Customer Reviews

One Day in September

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"One Day in September" is a compelling and unblinking account of the Black September raid on the 1972 Munich Olympics that left five Palestinian terroists, 11 Israeli athletes and one German policeman dead. Reeve shows how Palestinian fanatcism, Israeli defiance and German police incompotence led to the tragedy. He also gives the background stories of the victims, putting a face to the names of the dead. The story is played out across a canvass of the Arab-Israeli conflict, of which Reeve gives a good overview for the less informed.

The second half of the book, which focusses on the Isreali revenge operation called "Wrath of God," is not as strong. Though a vital part of the overall story, the book is too brief to give the proper treatment to the myriad of assassinations that follwed the disaster. After a while it all starts to run together until both sides seem like a couple of warring mafia families.

Overall, Reeve is an excellent journalist and a good writer who knows how to tell a story. And in this case, he has a sad story to tell indeed.

Simon Reeve has offered a compelling and definitive treatment of the events of September 5, 1972, when members of Black September occupied the building housing the male members of the Israeli Olympic team at the Munich Olympics. The book also covers the "revenge" against the perpetrators by the Israeli Intelligence organizations.

What I enjoyed most about the book was that it incorporated journalistic-style reportage with pathos that brought to life the dead Israeli athletes, and also provided a human element to the motivations of the members of Black September who planned and participated in this extremely sad and tragic event. There will, perhaps, be those who would prefer the demonization of the individuals who were part of Black September, but by treating these individuals as human beings, the events of September 5, 1972 have an added resonance for the reader that does not lesson the horror of the event.

One Day in September is a fascinating and well researched book about the events surrounding the 1972 Munich Olympics takeover and subsequent massacre of members of the Israeli Olympics team by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September.

The book provides extraordinary details of events leading up to and during the takeover, the negotiations to free the hostages, the events at the airport in which all of the Israeli hostages and many of the terrorists were killed, and the aftermath; including the "Operation Wrath of God" (the Israeli retaliation), the cover-up of mistakes and miscues made by the German government and police, and the thoughts of survivors on all sides in retrospect. There is also a chapter dedicated to providing a short but comprehensive history on what led to the current problems in the Middle East - an excellent lesson for someone like myself who is a novice in this department.

This is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it. It is a must read for those who have an interest in history, and/or have their own personal memories of the Olympic games of Munich, 1972.

This is the entire story of the Munich Olympic Massacre. From the planning stages through to the exploding helicopters carrying the bound Israeli hostages, this book is a magnificent piece of research.

Black September was the Palestinian terrorist group responsible for the massacre. Named for the Jordanain military actions against the Palestinians in September of 1970 (the name had nothing to do with Israel, as one reviewer erroneously stated), Black September organized the raid on the Olympic village with the assistance of an apathetic East German Secret Police Force (the Stazi). The pathetic West German police forces at first tried to help, but after a certain point many simply refused to assist.

The results were horrifying. The news event was possibly the first live-action 24 hour news event ever broadcast and changed the way crises were broadcast on television forever.

Also included in the book is the story of the Israeli Secret Service's (Mossad) Operation Wrath of God, which was the manhunt for the perpetrators of the massacre.

This book should be read in conjunction with the documentary of the same name. A+: A masterful document that will bring you to tears.

I thought that the book written by Simon Reeve was a powerful rememberance of an inexcuseable event. The background research for this book was exhausting and it certainly helped to clarify the calamity that has yet to be resolved. This is a must read.

Few works have the depth of detail and insight to shed light onto the explosive and painful relationship between the Israel and the Palestinians. Simon Reeve has accomplished what is usually impossible through research and interviews that are both disturbing and profound. By including Germany's role in the massacre, as well as Israel's response, the terrorist incident in Munich takes on an imporant world view. This is a must read!

With the upcoming 2004 Olympics in Athens, and all the fear of possible security issues, I decided to read this work on the 1972 Massacre at Munich. It is exceptionately told by Simon Reeve on how the attack was planned, conducted and the aftermath. Reeve compiles information on all that were involved, and organizes it in a way that is easy to read and understand. This is one of the best books I have read and I encourage you to pick it up.

With such an emotionally and politically-charged topic, one of this novel's greatest accomplishments is its objectivity. Its other accomplishments include some of the most thorough research I've seen in a while, superb writing, and a style that keeps such thorough reporting interesting. Reeve reports on every aspect of every crime related to the events of September 5, 1972, including preceeding terrorist attacks that explain the future behavior of Black September, and attacks by Israeli Wrath of God agents following the games.

What still strikes the reader hardest is Reeve's unwavering objectivity, even when dealing with the mass murder of civillians, whether by Black September Terrorists or by Israeli inteligence operatives. Reeve is not once lured into editorializing on the events, but rather presents all the facts, both sides of the story, and others' opinions and allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. Consider this purchase money well-spent.

This is an exceptional read on the killing of Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics. These were defenseless individuals, not even properly guarded by the German authorities. The Palestinian Fatah movement commissioned Black September to take as many of the team hostage so they could force the release of over two hundred other hardened killers. The Israeli authorities would not do this. Therefore the Germans came up with a ridiculously simple plan to free the nine Israeli athletes and kill the hostage takers. They made so many simple mistakes, that even some policemen refused to take part in it. When the Palestinians and hostages arrived at the airport, an hour long shoot out resulted with five Palestinians killed and all nine athletes killed. This really destroyed the innocence of the Olympic Games and showed really what the Palestian Fatah were really all about.

The book also covers the revenge killings by Israel. The author disagrees that these have a beneficial effect on the outcome of the battle. I disagree. These revenge killings show that the hunter can become the hunted. It puts the fear into those that cause devastation throughout the world. Other than that, I think this is a fine read.

This is an extremely well researched and well-written book. To say I couldn't put it down is no exaggeration. Whether or not you are old enough to remember the terrible events, which took place during the Munich Olympics of 1972 you will still gain more knowledge and understanding of what happened. Simon Reeve carefully sets the scene and the background of the attack explaining some of the previous activities of Black September prior to Munich. The mot useful aspect of this book is that it maintains a good story packed with recently obtained information about the sequence of events leading to the deaths of the Israeli Athletes. At the end of the book is a description of the Israeli Operation, which set out to punish Black September for Munich. The personal stories of the bereaved relatives is worth reading in terms of understanding the effect which the attack had on the family's of the athletes.

At the end of the book there is a reflective and hopeful sense of optimism that after almost 30 years since the incident that some peace settlement will emerge in the future.