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Six Days in June: How Israel Won the 1967 Arab-Israeli War
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.
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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129 people want to read
About the author
Eric Hammel
103 books50 followersEric Hammel was born in 1946, in Salem, Massachusetts, and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Central High School of Philadelphia in January 1964 and earned a degree in Journalism from Temple University in 1972. His road to writing military history began at age twelve, when he was stuck in bed for a week with a childhood illness. Eric's father bought him the first paperback book he ever owned, Walter Lord's Day of Infamy. As he devoured the book, Eric realized that he wanted to write books exactly like it, what we now call popular narrative history. Lord had pieced together the book from official records illuminated with the recollections of people who were there. Eric began to write his first military history book when he was fifteen. The book eventually turned out to be Guadalcanal: Starvation Island. Eric completed the first draft before he graduated from high school. During his first year of college, Eric wrote the first draft of Munda Trail, and got started on 76 Hours when he was a college junior. Then Eric got married and went to work, which left him no time to pursue his writing except as a journalism student.
Eric quit school at the end of his junior year and went to work in advertising in 1970. Eric completed his journalism degree in 1972, moved to California in 1975, and finally got back to writing while he operated his own one-man ad agency and started on a family. 76 Hours was published in 1980, and Chosin followed in 1982. At the end of 1983 Eric was offered enough of an advance to write The Root: The Marines in Beirut to take up writing books full time. The rest, as they say, is history.
Eric eventually published under his own imprint, Pacifica Press, which morphed into Pacifica Military History and IPS Books. At some point in the late 1990s, Eric realized he had not written in five years, so he pretty much closed down the publishing operation and pieced together a string of pictorial combat histories for Zenith Press. Eric nominally retired in 2008 and took up writing as a full-time hobby writing two novels, 'Til The Last Bugle Call and Love and Grace. Fast forward to 2018 and Eric was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and on August 25th 2020, Eric passed from this life to the next at the age of 74.
Eric quit school at the end of his junior year and went to work in advertising in 1970. Eric completed his journalism degree in 1972, moved to California in 1975, and finally got back to writing while he operated his own one-man ad agency and started on a family. 76 Hours was published in 1980, and Chosin followed in 1982. At the end of 1983 Eric was offered enough of an advance to write The Root: The Marines in Beirut to take up writing books full time. The rest, as they say, is history.
Eric eventually published under his own imprint, Pacifica Press, which morphed into Pacifica Military History and IPS Books. At some point in the late 1990s, Eric realized he had not written in five years, so he pretty much closed down the publishing operation and pieced together a string of pictorial combat histories for Zenith Press. Eric nominally retired in 2008 and took up writing as a full-time hobby writing two novels, 'Til The Last Bugle Call and Love and Grace. Fast forward to 2018 and Eric was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and on August 25th 2020, Eric passed from this life to the next at the age of 74.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 18, 2016
Remarkable and very detailed study by a well-known military author. This is a complex account of how Israel faced the enemies that surrounded it in 1967 and created a most amazing victory over those who wished to end the nation's existence. The author is not dismissive of the Arab legions that sought Israel's destruction but gives a very fair account. I highly recommend this book if you are a student of military history, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, the Cold War, or are simply a fan of the nation of Israel's resilience, flexibility, and will to survive against all odds.
April 18, 2021
Zahal (IDF) its finest hour 1967
The author provides a detailed analysis of how and, more importantly, why Israel was able to defeat its numerically superior Arab enemies. Essentially crediting the strategic vision which permeates Zahal 's planning, Hammer also points out Israeli tactics, particularly Adherence to Mission, which allows Israeli commanders at every level flexibility to achieve military goals by whatever means; something Arab armies trained by the Soviets would never contemplate much less apply. Night fighting tactics are also credited with inflicting defeat on the Arabs, as is amazing leadership from lead from the front Israeli commanders, such as Arik Sharon, Raphael Within, Avraham Coffee, Elapse, Gur to name some senior commanders but was a trait throughout Zahal at all levels. Hammer also credits the recruitment and training in Zahal as key, particularly in the IAF, without which the overwhelming victory in 1967 wouldn't have been possible. Interestingly, on a final note, the author makes it clear that the US was not Israel's principal purveyor of weapons. It was France who supplied most of its equipment particularly the Mystere and Mirage aircraft that destroyed Arab air fighting capacity. It is overall a book worth reading if you are interested in military history and in current state of the Middle East.
The author provides a detailed analysis of how and, more importantly, why Israel was able to defeat its numerically superior Arab enemies. Essentially crediting the strategic vision which permeates Zahal 's planning, Hammer also points out Israeli tactics, particularly Adherence to Mission, which allows Israeli commanders at every level flexibility to achieve military goals by whatever means; something Arab armies trained by the Soviets would never contemplate much less apply. Night fighting tactics are also credited with inflicting defeat on the Arabs, as is amazing leadership from lead from the front Israeli commanders, such as Arik Sharon, Raphael Within, Avraham Coffee, Elapse, Gur to name some senior commanders but was a trait throughout Zahal at all levels. Hammer also credits the recruitment and training in Zahal as key, particularly in the IAF, without which the overwhelming victory in 1967 wouldn't have been possible. Interestingly, on a final note, the author makes it clear that the US was not Israel's principal purveyor of weapons. It was France who supplied most of its equipment particularly the Mystere and Mirage aircraft that destroyed Arab air fighting capacity. It is overall a book worth reading if you are interested in military history and in current state of the Middle East.
May 13, 2025
This was an incredibly detailed account of the technical details involved in the 1967 six day war between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The heavy use of military terms without explanation was a bit much for myself without a military background, but it is still a well explained and well documented book on all the little (and big) things that went into the events leading up to, and the actual six day war. A must read for anyone who cares about recent middle east history, current middle east politics, or history of the State of Israel.
July 13, 2022
A definitive work on the Six Day War!
An extremely well researched and well written book, but unfortunately severely let down by a lack of editing, which makes it much harder to read than it need be.
An extremely well researched and well written book, but unfortunately severely let down by a lack of editing, which makes it much harder to read than it need be.
June 18, 2019
A look at the Six-Day War describes how the Israelis adopted German World War II tactics--including lightning fast attacks and shock air assaults--to defeat the Arab armies.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews