Moshe Dayan (Great Commanders S.) [Hardcover]

Martin van Creveld (Author)

Book Description

Series: Great Commanders S. | Publication Date: March 28, 2004

Martin van Creveld, author of the critically acclaimed Men, Women, and War, turns his attention to one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. With his distinctive eye patch, Israeli military commander Moshe Dayan looked every part the fearsome warrior, yet he was far more. This unflinching biography paints a complete portrait of Dayan the military man and statesman. Starting with his early days in the Haganah, a group of underground Jewish fighters, the biography follows Dyan’s career as a highly decorated star pilot; as the leader of the Israeli forces during the 1967 Six Day War and the October 1973 war; and as a master diplomat who played an instrumental role in negotiating the historic treaty with Anwar Sadat’s Egypt.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Martin van Creveld is a leading military historian and a professor in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in this short and fluent biography he draws extensively on Dayan's writings... a very modern hero.' THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

About the Author

Martin van Creveld is Professor of Military History at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He is an internationally acknowledged military historian whose works have been translated into nine languages.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; 1st Edition edition (March 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0297846698
• ISBN-13: 978-0297846697
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Bio about an Amaziing Man, August 3, 2006

By 

Jose C. Tejeda Jr. "Pito" (Camp Casey, South Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moshe Dayan (Great Commanders S.) (Hardcover)

Martin Van Creveld's biography of Moshe Dyan is unlike any military biography I have read. The author is, in my opinion, the best military historian ever. Van Creveld's writing is clear, precise, and very blunt to the point. In addition, his work is very thought provoking.
Unlike other biographies, which tend to paint the subject as larger than life heroes, van Creveld paints the life of this extraordinary man in terms that almost anyone can relate to. Not only can the reader get a sense of Dyan's extraordinary exploits, one can also relate to Dyan as a down-to-earth human being. One of the best examples of this quality how the author revealed Dyan's ability to relate (and in some cases sympathize) with his Arab adversaries.
I would encourage every young military leader (especially those fighting the Global War on Terror) to read this biography. Many of the qualities of good leadership can be gleaned from Dyan's example. I would also recommend this to any military commanders "recommended reading list".

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise biography of Dayan, February 26, 2006

By 

Utah Blaine (Somewhere on Trexalon in District 268) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moshe Dayan (Great Commanders S.) (Hardcover)

This is a concise, well-written biography of the Israeli soldier and statesman Moshe Dayan by the well known (and widely read) Israeli historian Martin van Creveld. This is an informative and interesting book, although no new ground is broken. Much (too much in my view) of the text is devoted to Dayan's role in various military campaigns, of which mountains have been written elsewhere. I found the discussions of Dayan's life outside the military sphere to be the most illuminating parts of this book. He had diverse interests outside of his professional life, and complex (turbulant?) relationships with his children. Dayan's interactions with many other Israeli statesmen and military leaders are also detailed. If you are looking for a short summary of Dayan's life with emphasis on military events, I would recommend this book. This is unlikely to be van Creveld's most enduring work, but worth a look.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A short book, maybe covered elsewhere, July 19, 2004

By 

Seth J. Frantzman (Jerusalem, Israel) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moshe Dayan (Great Commanders S.) (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful introduction to Moshe Dayan and Israel, unfortunatly it is very short and doesnt detail many parts of his fascinating life. Of great interest is the expose on his affairs and on his tour of vietnam as well as the revelations that his peers felt he might very well be an 'arab' and the interesting stories of his deep friendships with Arabs. Nevertheless the military campaigns are glosssed over and one might be happier reading his own accounts of the Sinai campaign or reading another history of the IDF since this book is slightly weak.

Highly recommended as an introduction, and a decent biographical sketch of Israels warrior politician.

Seth J. Frantzman