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Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad [Paperback]

Gordon Thomas
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)


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Book Description

March 3, 2009

In the secret world of spies and covert operations, no other intelligence service continues to be surrounded by myth and mystery, or commands respect and fear, like Israel’s Mossad. Formed in 1951 to ensure an embattled Israel’s future, the Mossad has been responsible for the most audacious and thrilling feats of espionage, counterterrorism, and assassination ever ventured.

Gideon’s Spies draws from classified documents, confidential sources, and closed-door interviews with Mossad agents, informants, and spymasters to reveal the organization’s deepest secrets. This fifth edition is completely updated with new information, including the Mossad hospital raid that eventually uncovered sleeper cells in Britain, the assassination of the world’s second most-wanted terrorist, the discovery of an unknown nuclear facility in Iran, the intricate relationship between Israeli intelligence and the Bush administration’s war on terror, and why one former Mossad chief says, “We are looking down the barrel of World War III unless the world wakes up.”



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Mossad was formed in 1951 to coordinate the intelligence-gathering efforts of the still-young nation of Israel. In the nearly half century since, it has become a force to be reckoned with, boasting an impressive track record of counterterrorist actions and assassinations. Gideon's Spies is loaded with anecdotes of their greatest exploits (and a few colossal blunders). Among the most interesting sections are the suggestions that Mossad agents killed media tycoon Robert Maxwell in 1991, that the agency's attempted recruitment of Henri Paul, the driver of Princess Diana's car that fateful night, may have caused sufficient emotional distress to be a contributing factor in the accident, and that Mossad operatives in America had tapes of the phone-sex conversations between President Bill Clinton and his lover Monica Lewinsky. There's also some extensive material on the links between the Israelis and the Vatican, including the Mossad's role in the investigation into the attempted 1981 assassination of Pope John Paul II and the agency's constant battles against the PLO. An interesting nonfiction read for fans of international spy thrillers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Among the world's most respected and feared intelligence services, the Israeli Mossad encompasses shadowy networks of katsas (case officers) often operating undercover, from Washington to Tehran to Beijing. The third update of this well-received book adds expanded sections on postinvasion Iraq, the black market in nuclear material, and other topics, tying up several loose ends from the earlier editions. Large portions remain unchanged, however, giving the book an uneven quality, as some chapters were written in 1994, some in 1999, some in 2004 and some last summer. Thomas's engrossing stories about assassinations, target surveillance and other skullduggery keep the pages turning, but the serious student of the Middle East may be put off by some purple prose, for example, about Saddam in incarceration: "His shaggy salt-and-pepper beard is trimmed once a week, enhancing his sharp, penetrating eyes.... But he will have an opportunity to state his case—more than he had ever allowed those he murdered." Skeptics will wonder what ulterior motives inspired Thomas's many tight-lipped sources to open up to him and will question their information, particularly regarding the more incredible conspiracy theories he writes about. Overall, however, Thomas provides a rare and valuable glimpse at the inner workings of a very secretive organization. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 736 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Fifth Edition edition (March 3, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312539010
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312539016
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gordon Thomas is a political and investigative journalist and the author of 53 books, published in more than 30 countries and in dozens of languages. The total sales of his works exceed 45 million copies.

Thomas' most recent bestseller is Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors. Published in 16 languages and 40 countries Gideon's Spies is known throughout the world as the leading resource on Israeli intelligence. An updated edition will be published in 2012 by St. Martin's Press. Gideon's Spies was made into a major documentary for Channel Four in Britain, which Thomas wrote and narrated, called The Spy Machine. The Observer called The Spy Machine a "clear" picture of Israeli intelligence operations, and The Times called it "impressive," and "chilling."

Customer Reviews

The book lacks footnotes. Adam Solomon  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad is a fascinating book. Allienne R. Becker  |  16 reviewers made a similar statement
To me, if I can give rating which is more than 5 Stars, I will give it to this book." Myo Maw Aye  |  7 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 49 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating but disjointed October 19, 2000
Format:Paperback
I thought this book was great in most ways. The Mossad is presented as an agency that will do anything to save Israel, to the point of assassination and framing their own agents. I have one major quibble though: his organization of the case histories/biographies/modern Israeli history was so annoying I wanted to tear my hair out by the end of the book. For example, a priest at Robert Maxwell's funeral leads to a shadowy meeting in the Vatican which goes to a flashback to Golda Meir meeting Paul VI to a flashback of James Jesus Angleton & Pius XII. A flashback to a flashback to a flashback?!?! And he starts the book with the Princess Diana tragedy, hinting more than a little it wasn't just a car crash. Apparently a Mossad agent was attempting to enlish Henri Paul around the time of her death. But after she dies, the Mossad is barely mentioned for 30 pages except that they probably know something about it. I know he's an English journalist and the Diana death makes juicy copy, but why don't we start a book on the history of the Mossad with SOMETHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MOSSAD?!?! So, I give Gideon's Spies 5 stars on content but a half a star on organization.
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Books about the history and activities of espionage organizations (both gathering intelligence and covert operation) are by nature subject to be taken with a grain of salt, since the nature of the business is secrecy.

Gordon Thomas does a good job unveiling that secrecy through his various sources, some named, some not, some within the Mossad organization itself, and many from without. He explicitly names these sources on an "acknowledgment page," citing his sources within Israel and Elsewhere. One can only judge the credibility of the information by comparing it to other accounts of the same operations, and asking oneself if it is believable based upon consistency with factual events.

