The Eve of Destruction: The Untold Story of the Yom Kippur War – The 1973 Arab Surprise Attack, Israeli Intelligence, and Survival

by Howard Blum

On October 6, 1973—Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar—the Arab world launched a bold and ingeniously conceived surprise attack against Israel. After three days of intense, bloody combat, an unprepared Israel was fighting for survival, while the Arabs, with massive forces closing in on the Jewish heartland, were poised to redeem the honor lost in three previous wars.

Based on declassified Israeli government documents and revealing interviews with soldiers, generals, and intelligence operatives on both sides of the conflict, The Eve of Destruction weaves a suspenseful, eye-opening story of war, politics, and deception. It also tells the moving human tale of the men and women who fought to maintain love and honor as their lives and destinies were swept up in the Yom Kippur War.

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

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Howard Blum is the author of New York Times bestsellers including Dark Invasion, the Edgar Award–winner American Lightning, as well as Wanted!, The Gold Exodus, Gangland, and The Floor of Heaven. Blum is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. While at the New York Times, he was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. He is the father of three children, and lives in Connecticut.

Get in touch!
Website: www.HowardBlum.com
Email: Howard@HowardBlum.com
Facebook: Like Howard Blum on Facebook
Twitter: @HowardBlum and @FloorOfHeaven

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

On 6 October 1973 , on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar , the Arab nations launched a cowardly surprise attack on Israel.
After three days of intense and bloody fighting , Israel was fighting for survival , while Arab armies where closing in on the Jewish heartland , poised to destroy Israel and anihilate her Jews.
In this gripping and skilfully written volume , Howard Blum brings the Yom Kippur War to life , through meticulous research based on declassified Israeli government documents and revealing interviews with soldiers , generals and intelligence operatives on both sides of the conflict.
We are reminded of just how close Israel came to being destroyed , hence a second holocaust.
The author enters the mind of General Moshe Dayan and his review of events during the frightening early days of the war:
"When he reviewed the events that brought him to this point he saw another continuum of Jewish history: a woeful march from Masada , to the Holocaust , to October 7 , 1973 - the destruction of the Jewish state"
We learn therefore how precarious Israel's position is and the reason for this tiny nation having to take all steps neccesary to ensure her security.
Focusing on commanders such as Ariel Sharon and Avigdor Kahalani , and on the Egyptian side Saad El Shazly , we are given an exciting and lively account of the war , always focusing on the human side.
We are also given an insight into the lives of the men and women of Israel who , through their sheer determination to see their country survive , snatched victory from the jaws of a horrible defeat.
The intelligence war is also well detailed.
The author also highlights the sheer numerical superiority of the Arab forces with over 1 million troops , 5000 tanks , more than a 1000 planes and 4 800 in field artillery , compared to Israel's 415,000 troops; 1,500 tanks , 561 airplanes and 945 artillery units.
After the Yom Kippur War , the Arabs realized that it would not be possible to defeat Israel by conventional millitary means and embarked on a two pronged war of terrorism and invidious propaganda against Israel and her people , to prepare for Israel's destruction.
The survival of Israel is indeed a miracle.
Long live the State of Israel.

[وسام عبده · Rating 3 out of 5]

