Customer Reviews

Entebbe: A Defining Moment in the War on Terrorism--The Jonathan Netanyahu Story

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If there is one book that everyone needs to read about the so called War on Terror, this is it.

A superbly written account of the last few days in the life of Lt. Colonel Jonathan Netanyahu, the late commander and architect of the famous Operation Entebbe, now also called Operation Jonathan in his honor.

Although several written and video accounts are available of this operation, this is by far the best. Operation Entebbe, was the hastily planned and executed rescue operation of about 100 Israeli hostages, held by Palestinian terrorists at the old airport terminal in the east African nation of Uganda's town of Entebbe. For those not familiar with it,
suffice it to say that it was probably the boldest, most audacious, best executed, most dangerous, and most successful rescue operation ever carried out.

Iddo Netanyahu is in a unique position to give to best accounting possible of the details of the operation. Youngest of the three Netanyahu brothers, Jonathan (Yoni), Benjamin,and himself, the latter had access to public and private interviews with other participants in the mission, ranging from its lead pilot, Joshua Shani, to many of Yoni's fellow
expert commandos and members of the raiding party, to political figures such as then defense ministers, Shimon Peres.

For skeptics, I suggest the begin with the last chapter of the book, only 4 and a half page pages written by the publisher, entitled "Publishers Afterword." I cannot improve on it to explain why this book is so important, and should have the largest possible audience. Aside from the obvious, i.e Yoni being the greatest fighter Israel (or possibly the world) has ever known, this chapter explains that Operation Entebbe defines terrorism - those who are willing to give their lives for the purpose of taking lives,to the absolute opposite, the soldiers engaged in the fight against terrorism, for the purpose of saving lives. Aside from being a fascinating and riveting account of the details of the operation, the larger "lessons learned" are much more important in sustaining us in the current war against those who would destroy the whole Western way of lifeRaid on Entebbealong with it's Judeo-Christian values.

This book is definitely not for Jihadists, Anti-Semites, Israel bashers, or knee jerk anti-war people. I ask that all of these refrain from rating this review.

I have an interest in hostage-rescue/counter-terror operations, and so when I saw "Yoni's Last Battle" (the previous edition of this book) at the local library, I decided to get it out. I enjoyed it so much, that I decided to order this more recent copy ("Entebbe"). The book goes into a lot of detail about the operation; but Iddo also puts a human face on the commander, his brother, Yoni. It is also quite interesting to see how Yoni related to his men; he was the ideal officer.

Iddo takes care to write accurately, noting his sources (and the reasons for choosing them) whenever there is a contradiction in different versions of the event. Iddo was once a member of Sayeret Matkal, so the men he interviewed, who were involved in the mission, would have felt more comfortable talking with him than with someone else.

Additionally, the diagrams in the book are helpful in piecing together what happened during the takedown.

I highly recommend this for anyone considering joining the service!

Iddo Netanyahu states he himself was once a reserve member of the unit that performed the daring rescue in Entebbe and that, combined with the fact that his brother Benjamin was once a member as well and that it was his other brother Jonathan ("Yoni") who led the unit to victory in this mission lends special credibility to this narrative. This book is readable and informative. The author states he took a lot of the information from taped interviews with members of the unit who performed the raid. I have only one complaint that causes me to drop one star and it has nothing at all to do with the author: the book binder/printer/whatever was a little "off" unless I'm just missing something about the latest trends in book printing. To explain, the pages are all different widths so that one edge of the book (where you'd normally thumb through) presents a jagged edge (which is impossible to thumb through). Never seen that happen before. Maybe mine was just a fluke. I would still heavily recommend the book to anyone interested in the raid.

This book written by the youngest brother of the only Israeli soldier victim Yoni Netanyahu is an excellent historical document describing not only the pre-action planning and the action itself in deep detail, it gives us also a very inspiring view of the personality of the Unit commander Yoni Netanyahu himself.
This book definitely describes the action a little bit differently compared to e.g. the movie Raid on Entebbe with Charles Bronson. There are several details showing the beginning phase of the assault not running as smoothly as shown in the movie and the moment when Yoni has been hit is also very different - according to this book based on interviews with the direct participants he was hit at the very beginning of the Israeli commandos attack on the Old Terminal, before any of his soldiers entered the building.
Another point being different in this book compared to the movie and a few documentaries is the existence of the Old Terminal construction plans. Other sources say an Israeli construction company which built the building provided the detailed plans used for practicing the raid. This book does not mention such plans at all. It even says the commandos did not know exactly what the layout of the building was and all knowledge came only from the Israeli personell being at Entebbe several years ago. This difference is quite interesting.
The book is absolutely excellent, very well written and it is a first hand account not only of the most daring anti-terror operation in the history but also of the personality of the Unit commander Yoni Netanyahu, the real hero of this hostages rescue mission.

