No Mission Is Impossible: The Death-Defying Missions of the Israeli Special Forces

by Michael Bar-Zohar, Nissim Mishal

A riveting follow-up to Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal's account of the most memorable missions of the Mossad, No Mission is Impossible sheds light on some of the most harrowing, nail-biting operations of the Israeli Special forces

Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service brought to life the gripping, legendary missions of Israeli's national intelligence force like never before, capturing the danger of the operations and the bravery of the operatives who risked everything to complete their assignments.

Now, in No Mission Is Impossible, Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal return with the intensely absorbing, fast-paced story of thirty of the boldest missions of the Israeli Special Forces. Bar-Zohar and Mishal depict in electrifying detail major battles, raids in enemy territory, and death-defying commando missions while also sharing the personal stories of both soldiers and top commanders, revealing their hopes and fears. The stories are often of victories, but sometimes also of immense failures, and run side-by-side with the accounts of the lives and accomplishments of some of Israel's most prominent figures, including Moshe Dayan, Ariel Sharon, the brothers Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, and Avigdor Kahalani. We follow Sharon, from his near death at the battle of Latrun in 1948, to his crossing Suez in 1973; we are with Ehud Barak, dressed in women's clothes, when he commands a daring raid in Beirut in 1973, and then when he is elected Prime Minister in 1999. Besides recounting the mesmerizing, high-stakes missions, No Mission Is Impossible includes an interview in each chapter with a major figure who took part in the mission discussed, including some of the most prominent players in Israeli politics, and stunning photographs, many published for the first time.

Captivating and eye-opening, No Mission Is Impossible is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how these crucial missions shaped Israel, and the world at large.

Genres: History, Israel, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Middle East, Audiobook, War

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

Professor Michael Bar-Zohar was a member of Knesset (Labour) and wrote the official biography of David Ben Gurion. He has written thirty non-fiction books, and has been translated into sixteen languages, winning many international prizes. He is currently working on a biography of Shimon Peres.

Has written under the pseudonym Michael Barak.

Reviews

[Divakar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal are prolific writers. And most of their writings are about Israel, its turbulent history, Mossad and generally about the struggles of Israel to stay alive with possibly the most hostile neighbourhood.

In 2014, I read MOSSAD – the greatest missions of the Israeli Secret Service by the same authors. You might not agree with the way, Israel and Mossad operate but if countries all around you have a stated mission of decimating and eliminating you, one probably doesn’t have much of a choice.

Their missions are well thought of, planned well and executed with a finesse that makes the CIA and MI6 look like bumbling idiots.

Unlike in MOSSAD, where each story was a complete story – the event, damage caused, the Israeli response and the aftermath, in No Mission is impossible, the focus is narrower. No details of the strategies but only about the execution by the Israeli Special Forces which is like the execution wing of Mossad.

Same stories as in Gideon’s Spies and Mossad but rich in the execution detail. An interesting addition is for each of the missions – they have interviewed someone connected to the mission – either the main guys or in some cases – their kith and kin – which lends a very personal angle to the mission and its success.

Go for it if real crime, espionage and retaliation is up your street.

[Racheli Zusiman · Rating 2 out of 5]

מאכזב, ואפילו מרגיז. בספר מתוארים מבצעים של צה"ל, חלקם מפורסמים מאוד, חלקם מעט פחות. התיאורים מפורטים אבל קרים ויבשים, וזה צרם לי ממש, ובלט במיוחד כשבספר נכתב על מוות של חיילים ואזרחים - נזרקים מספרים כאילו זה כלום. היה חסר לי ברוב המקרים - מהו הרקע למבצע, למה הוחלט לצאת אליו, מה היו החלופות (ובכלל האם היו? האם חשבו על אופציות אחרות?), שלבי התכנון, הדיון המדיני וכיצד אושר המבצע, או בקיצור: ביקורת. what-if.
כמו כן, כיצד מוציאים ספר המתאר קרבות, שאין בו ולו מפה אחת?! קראתי תיאורים מפורטים על כוח שהלך לפה והסתער לשם וכו וכו, ברמת דיוק מדוקדקת, ולא הצלחתי להבין מה ומו. מדוע לא כללו מפה עם סימונים של התקדמות הכוחות?! גם תמונות ו/או ציורים ושרטוטים של סביבת הלחימה היו יכולים לעזור ולהמחיש.
כל הנ"ל בולט במיוחד לעומת ספרים דומים כמו "מלחמות הצללים" ו-"המוסד המבצעים הגדולים " שהם הרבה הרבה יותר מוצלחים. מאוד התאכזבתי ואפילו התקוממתי וכעסתי ממש במהלך הקריאה.

