1967, Tom Segev
1967, Tom Segev
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1967
Israel, the War, and the Year That Transformed the Middle East

Author: Tom Segev

Narrator: James Boles

Unabridged: 28 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/03/2007

Categories: Nonfiction, History, Wars


Synopsis

From Israel's leading historian, a sweeping history of 1967—the war, what led up to it, what came after, and how it changed everything. Tom Segev's acclaimed works One Palestine, Complete and The Seventh Million overturned accepted views of the history of Israel. Now, in 1967—a number-one bestseller in Israel—he brings his masterful skills to the watershed year when six days of war reshaped the country and the entire region.

Going far beyond a military account, Segev re-creates the crisis in Israel before 1967, showing how economic recession, a full grasp of the Holocaust's horrors, and the dire threats made by neighbor states combined to produce a climate of apocalypse. He depicts the country's bravado after its victory, the mood revealed in a popular joke in which one soldier says to his friend, "Let's take over Cairo"; the friend replies, "Then what shall we do in the afternoon?"

Drawing on unpublished letters and diaries, as well as government memos and military records, Segev reconstructs an era of new possibilities and tragic missteps. He introduces the legendary figures—Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir, Gamal Abdul Nasser, and Lyndon Johnson—and an epic cast of soldiers, lobbyists, refugees, and settlers. He reveals as never before Israel's intimacy with the White House as well as the political rivalries that sabotaged any chance of peace. Above all, he challenges the view that the war was inevitable, showing that a series of disastrous miscalculations lie behind the bloodshed.

A vibrant and original history, 1967 is sure to stand as the definitive account of that pivotal year.

About Tom Segev

Tom Segev is among Israel's leading journalists and historians. His works include The Seventh Million; 1967: Israel, the War, and the Year That Transformed the Middle East; Simon Wiesenthal; and One Palestine, Complete (chosen one of ten best books of 2000 by the New York Times).


Reviews

Goodreads review by Derek on April 13, 2021

This is a fascinating book, and a fascinating way to do history. Segev helps make 1967 feel current by giving the reader a tour d'horizon of Israeli politics, economics, literature, and everyday life. To borrow Foucault's phrase, this feels like archeology rather than history, in that Segev is caref......more

Goodreads review by Charles on December 07, 2009

This review originally appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle: War, that bluntest of the instruments of policy, seldom produces the precise results that its proponents expect. Forty years ago, the Israelis fought a war that ended in a swift six days and was hailed by many as a glorious victory. The......more

Goodreads review by David on March 18, 2008

A balanced and insightful view into the state of affairs in Israel before and after the 1967 war and refreshingly critical of the manner in which decisions were made at the time which affect the region today. A thorough and engaging writer, Segev created an informative book which left a lasting impr......more

Goodreads review by Liam89 on April 28, 2013

A wonderful, scholarly account of the war which lasted just six days, but whose consequences are still being felt today.......more

Goodreads review by Maureen on June 03, 2012

I have now been transformed from a novice on the Middle East situation to someone who would be very uncomfortable attempting to discuss it down the pub.......more