This is the authoritative account of the Israeli army’s performance in the bitter Yom Kippur War of 1973. The origins of the war amid the turbulent history of competing powers in the Middle East are fully explored, as is the build-up of Arab forces that almost inexplicably caught Israel by surprise. The author then provides a gripping narrative of the conflict itself, punctuated by firsthand accounts and interviews with combatants. The War of Atonement is full of drama and tales of inspirational bravery, as Israel defied the odds to defeat the two-pronged invasion. An analysis of the political implications of the conflict bring this epic tale to a close.

For this edition Chaim Herzog’s son, Brigadier General Michael Herzog, has written an Introduction which places the book in the context of his father’s achievements and gives a revealing insight into the man himself. This is the most comprehensive work on a conflict that has had major implications for our own troubled times.

Chaim Herzog served in the British Army in World War II and in the Israel Defense Forces. Later he became Director of Israeli Military Intelligence, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations and President of Israel. His other books include Battles of the Bible (co-authored with Mordechai Gichon), The Arab-Israeli Wars, and his autobiography, Living History.

‘A scrupulously researched account…the most authoritative yet to have appeared’ Financial Times

Certainly the best account of the war from the Israeli standpoint that has yet appeared or is likely to appear for some years to come. -The New York Times Book Review