[Martin Smrz · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of the examples which are before I'd paid any attention to the situation there + I am not so familiar with Israel cartography. 1 star down. Repetition in the chapters. First the writer said all about the mission and than some participant says "almost" the same. In my opinion no need for that and the participant could be inserted in the story. 2nd star down.

The 3 stars for is for the interesting read and learning about the events. Hats off for the leadership of Israel. Not many countries can show they have this much guts. :-)

[Jimipopoola · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars to a book that details the survival of a numerically tiny nation through ingenuity and strategy in the midst of predominantly large hostile nations despite Soviet material and technical support

[Eric Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an informative book about some of the major operations that were done by Israel. Most of them are old history and back in the early days and beginning of Israel. I wished though that it had more operations in the story, as there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Israel.

[The Jewish Book Council]

Review by Libby K. White for the Jewish Book Council.

[Titi Coolda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cartea despre Mossad a celor doi autori a fost infinit mai bună.

[Maddelline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enumeration of the most important Israeli military and intelligence operation of the last 100 years.

[Ray Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read
enjoyed every page of it. I will be looking for more books by this author.

[Sunil Mike victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coincidentally.... Reading this book at a time when IAF is pounding Hamas in Gaza strip. This time in Israel's history matches the title of the 25th chapter " THE NEVER ENDING STORY IN GAZA:2008, 2012, 2014".... I add 2021 to it....


So many action packed moments giving goosebumps... Some out of the world adventures.... Relentless grit, glory and sacrifice.... the determination to save each Jew, no matter where he/she is located on planet and the ability to hit the enemy of the state anywhere in the world even if they had to operate 2000 miles away from their homeland..... make them the best and the most dreaded...


A Gripping book by an author that was part of many operations himself... Brings out the valour of the IDF Special Forces soldiers, that have lead men into wars earlier during their service and lead the country later. Their current PM Bibi being one of them.


PS (or a spoiler 😉): The last chapter, chapter 26 about Jewish rescue from Ethiopia was brought to life in the 2019 movie (and one of my favorites) THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT.


I thank Micheal Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal for all their books, for they have given me a whole lot of exciting reads and motivation.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pride in my people -- recommend to anyone who wants more knowledge about the history of Israel's fight for continued sovereignty.

I cried with pride at the genius, passion and commitment, I cried with sadness at the tragic losses and I smiled because Israel is a great land that will live on.

[Tushar Mangl · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Mossad, writers Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal reunited for this epic narrative. It Chronicles some of the spectacular feats of the Israeli Special Forces. Like Mossad, the scenes play out as in a cinema or a TV show. And they make you wow of the Israeli populace which has shaped such a force.

[Tiago Palhoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great documentary about the Israeli Special Forces. Sometimes it seems almost like a movie. In fact, I'm starting to believe that movies are actually closer to reality.
If you are a fan of books about military operations, special forces, etc, then this is definitely for you. If you're not, still a pretty cool book to read due to its historical relevance.

[Amarjeet Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Just amazing. A numerically small nation with its back against the wall combatting for its very survival from day-to-day. How does it do it? Through technological and military prowess.

The narrative is uncluttered, the language free of jargon.

An honor to read this book.

[Arup Mittra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting to read and know about the Israel's several impossible missions.

[Roel Vlemmings · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hopelessly Israel biased. It reads like propaganda, and unengaging propaganda at that.

[Srinu R N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice narratives.. what I liked is representation of events in simple manner.. I enjoyed this book.

[Charles M Deosdade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Israel at its Finest

I really enjoyed this book! It gave me a new perspective and admiration for the great country of Israel. I recommend this book. It's a great read!

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely readable and fun. A walk through Israeli history through special operations. A very pro-Israel lens, but forgivably so.

[Lemon Lime · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is not educational at all, it only contains the doctrine of killing. Don't waste your time to read this book.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I found this book at a thrift store over a year ago, I picked it up to fill in some blind spots in my reading on the IDF and their special forces units. Halfway through on October 7 , I had to put the book down for a while as the biggest security failure ever in Israel's history made the book's triumphalist style a bit hard to take. Michael Bar- Zohar and Nissim Mishal are political media celebrities in Israel and were around many of these events in professional capacities, so this book reads often more like journalism than history. The obvious stories like Entebbe and Osirak are in here, but I found the raids from the War of Attrition and the Lebanese Civil War to be the more interesting and compelling stories. General readers will find the military procedural style a bit repetitive- but military history fans will adjust pretty fast and get maximum value.

