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The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel

Uri Bar-Joseph

3.81 · Rating details · 928 ratings · 166 reviews

يغطي كتاب "الملاك" لمؤلفه يوري بار جوزيف إحدى أكثر قصص الجاسوسية إثارة في القرن العشرين الحياة الباهرة والموت المريب لأشرف مروان الموظف المصري الرفيع الذي عمل سراً لمصلحة الموساد الإسرائيلي. من موقعه كصهر للرئيس المصري الراحل جمال عبد الناصر ومستشار مقرَّب من خلفه أنور السادات استطاع أشرف مروان الوصول إلى أدق أسرار حكومة بلاده. لكن كان لدى مروان سرّه الخاص: لقد كان يغطي كتاب "الملاك" لمؤلفه يوري بار – جوزيف إحدى أكثر قصص الجاسوسية إثارة في القرن العشرين؛ الحياة الباهرة والموت المريب لأشرف مروان، الموظف المصري الرفيع الذي عمل سراً لمصلحة الموساد الإسرائيلي. من موقعه كصهر للرئيس المصري الراحل جمال عبد الناصر ومستشار مقرَّب من خلفه، أنور السادات، استطاع أشرف مروان الوصول إلى أدق أسرار حكومة بلاده. لكن، كان لدى مروان سرّه الخاص: لقد كان جاسوساً للموساد، وكالة الاستخبارات الإسرائيلية الشهيرة. أشرف مروان، الذي كان معروفاً لدى مشرفه باسم "الملاك"، حوَّل مصر إلى كتاب مفتوح وأنقذ إسرائيل من هزيمة نكراء بتزويده الموساد معلومات مسبقة عن الهجوم المشترك المصري السوري في حرب اكتوبر 1973. الملفت في الأمر أن مروان استطاع تضليل الشرطة السرّية المصرية الصارمة لعقود في السنوات اللاحقة، استمتع بحياة مترفة، لكنها وصلت إلى نهاية صاعقة في عام 2007، حين عُثر على جثته في الحديقة أسفل مبنى شقته في لندن. شكَّت الشرطة في احتمال أن يكون قد رُمي من شرفته في الطابق الخامس، لكن القضية بقيت غير محسومة. ولغاية الآن، بعد موت مروان، لم يُكشف سوى النذر اليسير عن حياته الغامضة.

إن كتاب "الملاك"، الذي يستند إلى أبحاث دقيقة ومقابلات حصرية مع الشخصيات الهامة ذات الصلة، هو أول كتاب يناقش دوافع مروان في التجسس، وكيف تم الكشف عن هويته كجاسوس للموساد ليس من أحد آخر سوى الرئيس السابق للاستخبارات العسكرية الإسرائيلية، وكيف تمت الاستفادة من – وإساءة استخدام – المعلومات التي قدَّمها. وبالتوسع حول هذه القضية، يُلقي الكتاب الضوء على التاريخ المعاصر للشرق الأوسط والدور الحاسم للجاسوسية البشرية في تشكيل مصير الأمم. وهو، لأول مرة، يجيب عن الأسئلة التي تلف ميراث مروان، وفي آخر الأمر، من الذي كان أشرف مروان يخونه حقاً؟ ومن قتله؟

_____________
A gripping feat of reportage that exposes—for the first time in English—the sensational life and mysterious death of Ashraf Marwan, an Egyptian senior official who spied for Israel, offering new insight into the turbulent modern history of the Middle East.

As the son-in-law of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and a close advisor to his successor, Anwar Sadat, Ashraf Marwan had access to the deepest secrets of the country’s government. But Marwan himself had a secret: He was a spy for the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service. Under the codename “The Angel,” Marwan turned Egypt into an open book for the Israeli intelligence services—and, by alerting the Mossad in advance of the joint Egyptian-Syrian attack on Yom Kippur, saved Israel from a devastating defeat.

Drawing on meticulous research and interviews with many key participants, Uri Bar Joseph pieces together Marwan’s story. In the process, he sheds new light on this volatile time in modern Egyptian and Middle Eastern history, culminating in 2011’s Arab Spring. The Angel also chronicles the discord within the Israeli government that brought down Prime Minister Golda Meir.

