Our Man in Damascus: Elie Cohn

by Eli Ben-Hanan

This is the story of a man who became a world-renowned spy, whose government offered millions of dollars worth of military equipment for his return, and whose death was preluded by outcries from all quarters. The book is written in an intimate yet unswerving style, from the moment Elie was more or less pushed into spying for Israel to the immediate aftermath of his execution by the Syrian Baathist government. Before his discovery and eventual death, Elie Cohn managed to infiltrate the hierarchy of an enemy nation to an unheard-of degree. By projecting a winning personality, the distribution of much largess, (aka baksheesh) and the presentation of apparent revolutionary conviction, he managed to not only be a party to secret plans and military inspections of top-secret installations, but also to be an acquintance of the dictator himself, Amin al Hafez (al Assad). The book touches upon his life, family, and the disruption his mission had on both, while providing context when needed on his motivations. And, while not dwelt upon in depth, there were reasons the Egyptian-born Cohn agreed to an extraordinarily hazardous mission. The book will leave a reader in tears, as the calls for clemency pour in from areas with little or no love for the nation he represented. Even his enemies showed respect for the great man who managed to dupe them to an unparalleled degree. It fittingly ends with a photograph that seems almost a negative, showing Elie swinging from Syrian gallows. To call the book touching is almost an insult, as it is an intensely moving experience in every sense of the word. For friends of Israel, students of the Middle East, or even espionage enthusiasts, this book will add depth and understanding of a crucial and fascinating story of a great man, who died a master spy. (Amazon Customer)

Genres: History, Israel, Nonfiction, Biography, Middle East, Jewish, Espionage

143 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Gary]

Throughout Jewish history there have been men and women who have given their lives for the survival of their people.
This book relates the real life story of Elie Cohn, one of the great martyrs of Israel. an Israeli agent who penetrated Syria's top echelons of power, disguised as a Syrian businessman Kamel Amin Thaabet. born in Egypt in 1924, Cohn had taken part in a variety of intelligence operations for Israel in the 1950s in Egypt
He married Nadia, the daughter of a Jewish family of Iraqi descent.
Recruited by Israeli military intelligence, Cohn was given the false identity of a Syrian businessman returning to his country from Argentina to which he was sent to establish his identity in 1961 and moved to Syria having gained the confidence of the Fascist Baath Party elite in 1962.
Cohn gained the confidence of Syria's top generals and Cabinet ministers including Amin Hafez who seized power and became President in 1963 after the Baathists seized power in a coup.
Elie Cohn arranged the assassination of a top Nazi emigre in Syria (There was a large Nazi emigre community in Syria) who had been responsible for the murders of Jews during the Holocaust.
But his most important task was exploring Syrian fortifications in the Golan Heights and possibly saving Israel from destruction-definitely saving many Israeli lives when Israel liberated the Golan from Syrian control in the Six Day War.
Cohn was discovered and brutally tortured by Gestapo-trained Syrian secret police, appeals for clemency from the world were ignored and Cohn was hung in Damascus on 18 May 1965.
Israel has captured but never executed a single Arab spy during the entire conflict.
Heartrending is the pain of his wife on watching his execution and the photos of his wife and beautiful children who he left behind.
A great insight into the heroic exploits of one of the great heroes of Israel and the Jewish people.

[Ajay · Rating 5 out of 5]

reading about any patriotic israeli is always inspirational.. they never cease to amaze you with their deep sense of duty towards their country... a legend...

[Bartek Węglarczyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you watched "The Spy" on Netflix, now read this.

[Dave Bertolini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating look into the true story of one of history's most brilliant spies, Elie Cohn. In general, the history of the Nation of Israel from its founding through the 6 Day War is full of intrigue and courage. The Elie Cohn story is chalk full of both. Read it!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While driving through the Golan Heights in Israel, our tour guide told us the story of how an Israeli spy gained the intelligence that was used by the Israeli military to rout Syria during the Six-Day War. This book is about that spy. I found it fascinating that this man was able to infiltrate the Syrian government so well and for so long. He was connected with many military officials and was even considered a good friend of the Syrian president. Very quick read. Enjoyed it a lot.

[Turaaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about the daily life of a spy. It describes not only the action of a spy's life , but also the long process of acquiring friends , maneuvering in the target society and creating a convincing identity while maintaining a family back at home.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells how Elie Cohn infiltrated the "highest echelons" of the Syrian government and spied on them really well for Israel. Tells how he got caught. Some very tense moments! Wish the book had told more about Cohn's family and how often he got to see them.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting true-life Israeli spy story. Appreciate that it was done before Hollywood could get hold of and taint the story. Quick read.