Until the deadly bout of murder, rape and hostage-taking that Hamas were able to inflict on 10/7/23- Israel's Intelligence Services, Police force, and IDF Special Operators had been remarkably capable of averting large scale and even smaller attacks. When possible, the IDF tried to take the initiative- preferring spoiling attacks on their opponents' home bases to ambushing raiders inside Israel. The authors trace this back through IDF history- starting with their creation in 1947. The weapons and the opponents change, but one can see the doctrine developing and evolving. For operations to work, Intel, planning, and execution must all be in sync at high level. When any one factor drops the ball- the stories are not as triumphal...

There are a few adult themes and some graphic injury descriptions , so this is a book for the Junior Reader over 12/13 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is a really interesting book. For the Gamer there are many scenarios that can be gamed out in this book- although some other resources might be useful for confirming orders of battle. The modeler will find diorama and build ideas- but will also probably want more colour sources as well. The Military Enthusiast will find this book engaging- but will also probably go looking for more neutral sources -as this book is very organised for the Pro-Israel reader. A good read- but left me in the mood to read more diverse views on these topics...

[LaMar Stellfox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting, but a good read on various special operations or missions performed by IDF components throughout Israel's history in chronological order. Actually a concise look at the most difficult and impactful operations and into one book. In my opinion, many of the operations chronicled were not performed by Israeli SOF, but were special missions nonetheless, important to the country, and required great daring, bravery, and sacrifice. I have read many volumes about The Arab-Israeli Wars and battles and this volume motivated me to purchase volumes specific to Entebbe and the hunt for Black September; reading "Operation Thunderbolt" next.

[Blogul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cartea prezintă numeroase operațiuni celebre de comando, dar fiecare expediată în câteva pagini (format foarte mic), prea pe repede înainte și atât superficial, cât și deseori incoerent. Se simte că autorii sunt soldați, nu scriitori sau jurnaliști, din moment ce nu reușesc deloc să distingă ce e important ca informație și ce nu. Drept urmare, lipsesc adesea elemente vitale de context și suntem inundați cu detalii absolut irelevante. Traducerea foarte proastă nu ajută deloc și acest aspect mă enervează tot mai tare la editurile românești, sincer să fiu. Nici eu, care de fapt le știam deja foarte bine (operațiunile), nu am rămas cu nimic. Fast food, nu recomand.

[Wes F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 3-1/2 stars on my Reading Log. It was good/interesting & fairly informative, especially about the War 0f 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Very interesting also to read about the Raid at Entebbe Airport & the rescue of the hostages there. A bit "outdated," as most of the operations described all occurred before 2000. I think the reason they were included is they have been "unclassified" at this point. Got the book on sale; read on my Kindle.

[Aloysius Teng · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is obviously a pro-Israel propaganda piece, which isn’t surprising considering the credentials of the authors. However what was disappointing was that all of the operations described in the book were covered in very broad strokes with very little detail about the processes that went into the planning and execution of the operations. Also, a significant portion of the book was covering actions carried out by regular units, not the special operation forces of Israel.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating dive into some of the most daring operations by Israel’s elite forces. It’s gripping, especially if you enjoy military history and stories about real-life espionage. Some parts feel almost like an action movie, but it’s even more incredible knowing these missions actually happened.

[Haley Gotfrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a really interesting book for anyone that didn't go to Jewish day school; but it's very tactics heavy, doesn't paint any type of story, or give any insight or opinion on any of the missions, nor does it impart any overarching wisdom or concepts on the reader

[Navdeep Pundhir · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is almost like a sequel to the author-duo's earlier blockbuster, Mossad. This reads well in the beginning though you feel tired by the middle and want to finish it off quickly.
Since I am a big fan of Mossad and the IDF operations, this is a welcome read.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good history of the wars of Israel.
It felt a bit more like a general history of the wars; than being specifically about their special forces.
The stories were generally good an interesting.
More high level than similar books.

[Vardhman Kaushik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a bit slow and unorganized in the way it depicts some of the missions. But its worth a read for insights into the workings of IDF.