Customer Reviews

Elusive Victory: The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-1974

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was a research consultant on this book project under contract with TN Dupuy's think tank, Historical Evaluation and Research Organization. I worked up some data and battle studies for the 1947-49 hostilities and naval actions for all the wars. Knowing first-hand the amount of research that the late Col. Dupuy put into this book, I can vouch for his efforts to get the Arab side of the story. The research team corresponded with many spokespersons from all antagonists... except the Syrians, who simply recycled their canned wartime propaganda. The battle analysis is based on Dupuy's Quantified Judgement Method, a formula to gauge relative combat effectiveness. This formula has been challenged with respect to German versus American forces in Europe, 1944-45, but I believe that it is essentially sound for the various Mideast combatants.

I would say that the book should remain in print-- as of late 1999 it is still available in some bookstores (Borders and B&N)but is not currently in print. Any reissue, however, should at least have a new preface commenting on research and reviews since the book's 1978 publication date. (the new edition would get five stars, in my not so humble opinion).

For my own part, I know that some of the conclusions on the 1948 fighting need to be modified in light of recent work on Arab preparations and strengths.

As books about the Arab-Israeli Wars come, this one is definitely among the best. Traditional coverage of this topic is so often biased towards either the Israelis or the Arabs, although more towards the former than the latter. Mr. Dupuy however strikes a remarkable balancing act in his coverage of the many Arab-Israeli wars. Dupuy exerts remarkable efforts to narrate events, analyze them, and also to clear up various controversies. Although some of his coverage includes various errors or biases, his overall work is remarkably clear, concise, detailed, and balanced, and the overall effect of his work is untarnished by these minor mistakes. If ever there was one book to consult for a detailed look at all the Arab-Israeli wars from 1947-1974, this is it. While not exactly definitive, Dupuy's book comes closer to this standard than any book before it (and many after it as well!), and any student of the topic should definitely read this remarkable book.

The best documentary book I have ever read on the Arab Israili war. The book covers all the wars from a totally unbiased angle, and shows each and every detail throughout the war. I read the translated version fro Al-Ahram strategies center in Arabic, and I can't wait to get my hands on the original English one. Althugh I read the book, it is a must to have on your shelf. Simply it is a great reference

This is, in my opinion, the best single volume available on the military campaigns of the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973. If you are looking for a balanced overview of the military campaigns of the four wars, this is the book you want. This is a 600+ page book packed with details about all aspects of the fighting. The campaigns are described from both a strategic and operational level. There are also more than forty maps, three line drawings, and more than 100 photos. The skirmishes (military, political, and irregular) between the wars are also described in detail. There are two things in particular about this book that I really liked. First, this work is not a thinly veiled attempt to glorify Israeli military successes, like virtually everything else written in English on this subject is. Both sides are treated evenly and fairly. Second, Dupuy explains the political causes for each of the wars as well as the campaigns themselves. Much of what is written about the causes of each of the wars (and they were all different) is little more than self-serving propaganda (on both the Arab and Israeli side), and although the combatants similar, the political situations that led up to each war were very different. If you don't know who Trever Dupuy was, a few minutes of searching on the internet would demonstrate both his knowledge of military affairs and his fecundity as an author. This book contains a cold, balanced analysis of all four wars: what all combatants did right, what they did wrong, and why they chose to do what they did. The discussion of the '73 war is particularly enlightening. It is my belief that the great improvement in the Egyptian army between '67 and '73, their well executed strategic plan, and their initial (and largely unexpected) successes they had using Soviet equipment had a profound influence on American military thinking throughout the rest of the Cold War and beyond. In any case, this is a great book, and I would have to say that it is outrageous that it is out of print. If you feel that you want to learn more about the Arab-Israeli wars from a balanced source, this is unquestionably the place to start.