Six Days in June: How Israel Won the 1967 Arab-Israeli War [Paperback]

Eric Hammel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

This is the original classic work by one of America's most respected modern military historians. It is a thrilling account of six extraordinary days in June 1967 when Israel embarked on a bold, risky war of national survival - and won! Hammel decisively disproves the myth that Israel's stunning victory was a 'miracle' or a 'fluke' and reveals how a tiny nation was able to, in secret, develop a First-World military force that has become the envy of nations around the world.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this highly readable popular history, Hammel ( Chosin ) maintains that the countdown for the Six-Day War began in July 1964, when Israel's completion of a system of canals and aqueducts to carry fresh water from the Sea of Galilee evoked fears in Arab neighbors that Israel was expecting an influx of settlers. Hammel argues convincingly that the 1967 war marked the finest performance of the Israel Defense Force, which in less than a week defeated the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria with a minimum of Israeli casualties. Pointing out that the IDF, unlike other military forces around the world, channels its best-educated conscripts into the combat arms rather than into the technical branches, Hammel illustrates the practical benefits of this policy with examples of imaginative improvisations by brigade- and squadron-level commanders during the 1967 war. With its emphasis on the David vs. Goliath aspects of the short decisive war, this proves a stirring tale. Jewish Book Club selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Hammel, author of 16 books on military campaigns, turns his attention to the Arab-Israeli Six Day War of June 1967. Military historians will be disappointed to see no footnotes, a thin bibliography, and an overall journalistic narrative rather than a history. Despite these drawbacks, Hammel does an excellent job of detailing how Israel prepared for the war and describing combat. Moreover, his highly readable style will be popular with public library patrons, especially if this is the first book they read on the subject. S.L.A. Marshall's Swift Sword: The Historical Record of Israel's Victory, June 1967 (o.p.) remains a better choice for military historians. Jewish Book Club selection.
- Dennis L. Noble, Washington State Lib., Clallam Bay Corrections Ctr.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Pacifica Military History (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935553541
• ISBN-13: 978-0935553543
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,250,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric Hammel's writing career began in the 1960s, when he was a teenager. He has had forty military history books, one novel, and more than sixty-five non-fiction articles published. Eric has worked as West Coast contributing editor for Leatherneck Magazine and as a publishing acquisitions and content editor, but he has spent most of the years since 1983 as a full-time author, editor, and publisher.

Free sample chapters from all of Eric Hammel's in-print books can be viewed at his author site, http://www.EricHammelBooks.com
All of his books are available on Amazon.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Should have been better, March 5, 2000

By 

Sergio Flores (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Six Days in June: How Israel Won the 1967 Arab-Israeli War (Hardcover)

This book is dedicated exclusively to the 1967 "Six-Day War," and I bought it with great anticipation. It's not bad, but it should have been much better. Hammel goes into details that enrich the story, but which, in too many instances, mean very little to the history of events. His prelude to the actual shooting isn't as clear nor as complete as it was expected, since he totally neglects the role of Intelligence in mapping the entire Golan Heights before 1967 and knowing exactly when and where to strike in the Sinai and deep into Egypt: that part of the war does not exist for Hammel, and without it Israel would not have won. Also, little or nothing is provided of the Arab leaders and their associates. Reading the "Arab-Israeli Reader" by Laqueur and Rubin, it's clear that Egyptians and Syrians expected a war, were relatively confident of victory, and were, in the end, totally unprepared for the swiftness and the accuracy of the Israeli blows. We get very little from Hammel, as if Israel had acted in a vacuum. The battle sections of the book are good but, again, the war ended on June 10, 1967, but it did not end, not really. Something more was needed. There was diplomacy, threats, and total confusion and incredulity in the Arab world. The book reads fast because it is well writen, but A.J. Barker's "The Arab-Israeli Wars" does a better job.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tactical Retelling of 1967 Six Day War, June 22, 2003

By 

Maximillian Ben Hanan (Sacramento, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Six Days in June: How Israel Won the 1967 Arab-Israeli War (Paperback)

Hammel's "Six Days of War" is one of the best secondary sources available regarding the 1967 Six-Day War. It is written in a popular format rather than an academic research format although it does have extensive references and a large bibliography. The book is clearly intended for popular consumption rather than discussion of university academics. Hammel is a well-known military writer and has extensively written about WWII although this is his first foray into the volatile military environment of the Middle East.

Many read this book expecting a full account of the war including every aspect manageable: political, economic, military, etc. Hammel's specialty is military history from the tactical perspective (that is to say devoid of all but the most important political and economic factors) and this book is no exception. Hammel focuses very tightly upon analysis and retelling of the battles that occurred and the military factors that led
to them. This tendency leads Hammel to discuss the many terrorist intrusions into Israel that the Israeli military was forced to lean how to counter (a factor that contributed greatly to the effectiveness and readiness of the Israeli military), but to leave out much of the bitter inter-Arab politics preceding the 1967 Six Day War.

The book lacks footnotes, but has an excellent bibliography, which includes not only books, but periodicals and special studies. An additional bonus is a complete Order of battle for the Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian forces of the 1967 Six Day War.

I definitely prefer this well-written book to but A.J. Barker's "The Arab-Israeli Wars," which shows a unsettling bias towards the Arab side of the conflict.

I highly recommend this excellent account of the 1967 Six Day War.

In addition, I recommend the 2002 "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East" by Michael B. Oren. This book has the most up-to-date research, extensive reference, and is bound to be regarding as a classic for historians regarding the Six Day War. As much as I've characterized Hammel's "Six Days of War" as the best secondary source popular history of the war, Oren's "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East" functions as the best secondary source academic reference of the war.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars pretty comprehensive review of the war, July 1, 2003

By 

Neel Aroon "jaroon7648" (Lexington, KY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Six Days in June: How Israel Won the 1967 Arab-Israeli War (Paperback)

The six days war is a pivital event in Middle East Politics after the second world war. Hammel provides an excellent detailed account of the war in six days in june.

Hammel splits the book into seven sections. The first is the road to war and gives a background into the origins in the conflict. Part two is entitled Zahal focusing on the Israel Defense Force. Countdown to War is part three and focuses on other armies like those of Egypt and Syria and the days leading up to the war. Part 4 deals with the war in the Sinai peninsula. Part 5 deals with Jerusalem. Parts six and seven deal with two of the most important issues of the war, the west bank and golan heights respectfully for these along with the gaza strip are a source for continuing conflict.

There are plenty of maps that help illustrate the history of the war. In addition, order of battle contains information on the different Israeli commands and forces involved.