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Seymour M. Hersh

The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy Hardcover – October 27, 1991

by Seymour M. Hersh (Author)

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Print length

354 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Random House
Publication date

October 27, 1991
ISBN-10

0394570065
ISBN-13

978-0394570068
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Ever since the early 1950s, Israel has had one military eye firmly fixed on atomic weapons as a means of salvation, using them primarily as a military threat for both offensive and defensive purposes. Hersh, a Pulitzer Prize winner, expounds on the steady but quiet growth of an Israeli nuclear industry that proved so successful that Israel was able to coerce several U.S. administrations into doing its bidding. He also explores in depth Israeli access to U.S. intelligence satellite technologies that resulted from inattention by Washington leaders as well as from the four years of insider spying by Jonathan Jay Pollard. He reveals that the Soviet Union has been targeted by Israeli nuclear warheads since the mid-1980s. Unlike several other recent expos es of Israeli intelligence apparatus (Ian Black and Benny Morris's Israel's Secret Wars , LJ 8/91, and Andrew and Leslie Cockburn's Dangerous Liaison , LJ 6/15/91), Hersh follows the threads of a specific intelligence focus while highlighting U.S. policies that ultimately ignore the very real presence of the Israeli nuclear arsenal. This incredibly well-written book should be in every collection.
- David Snider, Casa Grande P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House; 1st edition (October 27, 1991)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394570065
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394570068
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.38 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #421,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #127 in Arms Control (Books)

Customer Reviews:
81 ratings

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4 star		17%
3 star		3%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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R.K. Sprau

War?

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

Modern politics has forgotten the past. Very few people know that Israel is a nuclear player. We ignored black market fissionable material that came from France and Africa, assistance from us. During the 6 day war, we were more or less blackmailed into giving assistance above agreed amounts or in self defense Israel would fire its 300+ warheads bringing in WW3, or if your spiritual Armageddon.

Now lets fast forward to the Persian Gulf War. We all remember the pictures splashed across our television of Israelis wearing gas masks. what they never told you is Schwarzkopf was facing the Israeli version of the Pershing 2 moved into the open for us to see, in a ready launch position Nuclear tipped missiles. Were they bluffing or forcing our hand, or setting themselves up to take everyone out to include us as collateral damage in one decisive blow? The author skillfully sidestepped the question and stuck strictly to the facts. For whatever reason, the implication is clear. Political motives aside, Israel would go overboard and disengage the quid pro quo or proportion response thus putting us in an almost untenable position. Not in the book, if one remembers what they extracted from us in exchanged for what?

This research book is designed to give you the overall history as to how they became a nuclear power, why we kept it as the worlds worst kept secret, and if one cares to read between the lines, how they learned a trick from us, the art of nuclear blackmail.

For those who are interested in the complex game of Middle East politics, the price of the end notes is well worth the read.

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

Eric

Seymour Hersh does a better job of showing that Israel had a hand in ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2016

Verified Purchase

Seymour Hersh does a better job of showing that Israel had a hand in JFK's murder, than Michael Collins Piper in his work Final Judgment.....and the scary thing is, that was NOT Hersh's intent. Thanks for having the guts NOT to go to Israel Mr. Hersh, where as you say in the front of your work, you would have been censured. And thanks for having the guts, as a Jewish American, to point out how crazy some of the radical thinkers in Israel are endangering our world.

24 people found this helpful

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Michael Ditmore

This book documents the growth of the Israeli nuclear program ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2018

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This book documents the growth of the Israeli nuclear program. It shows a record of Deceit unmatched in the history of diplomacy. It's a book that should not be ignored.
The Samson in the Samson option refers to the biblical text about Samson in which he chooses to destroy the Temple around him rather than defy the rules of God.
The Israeli nuclear program abounds in these kinds of equivalencies between Jewish martyrs and Israel's right to a nuclear program no matter what other people in the world might think.

4 people found this helpful

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R. Hawk

Intriguing, Well Written Book

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2020

Verified Purchase

Scholarly analysis of Israel and nuclear weapons. Well written and informative even though decades old...