Thomas pulls no punches in portraying the Mossad as arguably the most effective intelligence service in the world. He reveals their various tactics including psychological warfare, their legendary human intelligence capabilities, their worldwide presence (Thomas claims the Mossad has a mole in the White House, which the FBI has been searching for for years), and their covert assassination teams (known as kidons), and their ruthlessness in getting the job done in the defense of the State

Thomas excels at this, especially with this new, updated 2007 edition that covers the role Mossad plays and continues to play in the Iraq War, and probably an upcoming pre-emptive war with Israel's arch foe, Iran. He reveals tidbits of information, such as the unconfirmed "fact" that Israel possesses three nuclear missile armed submarines, currently in the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Iran, completing its triad of nuclear umbrella cover. This, as an example, is something that Israel would probably never really officially confirm or deny. But it passes the "does it make sense?" test with flying colors. Israel's land based nuclear facilities at Dimona (in the Negev Desert) is probably the worst kept military "secret" in the world." Nuclear payloads can be delivered by missile, aircraft, or seaborne vessels. Bombing Iran by air would not be practical due to the long ranges involved, so it does indeed make sense that it would need a third, seaborne leg of its nuclear capabilities.

Other accounts conflict to varying degrees with other sources. Since covert agents routinely use aliases, this is not unexpected; however, Thomas identifies the famous "man who captured Eichman" as the long term Israeli spymaster Rafi Eitan. Others, including Peter (Zvi) Malkin wrote a book on the subject some years ago, in which he takes credit for making the first physical contact with Eichman on that audacious mission in 1960.

There are several useful resources included in the book, including a comprehensive index, a list of the Directors-General of Mossad, along with their years of service from 1951 through the present, a general glossary, and an additional brief glossary of Arabic terms, and of course a bibliography and acknowledgment of sources and credits.

My only criticism is that the time line of events recounted is not linear, sometimes making it difficult to follow. But the more you know about Israeli history, the easier it is to overcome this. Also, the sheer length of the book (587 pages, not including addenda), makes for a long, but fascinating read. The newly released 2007 version of this came out just in time - a lot has happened since the original version.

This book should appeal to anyone interested in Israeli defense, politics, and especially espionage. Highly recommended for serious students of Israel..
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43 of 50 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating mix of fact and speculation. June 27, 2001
Format:Paperback
If only half of what Thomas divulges in this book is true, it's a blockbuster. And I would speculate that perhaps half has the ring of truth- but which half? Probably just the well-documented parts used to give a veneer of truth to the fabricated bits. Amid all the stories of the deceptions and intelligence games played by the world's secret services, it's tempting to suspect that Thomas is being played as much as any of the other dupes he tells of. Did Khomeni order the assassination of John Paul? Did the Mossad kill Robert Maxwell? Who knows?

The tales Thomas tells are often very critical of the Mossad, yet running through the book is the implication that the Mossad is the only competant intelligence organization on the planet, and that all other intelligence organizations are staffed with bumbling fools.

The book seesm to give the impression is that Thomas' principle source of information is one or more retired or discharged Mossad officers who have both a pride in the organization as well as an axe or two to grind, but the reader begins to doubt that at least halfway through the book. Many of the stories just don't add up. Some, like the story of Gerald Bull, are absolutely at odds with versions told by well-established sources and thoroughly documented. The Bull story in particular reads like a sloppy farbication by someone who hasn't done a lot of research.

Most of it is completely unverifiable, and a great deal of it strikes me as completely fabricated. And maybe, just maybe, the book is a piece of disinformation itself, designed to mislead and confuse. Who knows? File it on your bookshelves somewhere midway between Le Carre and Fleming.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars not bad
love it and useful

excellent quality, still being used like new 2 years later, i would recommened this product for interested

thanks
Published 12 days ago by Hello
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Very informative, educational and entertaining. Author Thomas has become one of my favorite authors among folks like Hemingway, Michner and Maugham.
Published 13 days ago by John Rhoads Sr.
5.0 out of 5 stars 10 Stars for Gideon's Spies
This author is authentic, tirelessly researched gives an accurate account. Read the book [from library] some years ago, now own a copy and re-reading it. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Xen
3.0 out of 5 stars Endless list
What is described here, and it is with great pride, is an almost endless list of acts allegedly committed by the agency that gives the book its title. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Eric Mascarin Perigault
5.0 out of 5 stars BEST EVER
OUTSTANDING . WELL WRITTEN, OVER 700 PAGES - AND I AM GLAD - I READ SEVERAL PAGES EVERY DAY AND NEW DISCOVERY ON ABOUT EVERY PAGE.
Published 1 month ago by FARRELL JACKSON
5.0 out of 5 stars Intersting book about Mossad
I enjoyed this book. It's broken up into a lot of mini stories. For anyone interested in learning more about the Mossad and their missions, this is a good book that goes over... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Adam Rosengard
5.0 out of 5 stars Gideon's Spies
Puts you right in the thick of it, and remembering some of the events worldwide when growing up, certainly puts things into perpective.
Published 2 months ago by Mark Riley
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
I thoroughly enjoyed reading book, great book with movie like real life operations. It is highly recommended for anybody with interest in espionage.
Published 2 months ago by Emmanuel Abu
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Great, super awesome book , must read to everyone who is interested in Secret Services , especially Mossad. Breath Taking.
Published 4 months ago by Vagarsh
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Excellent in all regards. The book is captivating, hard to put down. Loved all of it. Would recommend it to anyone with such interests.
Published 4 months ago by BRIAN MACMASTER
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