Laurenc Svitok
Bratislava, Slovakia

Yoni Netanyahu courage at this time, his ability to plan, and lead this rescue has become legendary. The fact that the rescue was carried out without the "unit commander" is a testamony of his great ability. All of Israel knows and the Netanyahu family knows, even more so, what Israel lost when Yoni died. Even though I knew the outcome of the book (as it happened 30 years ago) I cried, and cried and cried when the book stated he died. And I was reading it on July 4th, the 30th anniversary of his death. This book also takes you into the mind set of Israel and why some things have been done. I now see Israel in a new light. Thank you Iddo, for writing this book about your beloved brother.

This is a book that on looks is not too inspiring, as the binding leaves a lot to be desired, however, the subject matter is inspiring.
Written by Iddo Netanyahu, you couldn't get closer to not only the 'unit'comanader Lt Colonel 'Yoni' Johnathan Netanyahu, or the story behind the planning, execution and aftermath of the 1976 raid on Entebbe. The author has been able through military and familial connections been able to draw on the raid form those who were there, and of his own memories of his older brother. I felt that the deviations into Yoni's past was a look into the circumstances that made him the man and professional soldier he was, and is entirely justified, unlike some previous reviewers who have thought otherwise. I would have liked to have seen more photographs, but that small critsim aside, I was enthralled by this book, and throughly recommend it to anyone interseted in not only the Raid on Entebbe, but the spirit and determination of the Isreali people and the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) in particular. The afterword by the publisher is strongly biased to the U.S. public and experience post 9/11, but the lessons of Entebbe and the Isreali reaction are no less pertinant today as they were in 1976.

A phrase Jonathan Netanyahu repeated over and over to his loved ones and the men of his unit who took part in the hostage rescue in Entebbe, Uganda. Operation Jonathan, for which the rescue at Entebbe would forever be called, was an extremely daring and dangerous mission which claimed his life and that of three other hostages. The Israeli unit under Jonathan went through many many practice runs and much planning went into the short hour it took to stop the terrorists and the Ugandans who backed them and to get the 103 hostages safely aboard the plane that would bring them back to Israel. The first chapter dragged a bit for me, but once the background for the story had been given, and the story began, I couldn't put it down. The story is told by his youngest brother Iddo who also served in the Sakeret Matkal for a time as well as brother Bibi. Sure there are always stronger, smarter, better people around. Who's the best? But that's not the point. His love was wonderful/extraordinary to me....II Samuel 1 What an incredible story. His fame shall live forever, the eulogies never cease. Read the story.

True the binding is a bit weird, but I LOVE the cover, front and back! "...A hero from (Israel's) past", "a new race of Maccabees". Some of the best books I've ever read are in shreds and tattered and torn. I once nearly read Crime and Punishment in college, read it to the end which was missing many pages. I could not put it down and I had more pressing books to study. This book is another one like that. What's most important is the content. I can't help but think of the zealots of Masada who carefully covered under dirt the worn pages of scripture in the makeshift synagogue and Mikveh they made on that rocky balcony of Herod's nearly 2000 years ago.

Yoni loved his brothers, that's obvious from his letters which can be found in Self-Portrait of a Hero, compiled by his brothers. I enjoyed Iddo's telling a story from their childhood when Bibi presented Jonathan with a "Talmudic dilemma": "You're in the desert with another person, you have one canteen of water. Either of you would need to drink the water to save himself. You can't split it. What would you do...?" Jonathan answered, "It would depend on who the other person was. (Good answer, my thoughts!) If it were Iddo, I'd give him the water." Iddo writes, "I looked at my big brother, who was then 15 years old, and I knew: He'd do it."

My favorite quote is from the publisher who writes in the afterword: "Terrorists die so that other people can die. Yoni died so that other people could live." Amen.

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:3

The book is interesting and fairly well done, but it suffers from both too much detail (seemingly interminable lists of exactly who was at particular meetings) and then not enough (the author says that Isreali soldiers had been stationed in Uganda in the years before the raid but doens't fully explain why; there are many other examples of times I wanted more context) In addition, although some doors were certainly opened to the author because he is the brother of Jonathan Netanyahu, as a reader, it is more difficult to accept some of the flowery compliments and accolades heaped on the commander when they are being filtered (or not) through a sibling. In summary, it is a highly personal and fairly readable take on the events, but not the definitive story.

Bought this version because of a review posted by someone else. Yes, very compelling and the afterword by the publisher is spot on. Many thanks to Iddo and Bibi Netanyahu for telling the story of the magnificent Yoni Netanyahu.

The author did thorough research (that should have already been done), but provided personal insights that only a brother and brother-in-arms could provide.