يتناول الكتاب قصة حرب رمضان وأثرها على إسرائيل من الجوانب الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والاستراتيجية، محاولاً تصوير حجم الفزع الذي أصاب الإسرائيليين مواطنين وسياسيين وعسكريين لشعورهم أنه يوم النهاية التي سوف تلقي فيه إسرائيل دمارها الجديد. الكتاب يتناول المعارك على جبهة سيناء ويركز بشدة على طبيعة العلاقة بين السادات والشاذلي والثغرة التي ترتبت على إصرار السادات على التحكم في مهام رئيس الأركان. كذلك يتناول الكتاب معارك الجبهة السورية والتقدم السوري في الأراضي الإسرائيلية ثم التوقف فالتراجع مستعيناً بشهادات العديد من الضباط الإسرائيليين في هذه الجبهة. كذلك يتناول الكتاب ما صاحب الحرب من نشاط دبلوماسي في عواصم العالم الكبرى والأمم المتحدة. كما يقدم ومن خلال شهادات ضباط وموظفين في رئاسة الوزراء ما ساد مجلس الوزراء الإسرائيلي من فزع وعزم جولدا مائير وموشيه ديان على استخدام الأسلحة النووية ضد القاهرة ودمشق.
تبنى الكاتب وجهة النظر الإسرائيلية في العديد من المواضيع، زاعماً أن سبب هذا التحيز هو انفتاح المؤسسات الإسرائيلية التي وفرت للكاتب المعلومات والمصادر، في مقابل المؤسسات المصرية والسورية المتحفظة التي رفضت إمداده بالمعلومات. ولذلك تجد الكتاب محشو بشهادات ضباط وسياسيين إسرائيليين بينما يعتمد على ما نشرته الصحف العربية وترجم وبعض المذكرات التي نشرت للجنرالات العرب بشأن الحرب. أما مسألة الإرهاب النووي التي يرددها الكتاب، فقد أظهرت دراسات مختلفة أن إسرائيل لم تصنع القنبلة النووية قبل عام 1978، ومن ثم فإن موضوع ضرب القاهرة ودمشق بالقنبلة النووية يبدو دعائياً أكثر منه تاريخياً. الكتاب يفتقر إلى الحيادية وأستطيع أن أزعم بكثير من الثقة أن نزاهة الكتاب التاريخية يحوم حلوها في ذهني العديد من الأسئلة.

[Charles Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a gripping story. As usual, Blum makes it very real by giving us characters who are making or just trying to live through dramatic moments in history. I read it; I would read it again. But, it is so detailed as to be a bit confusing and hard to follow. Take it slow the first few chapters and clearly identify the characters so that the later chapters flow more smoothly.

[Susie Dokos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exstremely revealing

I read several books abiut this conflict previously. This one has a much deeper analysis of the failures of the lsraeli military and intelligence communities. Where they saw only what they wanted to see. How Egypt turned victory into a defeat beyond measure. How Epypt and the Arab world sees this war as a victory is puzzling to say the least. You pull off an amazingly sucessful surprise attack , turn back every attempt by the enemy to retake lost territory. Then go on the offensive and throw away your victory. Wnhen it's over you not only have to beg for cease fire. You have the lsraeli forces on your side on the canal, 2nd Army cut off and surrounded, and your capital threatened. Somehow that has been turned into a victory.

[Don Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this particular history of the Yom Kippur War because I was fascinated by the passage used as the teaser on the jacket: Israeli prime minister Golda Meir gives the order to prepare Israel's nuclear weapons ("Temple weapons") to be launched against Egypt, in expectation of Egypt and Syria defeating the IDF and overrunning Israel. But this history proved a great disappointment. It is the perspective of a journalist trying to find drama within the war, and as such it endlessly shifts back and forth between many perspectives. I would rather read an essentialist history from a more distant perspective. I simply was not very interested in such details as which Israeli soldier got married shortly before the war or who was a ladies' man; or what kind of wounds an individual soldier suffered. I had to tease out details of interest, which included:

Anwar Sadat's motivation for starting the war was ambition, while the motivation of Shazly, the Egyptian officer who proposed strategic and tactical decisions, was simply reclaiming the honor lost in the Six-Day War.

The reason the Israelis turned the war around was by simply outfighting the Egyptians and Syrians, although much is made of an Israeli officer discovering a "seam" in the desert between two Egyptian armies and sneaking into it to attack them from within.

Golda Meir resigned as prime minister after the war. The implication is that the disaster of the early war motivated Meir's resignation, but this is not explicitly stated.

After the war, certain high-ranking Israelis suspected "The In-Law," a mole within the Egyptian government who had fed information to the Israelis, of being a double agent planned by Sadat. This was never verified.

Worse, with the book entirely given over to a dramatic human-interest perspective, there is no information whatsoever on American intervention--the airlift ordered by Nixon, of course--or the political and military implications for the United States and Soviet Union. Although there is some information on the Soviet alliance with Egypt, enough to make clear that the Arab strategy and probably the war itself would not have been possible without the weapons and training the Soviets provided. The book is simply not interested in the broad perspective that would allow it to describe the international politics and military tension among the great powers.