However, this nail-biting narrative doesn’t end with Israel’s victory in the Yom Kippur War. Marwan eluded Egypt’s ruthless secret services for many years, but then somebody talked. Five years later, in 2007, his body was found in the garden of his London apartment building. Police suspected he had been thrown from his fifth-floor balcony, and thanks to explosive new evidence, Bar-Joseph can finally reveal who, how, and why. ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published August 2nd 2016 by Harper (first published January 1st 2010)

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Aug 25, 2018 Ammar rated it liked it

This book will be the basis of the Netflix movie called The Angel to be released in Sept 2018.

This book is about Ashraf Marwan who was married to the daughter of the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and how he climbed up to become the right hand man to President Sadat.

At the same time he was an Israeli military intelligence agent, and he was able to send Israel many important details about the tactics and training and arm deals leading to the war of 73.

The Israelis didnt believe ...more

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Aug 19, 2016 Steven Z. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

October, 1973 was a traumatic period for the Arab-Israeli conflict which greatly affected the American economy. On October 6th, Arab armies attacked Israel on Yom Kippur morning and the ensuing war resulted in an Arab oil embargo against the United States that brought long lines at gas stations, a spike in prices, and rationing. The situation for Israel grew dire at the outset of the conflict, but after 21 days of fighting the Israeli Defense Forces proved victorious on the battlefield, though October, 1973 was a traumatic period for the Arab-Israeli conflict which greatly affected the American economy. On October 6th, Arab armies attacked Israel on Yom Kippur morning and the ensuing war resulted in an Arab oil embargo against the United States that brought long lines at gas stations, a spike in prices, and rationing. The situation for Israel grew dire at the outset of the conflict, but after 21 days of fighting the Israeli Defense Forces proved victorious on the battlefield, though it can be argued the war resulted in a psychological defeat. No matter how the outcome is evaluated the situation for Israel could have been a lot worse had it not been for Ashraf Marwan, an Egyptian who spied for the Mossad who happened to be Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser’s son-in-law, and following Nasser’s death a close aide to his successor Anwar Sadat, which provided him with access to his country’s deepest secrets. The story of how Marwan provided the Mossad information that should have allowed Israel to be on greater alert when the war came is effectively told by Uri Bar-Joseph, an Israeli academic with expertise in Israeli intelligence, in his new book, THE ANGEL: THE EGYPTIAN SPY WHO SAVED ISRAEL.

Bar-Joseph’s narrative follows Marwan from his rise to a position of power within the Egyptian government to his untimely death in 2007 when he was probably pushed over a terrace and fell to his death. Marwan was a corrupt egoist who felt he deserved a powerful position in government. His marriage to Nasser’s daughter was a step in achieving his goals. The impediment was the fact that his father-in-law held a very low opinion of his son-in-law. Intelligence sources made Nasser aware of Marwan’s avaricious lifestyle and he tried to get his daughter to divorce him. When she refused Nasser allowed Marwan to work at a low level position in his office that he greatly resented, which in large part provided a rationale for him to turn to espionage to acquire wealth.

Bar-Joseph traces how Marwan gained access to Egyptian state secrets and analyzes why he chose to spy for Israel’s greatest enemy. In assessing Marwan, Bar-Joseph concludes that his subject engaged in espionage for two reasons. First, was financial. Marwan needed money, but despite his contacts he was limited in influence because of Nasser’s Spartan approach toward his family. If he was going to achieve the lifestyle he craved he would have to find a source of income that Nasser’s intelligence people could not uncover. The second motive was Marwan’s ego. Marwan craved power, but realized he was blocked by his father-in-law. In his own mind he would show Nasser by turning to his father-in-law’s greatest enemy. Disloyalty to Nasser was the solution for his financial and psychological crisis.

