recreates the regional and international context which, by the late 1960s, virtually assured an Arab-Israeli conflagration. Also examined are the domestic crises in each of the battling states, and the extraordinary personalities - Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser, Hafez al-Assad and Yitzhak Rabin, Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin - that precipitated this earthshaking clash."--BOOK JACKET. For six tense days between June 5 and 10, 1967, war raged between Israel and its neighbors, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. There are many contexts in which this story makes sense, but only Michael Oren, a widely published American-born Israel scholar and historian, has so far knitted the diverse strands into a cohesive fabric that remains vital and relevant today. With educated authority and authorial integrity, Oren manages to sketch out facts and motives with the same intrigue as battles and strategies. -- Six Days of War -- The Wall Street JournalRaised in New Jersey, Ambassador Oren moved to Israel in the 1970s. He served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces, in the paratroopers in the Lebanon War, a liaison with the U.S. Sixth Fleet during the Gulf War, and an IDF spokesman during the Second Lebanon War and the Gaza operation in January 2009. He acted as an Israeli Emissary to Jewish refuseniks in the Soviet Union, as an advisor to Israel?s delegation to the United Nations, and as the government?s director of Inter-Religious Affairs For Six Tense Days Between June 5 And 10, 1967, War Raged Between Israel And Its Neighbors, Egypt, Jordan, And Syria. There Are Many Contexts In Which This Story Makes Sense, But Only Michael Oren, A Widely Published American-born Israel Scholar And Historian, Has So Far Knitted The Diverse Strands Into A Cohesive Fabric That Remains Vital And Relevant Today. With Educated Authority And Authorial Integrity, Oren Manages To Sketch Out Facts And Motives With The Same Intrigue As Battles And Strategies. Escalating Territorial And Populist Tensions In The Middle East Only Serve To Make This Title More Relevant. Anyone Who Wants To Have A Grasp Of Middle Eastern Politics Or Political Tensions Involving Israel Must Read This Title. Six Days Of War Was A New York Times Bestseller And Washington Post Best Book Award Winner In 2002 And Has Gone On To Be An Internationally Acclaimed Bestseller. The Book Has Been Widely Recognized As The Definitive Telling Of The Six Day War. Six Days of War was a New York Times Bestseller and Washington Post Best Book Award Winner in 2002. The book has been widely recognized as the definitive telling of the Six Day War in a context which is relevant today Explores the lasting impact six days of intense Arab-Israeli fighting had on world politics, providing information on the conflict's major participants, its causes, and the tragic outcome A gripping and authoritative history of the Six Day War based on extensive research into new Arab, Israeli, Soviet, nad U.S. sources - published for the 35th anniversary of the conflict. NIGHTTIME, DECEMBER 31, 1964-A squad of Palestinian guerrillas crosses from Lebanon into northern Israel.