Munich Memoir: Dan Alon's Untold Story of Survival

by Dan Alon, Carla Stockton

Nothing had prepared Israeli fencer Dan Alon for what he would face when he finally qualified and made it to the Munich Olympics. Despite the years of preparation, the training and the dedication, he could not have known how a single Black September day would shatter his dreams and fracture his life.Surviving the Munich Massacre was the beginning of Dan's 40-year struggle to understand why he was spared, why his was not among the mangled remains of murdered Israeli Olympic athletes left on the tarmac at Feldenfurstenbruck Airport.After years of suffering, Dan found that telling his tale freed him to rejoin the living. This is that story, a story of courage, of hope, and, ultimately a story of love.This is Dan Alon's Munich Memoir.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 18, 2012

Reviews

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an autobiography of Dan Alon, world class Israeli fencer and survivor of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. The publisher, Dapt'd and the co-author, Carla Stockton, must be members of the vanity press, where authors pay to have their works published. I'm sure Ms. Stockton edited Alon's rambling memoirs heavily, but still the organization left much to be desired and the narrative was often repetitive. The book covers Alon's narrow escape from the Black September Palestinian terrorists, his subsequent battle with PTSD, his family background coming from a line of Hungarian sabre fencers, his childhood and subsequent rise through the ranks of the top fencers in the world, his quitting fencing over the lack of security even after the Munich massacre, the history of fencing and type of swords, family life and recovery from PTSD.
But I wish there were more on what happened in Munich as told by an eyewitness. We learn from Alon that despite complaints, security was very lax, and that the Germans bungled the rescue. But Munich is only a small part of Alon autobiography.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Dan Alon's "Munich Memoir" is a historical and emotional tour de force brilliantly told by gifted author Carla Stockton. That this horrific event could create such a courageous story is a testament to Ms. Stockton's ability to craft real-life drama into a compelling and significant book with issues that remain poignant in today's political climate. Bravo to Dan and Carla. Thank you for sharing this well-written work.

[Marian Sofferin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that gives details of the Munich massacre. Not written that well.

[Buda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't what I was expecting. With no disrespect intended, I wanted more about Munich and less of a biography.