Not recommended unless a reader has already read the history of the Yom Kippur War.

[Kathy Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed account of the Israeli perspective to the Yom Kipper War. Have to like detailed political and war facts to like this book. This story was told from a human perspective, detailing the lives of a couple who were very involved in this story

[Grandpa Ellsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author follows very personal stories, illuminating strategy, technology, politics, heroism and tragedy. Excellent writing.

[Paul Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't know much about the Yom Kippur War before reading this and was amazed to learn how close it came to going nuclear. Well written and pretty gripping.

[Larry Hostetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read this year in some ways. Debated whether to give it four or five stars; let’s say it’s a 4.6 star read.

First the .4 deductions: both the beginning and the epilogue disappointed. The beginning didn’t grab me, but I wasn’t far into it before the writing and story grabbed me at a “cant put it down” level. And the end was abrupt, too short. A little more narrative on what was given and “what happened to?” Explanation on what wasn’t mentioned would have helped.

But once the story/war begins until it ends the book is riveting and a good read.

One of the nice things about the book is that you’re given events from both the Israeli and Egyptian sides. It is instructive to see the similarities between the two, as well as a little insight into the differences, too.

I don’t think it requires much knowledge of the history (before or after) but could have added to my enjoyment with a longer epilogue. So many of the people in the book have had significant roles in the years since the war; a single short paragraph on each would be nice.

But WELL worth reading. A GOOD read!

[Joan E. Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that describes the Yom Kipper War in a very readable fashion. The situation between Israel and the Arab nations is complicated and this book helps to better understand the historical and complex friction. Howard Blum is a talented author and writes in a compelling fashion. You feel like you are reading a thriller not a history book. Mr. Blum explains at the end of the book his research and method for his presentation of the information so a reader can understand the facts with ease.

[CASPER HILEMAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when the mighty have been victorious time and time again? In a society, they often become complacent and suffer from a lack of imagination. In the military world that means people die and nations can be destroyed. That is what happened in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and this is the tragic tale of those who tried to prevent it and fought for the survival of their country.

[Clyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what the subtitle says (The Untold Story of the Yom Kippur War). It is told mostly from the Israeli and Egyptian points of view.
Well researched and well written.

[Paul Downs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too breezy, too Israeli.

[John P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courage. Under fire

I liked the conscience aspect of abject fear in the reality of imminent death in battle. Nothing compares to it.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good counterpoint as to why Israel won so decisively in 1948 when they were so ill-equipped and yet came so close to annihilation in the 1967 Yom Kippur War when Israel was much more battle ready - almost a victim of its own success following two decades of complacency and overconfidence in the infallibility of the men who headed its intelligence organizations, army, air force, politicians. It was the Israeli armour corps that took the brunt of the assault and stood their ground valiantly that won the day. However, this book can do with more rigorous proof-reading.

[Juliana Philippa]

Kindle version currently on sale for $1.99: https://www.amazon.com/Eve-Destructio...

[Noah Sudyka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eve of Destruction provides many great details about the Yom Kipper War. It also provides witnesses of the war that tell who how it felt to be in the bloody three day war. So the witnesses get me very interested about the war and provides a great amount of information.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this sometime during the summer of 2015, but can't recall the specific days. The book details the careful elaborate planning by Israel's neighbors to bring down swift-as-lightning air and ground strikes which would begin on one of the holiest days of the year for the Jewish nation. There were the loan voices crying in the wilderness of the Israeli political and military establishment warning of increased military activity on the part of Israel's hostile neighbors in the days prior to the outbreak of the conflict. But for the most part, Israeli officials were relatively unconcerned about the possibilities of attack.

But the attacks came on October 6, 1973, and a surprised Israel had to scramble to save what it could of gains from the 1967 war.

I was fascinated to read about the country's concerns over pressure put on it by other world powers, especially the United States, to enter into a cease fire agreement that would have altered the country's borders significantly. Add to that the serious discussions among many in the Israeli cabinet about the feasibility of using nuclear weaponry, and you have a most interesting book indeed.