[Ted Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because, during our recent trip to Israel, our guide talked about Elie Cohn.

[Rachel Messinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first watched The Spy on Netflix, so I was very interested in reading the true story. It’s a fascinating story. I’m very curious as to how some of the information was obtained. A great read.

[Ram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as a teenager.....was impressed at the time

[Corey Dempsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

Really interesting story, written terribly.

[Miras Safadi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find spy stories very interesting because it makes me wonder where would humanity be had the creativity, proactivity, and resourcefulness not been employed in service of espionage and in other aspects of daily life instead.

I believe that a spy should face the consequences of his government’s and his own actions and should never be painted a hero. It amazes me how a person with the same profession (a spy), the same skills, the same creative thinking, and the same mindset, can either be looked upon as a hero or as a traitor depending on which side you are looking from.

I rated 2 stars because this book paints the spy as a hero and never mentions the fact that they should face the consequences of their actions.

[Yasovarman Perinpanayagam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I took up and completed in the espionage subject. It’s quite short by the general standards but it tells the story in a straight forward manner. If you want to know what really happened in Cohn’s story you can definitely pick this up. It’s also written in a page turner style. If you start it’s hard to put it down until you finish. It lacks the literary adornments in writing style. It’s a ‘one time read.’

[Dorothee]

This is not fiction, it is the true story of a heroic Israeli man.

In the late 1960's, my father gave me this book to read.
Needless to say, it made an impact on me. As a teenager at a Jewish school in the relative peace of South Africa, I was drawn into this exciting, and ultimately terrifying story.

Little did I know that more than 50 years later I would find out that this man was related to my grandmother and lived in the same building in Cairo.

As they say... Small world.

[Mark Garwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Gives an insightful picture of the Israeli spy network of the 60s, and how one man infiltrated high up in the Syrian government. Helpful background on the history of Israel and its need to protect itself. Both informative and riveting!

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Silva made me to like stories of Israeli spies. And a Jewish friend of mine recommended me this real-life story. I was admired of Elie Cohen and his braveness and spirit. And although the end is not positive like in Daniel Silva's books, this was pleasant reading.

[Penni · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for content.
The writing was really poor though.
Watch the Netflix show.

[Gabriel Perlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a comic strip, illustrative and fast.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not really into books about spies, etc., but this book was very good. It is an easy read, but some parts were difficult due to the nature of the subject.

[Alissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

A heck of a story but this book does not do it justice. It’s a silly hagiography short on details and long on fawning.

[Wendy Ovadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond excellent. A story of a genuine hero.

[Ariel Lekaditis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an amazing book.Jewish people owe a lot to this man.His mission was so important for the 6 Day War

[Matan Hollander]

The book " Our Man In Damascus: Elie Cohn ", by Eli Ben-Hanan, published in 1969, tell about an Israeli spy that had been sent by the Israeli government to spy in Damascus, Syria. Eli's Cohn operates in Damascus, Syria in order to bring back important secret information to him own country, Israel.

" Tomorrow morning, Agent 088. Tomorrow morning. " this quote is said to Eli Cohn, the spy by the head of secret agency in Israel. The head of the secret agency tells Elie Cohn that tomorrow he is starting his mission. This line is an opening to this brave story of Elie Cohn, the Israeli spy. I think this line makes you realize how real this story is, and makes the story much more tense and simply realistic.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to whoever lover real spy stories. I would say this is one of the best books I have ever read. I learnt so many thing about the Elie Cohn story that I didn't know before.

[Thomas Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story. I was hoping for more of an objective and historical book. It was very opinionated and written at sort of a six-grade level. I would love to read a more historical book about Elie Cohn.

[Donato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elie Cohen. Everybody knows this name in Israel. He is the most famous Israeli spy....Reading the book you'll understand why many people in Israel believe he's still alive.

[dead letter office · Rating 3 out of 5]

a biography of a well-known israeli spy. interesting.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a real story about a real man

[Todd Wilhelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Israeli spy Elie Cohn. He managed to infiltrate Syrian government to the highest levels until eventually he was captured and hung in the public square of Damascus on May 18, 1965.

[Vered · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting topic, but it reads like a translation, with very simple sentence structures.