SPIES AGAINST ARMAGEDDON is a powerful, vivid history of Israel's intelligence services -- led by the respected and feared Mossad -- from the country's independence in 1948, right up to the current Middle East crises. Chapter 1 is titled "Stopping Iran," focused on nuclear threats, and then readers are taken through the entire history. The authors wrote a national best seller, EVERY SPY A PRINCE, about Israeli intelligence, in 1990. This non-fiction -- which reads like a thriller -- brings us to the dangerous challenges and innovative solutions of today. Best-selling spy novelist Daniel Silva writes: "Buyer beware: Once you crack the cover of Spies Against Armageddon, you won't be able to put it down. It is much more than simply the most authoritative book ever written about Israeli intelligence. It is storytelling and drama of the highest order."
Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
Best-selling spy novelist Daniel Silva writes: "Buyer beware: Once you crack the cover of Spies Against Armageddon, you won't be able to put it down. It is much more than simply the most authoritative book ever written about Israeli intelligence. It is storytelling and drama of the highest order." --Advance Praise
R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence, writes: Raviv and Melman have redefined the gold standard for nonfiction about intelligence. This remarkable history of Israeli intelligence from the War of Independence to Stuxnet calls it straight. By describing the roots of both the triumphs and the screw-ups thoroughly and fairly the authors help us see not only how Israel's survival has been effectively protected but the huge debt the rest of us owe. --Advance Praise
Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, writes: "These two world-class journalists take us to places we've never been before. They back up their points with tons of excellent research and reporting. They clearly know their stuff. I learned so much reading this book. I know you will, as well." --Advance Praise
R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence, writes: Raviv and Melman have redefined the gold standard for nonfiction about intelligence. This remarkable history of Israeli intelligence from the War of Independence to Stuxnet calls it straight. By describing the roots of both the triumphs and the screw-ups thoroughly and fairly the authors help us see not only how Israel's survival has been effectively protected but the huge debt the rest of us owe. --Advance Praise
Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, writes: "These two world-class journalists take us to places we've never been before. They back up their points with tons of excellent research and reporting. They clearly know their stuff. I learned so much reading this book. I know you will, as well." --Advance Praise
About the Author
DAN RAVIV has been an award-winning CBS News correspondent for over thirty years, with a Middle East specialty. He hosts a national radio show, CBS News Weekend Roundup. He is author of COMIC WARS, a book about the Marvel Comics bankruptcy and renaissance. YOSSI MELMAN is an Israeli columnist with a worldwide reputation for breaking news on espionage and security. He is author of THE NEW ISRAELIS, THE NUCLEAR SPHINX OF TEHRAN, and other books. Melman is winner of the Sokolov Prize for Journalism (Israel's equivalent of the Pulitzer) and a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard. He organized and participated in ironman triathlons in Israel and has run 30 marathons and 4 ironman competitions. Together, RAVIV and MELMAN wrote BEHIND THE UPRISING: ISRAELIS, JORDANIANS, AND PALESTINIANS (1989(, the national best seller EVERY SPY A PRINCE: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF ISRAEL'S INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY (1990), and FRIENDS IN DEED: INSIDE THE U.S.-ISRAEL ALLIANCE (1994). Raviv resides in Washington, and Melman in Tel Aviv. Their articles have appeared in many international newspapers and websites. Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, writes: "These two world-class journalists take us to places we've never been before. They back up their points with tons of excellent research and reporting. They clearly know their stuff. I learned so much reading this book. I know you will, as well."
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Dan Raviv is a Washington-based correspondent for CBS News and host of the national radio magazine Weekend Roundup. New book in July 2012: SPIES AGAINST ARMAGEDDON: INSIDE ISRAEL'S SECRET WARS. Most of his books are co-authored with Yossi Melman, and Dan wrote COMIC WARS about the Marvel Comics bankruptcy and renaissance. An earlier book with Yossi, EVERY SPY A PRINCE, was a national best seller; and they have a book about U.S.-Israel relations, FRIENDS IN DEED. Now they are again writing about the history of Israeli espionage -- and how Israel intends to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The book is largely aimed at Kindle readers -- because if something big happens in the Middle East, the authors will update the e-book immediately. Again, the title: SPIES AGAINST ARMAGEDDON: INSIDE ISRAEL'S SECRET WARS.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 86 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This detailed and exciting account of the history of the Israeli secret services, including the Mossad, the Shin Beth and others less well-known to the public, should be required reading for anyone interested in the history and politics of the Middle East. It is even more relevant because its opening chapter deals with the ongoing Iranian nuclear crisis and Israel's clandestine efforts to derail and delay the Iranian nuclear program.
The book clearly benefited from detailed interviews the authors conducted with leading players, some now deceased. The authors themselves are a winning team of a well-known Israeli reporter and a veteran American correspondent (full disclosure, I was a reporter in Israel for several years in the 1980s and knew one of the authors quite well.)
Starting with the founding of Israel in 1948, the book runs through some well-known episodes such as the kidnapping of Adolf Eichmann from Argentina to stand trial in Jerusalem. But there are many other vignettes that were unknown to me -- and I consider myself something of a professional student on Middle Eastern history. There is a comprehensive account of how Israel built its own nuclear program with help from France and others. The story of how Israel managed to persuade an Egyptian Air Force pilot to defect, bringing with him his top secret Soviet plane, could be the subject of a fantastic movie all by itself. Thus, Israel became the first Western nation to acquire a Soviet MiG-21 and it was a treasure trove for U.S. intelligence.
In another chapter, the authors describe Israel's success in protecting its civilian aircraft from hijackers and bombers -- and America's refusal to imitate some of the Israeli techniques despite repeated warnings. Had our leaders listened, we may have averted 9/11.
The authors show that contrary to popular opinion, the Mossad has generally been reluctant to kill its adversaries. It preferred to threaten and deter them if possible, with assassination a last resort. But they state unequivocally that Israel has been behind the murders of several Iranian nuclear scientists in recent years.
There is also a vivid and full account of the decision to destroy a Syrian nuclear plant in 2007. I had no idea before reading this account how close the Syrians were to developing a weapon. Their graphite reactor would have gone operational and started to produce plutonium within weeks had the Israelis not taken it out in September 2007.
The Mossad and especially the Shin Beth are not perfect. They have made major blunders -- such as failing to anticipate the start of the Yom Kippur War. The Shin Beth fell victim to excessive brutality against Palestinians in the territories and mishandled the two Intifadahs. Israel has made strategic decisions, such as invading Lebanon in 1982, that produced short-term success and longer-term disaster.
But what comes across to me most vividly in this book is the resourcefulness, courage and sheer inventiveness the men and women of these services have so often displayed. Israel is still at war, surrounded by enemies who wish to destroy it. These secret services are on the front lines. Often, what they do averts greater threats through their ingenuity.
Since its early days, Israel has developed a doctrine of not relying on others for the defense of the nation. This doctrine comes out of the painful lessons learned during the Holocaust. But the Iranian crisis is testing many long-held beliefs and assumptions, confronting policy-makers and especially the Prime Minister, with one of the most agonizing decisions any Israeli leader has ever faced.
This book will make readers more aware of the stakes, the opportunities and the dangers.
The book clearly benefited from detailed interviews the authors conducted with leading players, some now deceased. The authors themselves are a winning team of a well-known Israeli reporter and a veteran American correspondent (full disclosure, I was a reporter in Israel for several years in the 1980s and knew one of the authors quite well.)
Starting with the founding of Israel in 1948, the book runs through some well-known episodes such as the kidnapping of Adolf Eichmann from Argentina to stand trial in Jerusalem. But there are many other vignettes that were unknown to me -- and I consider myself something of a professional student on Middle Eastern history. There is a comprehensive account of how Israel built its own nuclear program with help from France and others. The story of how Israel managed to persuade an Egyptian Air Force pilot to defect, bringing with him his top secret Soviet plane, could be the subject of a fantastic movie all by itself. Thus, Israel became the first Western nation to acquire a Soviet MiG-21 and it was a treasure trove for U.S. intelligence.
In another chapter, the authors describe Israel's success in protecting its civilian aircraft from hijackers and bombers -- and America's refusal to imitate some of the Israeli techniques despite repeated warnings. Had our leaders listened, we may have averted 9/11.
The authors show that contrary to popular opinion, the Mossad has generally been reluctant to kill its adversaries. It preferred to threaten and deter them if possible, with assassination a last resort. But they state unequivocally that Israel has been behind the murders of several Iranian nuclear scientists in recent years.
There is also a vivid and full account of the decision to destroy a Syrian nuclear plant in 2007. I had no idea before reading this account how close the Syrians were to developing a weapon. Their graphite reactor would have gone operational and started to produce plutonium within weeks had the Israelis not taken it out in September 2007.
The Mossad and especially the Shin Beth are not perfect. They have made major blunders -- such as failing to anticipate the start of the Yom Kippur War. The Shin Beth fell victim to excessive brutality against Palestinians in the territories and mishandled the two Intifadahs. Israel has made strategic decisions, such as invading Lebanon in 1982, that produced short-term success and longer-term disaster.
But what comes across to me most vividly in this book is the resourcefulness, courage and sheer inventiveness the men and women of these services have so often displayed. Israel is still at war, surrounded by enemies who wish to destroy it. These secret services are on the front lines. Often, what they do averts greater threats through their ingenuity.
Since its early days, Israel has developed a doctrine of not relying on others for the defense of the nation. This doctrine comes out of the painful lessons learned during the Holocaust. But the Iranian crisis is testing many long-held beliefs and assumptions, confronting policy-makers and especially the Prime Minister, with one of the most agonizing decisions any Israeli leader has ever faced.
This book will make readers more aware of the stakes, the opportunities and the dangers.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Potomac
Format:Kindle Edition
Being very familiar with the history of the Israeli intelligence services, I found this book to be a trough of new, fascinating information. I highly recommend it to any one who is interested in espionage and Middle East affairs.
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spies Against Armageddon [Paperback] Dan Raviv (Author), Yossi Melman (Author)
July 11, 2012
Format:Paperback
Its hard to add anything after reading Alan Elsner's review but to say this is a great read. Its a page turner and very informative. I found the historic roots of the evolution of Isreal's intelligence service especially interesting, not to mention the philosophy of their operation which was constantly evolving to meet ever changing threats to the Jewish state. I'd give the book 5 stars +. I hardly think anyone would be disappointed. Millman & Raviv should be proud of their latest non-fiction thriller!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sets forth the story from an often unappreciated viewpoint...
I was most impressed that they debunked the storyline from Spielberg's movie, "Munich." Hollywood's attempt to characterize the Mossad and Shin Bet have confused the... Read more
Published 5 days ago by Christopher Hamilton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good book - very informative - Thanks!
I got a better understanding of middle east politics. Reading "Genesis 1948" also helped understand Israel's fight against those who will not allow their existence if given the... Read more
Published 7 days ago by David in AK
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazingly good read!
Recomended for all Israel/intelligence freaks! Reads like a novel and provides insight into relations and operations we knew little about
Published 16 days ago by Dominika
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!
I have read this book from cover to cover and highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good spy story.
Published 21 days ago by A. P. Getts
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
This inside look into Israels security network is insightful and full of facts that gives one a perspective on what goes on behind the scenes. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Elias
5.0 out of 5 stars
outstanding!
Raviv and Mehlman are the journalistic all-stars of literacy in portraying with frankness and depth
Israel's extraordinary intelligence services- less fiction and more stark... Read more
Israel's extraordinary intelligence services- less fiction and more stark... Read more
Published 1 month ago by nussman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply outstanding
For those interested in a factual, meticulous and objective account of The Mossad, Shin Bet and Aman this book will not disappoint. Read more
Published 1 month ago by David J
3.0 out of 5 stars
my review
Being an avid reader of any novel about the Mossad, I find this book interesting. The only rub I would say is that it reminds me a lot of another novel called the greatest missions... Read more
Published 1 month ago by MICHAEL
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inside view of the history of Israel
Gives an insight of more than just spies. Some of the big name players had occasional clay feet. Villains, scoundrels, big egos, and good guys lost all laid out for the world to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lawrence Stoskopf
2.0 out of 5 stars
History lovers reading
A bit too detailed in historical facts. Good for students of history but not for casual reading. Requires diligence to get through.
Published 1 month ago by Customer