Blum puts a human face'-several human faces--on the conflict. I bogged down a bit in dealing with names and nicknames and trying to keep everyone straight. I confess it was a bit easier to keep the Israeli people straight because so many of those names were the names often heard in my geeky youth when, with my shortwave set and wire antenna hanging out my window in a rather haphazard way, I would listen to the English language service of Israel's shortwave station. In my feeble defense, it really was easier to pull that Israeli signal out of the air. Syrian and even Egyptian shortwave stations proffered weaker signals, making it much harder for the teenage nerd that I was to pull down the signal.

This book details heroism and sorrow, charisma and flat-footedness throughout on the part of people on both sides of the conflict. You'll be surprised at how quickly you'll get through this. You'll want to take the early chapters at a somewhat leisurely pace until you feel you have the names in order. Concentrating especially in the beginning will yield increasing dividends as the book draws to a conclusion.

[LB · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book b/c I needed facts about the Yom Kippur War. A lot of facts are indeed presented, some well-known, some not. For instance, I found the story of Shabtai Brill interesting but I am not sure it's actually a true story given many other inaccuracies in the book. It feels like the writer had created the book with an eye towards a thriller movie being made of it; otherwise, I see no justification for the inclusion of romantic adventures of some Israeli officers, whether they're true or not. Again, that casts doubt on the presentation of other material and cheapens the book a great deal.

Another issue is the title. "The Eve of Destruction" suggests that there was a destruction and the story happened just before it. There was no destruction of Israel, to the best of my knowledge. A difficult and costly war, to be sure, a very traumatic experience that still lives in the nation's phyche today, but Israel was not destroyed. Secondly, "The Untold Story..." subtitle suggests something previously unknown. What was it in the book?

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

While its a harrowing read, I really liked this book. Sure, its overly dramatic. Sure its massively more about the Israeli side than the Egyptian. Sure it's more an emotional history of the war than a full real tick tock of the action. But it works. Its page turner history and its well worth the time. Starting with Sadat and Shazly's concept, all the way through the twists and turns of the prewar deception, to the Israelis 'African Venture" that brought to war to a close, the book hits on everything. But the weight is certainly on the early three days of the War when Israeli all-Armour doctrine was severely jolted by the Arab onslaught. Those dangerous hours form the core of the book. I think this is a good book for any adult interested in the topic.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative! Balanced account of the 1973 war events as planned, viewed, and executed by Egypt and Israel in particular. Mostly describes what was happening on the front lines so a good companion to books that might focus more on the geo-politics of the conflict. One of the most interesting aspects is the demomstration how military considerations were subordinated to internal and external political desires that proved largely hubristic, particularly on the Arab side. Very readable and maintains suspense even though the outcome is known from the beginning. Recommended to anyone looking to gain a better understanding about this conflict and to anyone looking for stories of heroism.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting contribution, what was going in "behind the curtain" on both sides. This turns some of the conventional wisdom, lessons drawn immediately following the war, on their ear. This is a story of people. But I got lost in the shift from last name to first name to nickname; I'm not convinced it helped the narrative. There were other editor issues - from simple proof reading to just doing maps at the beginning. Sure this is a people story. But much of the narrative is focused around very small areas of land.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes the reader right into the middle of the Yom Kippur War. His sources are important players from Israel and Egypt, but unfortunately not Syria. I just found the details and strategy to be fascinating. How close did Egypt and Syria come to overrunning a still young nation? What were the motives behind the war? How did political infighting change Israel's and Egypt's war planning? All answered in this excellent read.

[Rsoeffker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book... This book is perfect for folks who don't read a ton of military books. I found vast portions of this book very boring because I don't need an explanation on what a SAM is or why the USSR is involved in the middle east. That being said, it's well written and worth checking out for sure.

[Monte · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very close...

[Mweiss641 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not normally my kind of book, but outstanding. I loved it.

[Margaux]

Highly recommended by my DAD!

[Manuel J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book, in the form of a novel but describing real events. Highly readable.