The physical quality of the book was also as expected, no surprises (unlike many booksellers out here that try to peddle their books at a much higher physical quality than they actually are). Even though this book was old, it was in very good shape, even the dust cover... So no complaints about this bookseller at all.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

StevieGee1945

Samson Not Really Worried about Persia!

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2012

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Seymour Hersh did a wonderful job of connecting well-researched historical facts into a necklace of painful truth. Of course we know the clues for a concealed underground nuclear program; it's been done before, in Israel. Using archival and valid resources, Mr. Hirsh presents a compelling case. The truth shall set you free? I hope so. If we can scrape away the layers of religious dogma, ideological imperatives, and geopolitical manipulations, perhaps a new awareness can lead us closer toward peace and a click away from war. This book is a courageous achievement. In clear, concise, language, the author has provided the world with information that should be required reading.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jonathan S

Good but dated book

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2018

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I would recommend to anyone on wants to learn more about the subject, I saved it and bought it when it was on sale FYI. Keep in mind book published ~1991 so ends with Gulf War 1.

4 people found this helpful

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The History of Israel's nukes.

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2008

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"The Samson Option" is a detailed investigation into how Israel acquired nuclear weapons technology and ultimately, nuclear weapons.
The Israeli partnership with the French and later on South Africa on development of those weapons are examined along with some of the scientists involved.

The Pollard spy case is the subject of one chapter in the book.

The relationship with Israel from an American foreign policy standpoint of administrations stretching from Eisenhower to Bush Sr. is examined. Not all U.S presidents had the same view of Israel's nuclear pursuit. None were willing to admit knowledge of the program or address it publicly. It was considered better to be insulated from the issue or at least ignorant of it.

The Israeli lobby and it's financial contributions to presidents from Truman on was discussed. LBJ was definitely not adverse to accepting private,personal cash contributions from anyone.

Mr. Hersh mentions a subject that very few authors or pundits will mention-the Israeli Air Force attack on the U.S.S. Liberty in 1967.

Another interesting subject in "The Samson Option" is the people who privately financed the operation.
There is also a description of Israel's version of Los Alamos- they call it Dimona.

Seymour Hersh has provided yet another well-documented exercise in investigative journalism. The subject is one that is just as relevant to foreign policy today as it was when the author wrote this book. Whether you think Israel should have nuclear weapons or not, this book is THE BOOK to read on the subject!

30 people found this helpful

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Jerry

Very well supported

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2018

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This is well written and very well documented story. This is my first Hersh book and it was well worth the time and money.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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ARIF

genial geschrieben

Reviewed in Germany on July 23, 2012

Verified Purchase

Das Thema der beginnenden Nuklearisierung des Nahen Ostens und die seit den 5oer Jahren immer stärker auch in die Blockkonfrontation einbezogene Position der regionalen Mächte, wird in diesem sehr detailliert und zuverlässig recherchiertem Buch ausführlich und sehr gut lesbar beschrieben. Viele Hintergründe, wie z.B. die wichtige Rolle Frankreichs für den Aufbau des israelischen Nuklearprogramms, die heute in der aktuellen Diskussion selten - wenn überhaupt - zur Sprache kommen, werden ebenfalls sehr gut dargestellt. Die Lektüre macht wirklich Freude und das Buch ist auch mentalitätsgeschichtlich von hohem Wert, hilft es doch zu verstehen, welche Einstellungshaltungen seit 60 Jahren den Atom- und Rüstungsdiskurs mitbestimmen. Für die Analyse der heutigen Auseinandersetzungen ist dieses journalistisch geschriebene Buch daher eine wichtige Voraussetzung. Nach 20 Jahren einer (Wieder-)Entdeckung wert!

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Jamil Azad

Essential documentation to understand the real situation in Palestine and ...

Reviewed in Canada on November 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

Essential documentation to understand the real situation in Palestine and how close Israel came to be nuked and also how close it came to nuke others including you will never guess who unless you buy Hersh's masterpiece.