Operation Thunderbolt
Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport, the Most Audacious Hostage Rescue Mission in History
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
The definitive account of one of the greatest Special Forces missions ever, the Raid of Entebbe, by acclaimed military historian Saul David.
On June 27, 1976, an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris was hijacked by a group of Arab and German terrorists who demanded the release of 53 terrorists. The plane was forced to divert to Entebbe, in Uganda -- ruled by the murderous despot Idi Amin, who had no interest in intervening.
Days later, Israeli commandos disguised as Ugandan soldiers assaulted the airport terminal, killed all the terrorists, and rescued all the hostages but three who were killed in the crossfire. The assault force suffered just one fatality: its commander, Yoni Netanyahu (brother of Israel's Prime Minister.) Three of the country's greatest leaders -- Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin -- planned and pulled off one of the most astonishing military operations in history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Military historian David (Military Blunders) tackles the weeklong drama of the July 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight from Israel and destined for Paris by two Palestinians and two Germans, considering it largely from the perspectives of the hijackers who had diverted the plane to Entebbe, Uganda and Israeli leaders in charge of the rescue operation. David conclusively demonstrates that Ugandan dictator Idi Amin cooperated with the hijackers and, in reprisal for the Israeli raid, had an elderly Israeli-British hostage abducted from a Ugandan hospital and murdered, while also ordering the deaths of the Entebbe air traffic controllers and hundreds of ethnic Kenyans in his country (Kenya had provided landing rights to the Israeli commandos' transit planes). Of note is David's account of the tug-of-war between Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres Israel's prime minister and defense minister, respectively over whether to conduct the raid mission. David profiles other Israeli principals involved including Yoni Netanyahu, brother of Benjamin Netanyahu and the only one of the 91 commandos involved who was killed and captures the largely ineffectual and peripheral activities of a number of British, French, and American diplomats. David's book lacks insight on the hijackers' backgrounds and motivations, but is otherwise an excellent account of the planning and execution of a successful high-risk operation.
Customer Reviews
Operation Thunderbolt
Detailed story of Israel leaders ,their decision to a military response to rescue hijacked Israel citizens taken to Uganda by Palestinian and German terrorists ! Great writing.
Larry Gray
Operation Thunderbolt
Exciting and important. An excellent account that reads like a thriller but is extensively researched.
Fabulous
Gripping right from the first page...thoroughly recommend.