Bar-Joseph does an excellent job explaining the marriage of Marwan and Israeli intelligence. He describes in detail how Marwan offered his services and the vetting done by the Mossad. The author takes the reader inside the Israeli intelligence community as they evaluate Marwan the person and as the relationship flourished, as well as the information that he made available. Bar-Joseph discusses a number of important personalities, the positions they occupied, and their reactions to each other. The key for the Israelis was to determine whether Marwan was a double agent. Almost immediately the valuable material he provided trumped the idea he could have been playing them. Though Bar-Joseph has a somewhat trenchant writing style, the picture he paints and many of the details he shares have never been published before and makes the book a very important work.

One of the keys to Marwan’s success was the Sadat-Marwan relationship as each needed the other. Once Sadat assumed the Egyptian presidency he needed a link to Nasser’s family which did not think a great deal of him. For Marwan, Sadat was a vehicle to improve his overall position in government to allow him to gain access to state secrets and new sources of wealth. Marwan’s success was his ability to provide the Mossad Egypt’s most closely guarded secrets concerning plans to attack Israel. For example, plans to cross the Suez Canal and establish a bridgehead in the Sinai, which came to fruition in October, 1973. Further he provided notes of Egyptian meetings with the Soviet Union that showed that Moscow did not think Egypt was ready for war as well as the minutes of a Sadat-Brezhnev meeting in 1971 that was later shared with the United States. Because of Marwan Israeli leaders developed a very accurate picture of Egypt’s intentions regarding war and peace, particularly that if Egypt attacked it would not be a comprehensive move to reconquer the Sinai. Israeli military intelligence firmly believed, much to their detriment in October, 1973 that Egypt would never attack until they solved the problem of Israeli military superiority.

Bar-Joseph traces the development of Sadat’s strategic thinking as he pressured the Russians to provide the necessary long rang planes, missiles, and air defense to allow an attack on Israel since he did not see a way to recover the Sinai through diplomatic means. By August, 1973, the Russians would provide most of the necessary weaponry, leaving out SCUD missiles, a key item because Israeli military intelligence believed that Sadat would never launch an attack until he received the SCUDS. As early as June, 1973 Marwan warned the Israelis that Sadat was changing his approach to war and decided he could attack Israel even if his forces were inferior. The problem for Israel was that the head of its Military Intelligence branch, General Eli Zeira refused to revise his thinking and could not accept that Egypt possessed the where with all to launch an attack. Further, Zeira refused to accept the fact that Marwan was not a double agent. When the decision for war was made and Sadat asked the Russians to leave Egypt, Zeira believed that Sadat would now take a more defensive approach toward war, but for Sadat he had removed a major impediment to launching an attack.

The author provides the details of all the warnings that Marwan provided the Israelis as early as April 11, 1973 that Sadat had altered his thinking and an attack would come in the late spring or early summer. Israeli military intelligence continued to mistakenly believe that Egypt would not launch an attack until it received SCUD missiles from the Soviets. Marwan provided information of Egypt’s preparations for war as well as the developing alliance with Syria. Throughout Marwan’s intelligence was dead on, but the Israelis did not analyze it correctly. For Bar-Joseph his most important theme that he reiterates throughout the book is that as war finally approached by September, 1973 “Israel’s military intelligence was under the command of a group of officers whose commitment to a specific intelligence paradigm was unwavering, almost religious, even though it had been obviated by events almost a year earlier.”

What is fascinating about Bar-Joseph’s account is the detail he provides, particularly, an almost hour by hour account of the two days leading up to the war. For example, the Israeli reaction to Marwan’s warning of October 4th that war was imminent, but the bureaucratic structure of Israel’s intelligence operations did not allow for the proper response and warnings to Golda Meir’s government. The author does a credible job following the actions and views of all the major historical figures who were involved in the decision making on the eve of the fighting. Even though Eli Zeira and those he influenced were unwilling to take Marwan’s warnings seriously which resulted in a spectacular intelligence failure, his information did speed up Israel’s reserve call up and other crucial decisions that saved them from an even greater military disaster than what occurred.

Once the war ended Marwan assumed a greater diplomatic role working directly with Sadat. He became the liaison with Libya, Saudi Arabia and Syria, but also with Henry Kissinger as the United States tried to achieve a lasting ceasefire. Even as Marwan worked to bring unity to the Arab world he was reporting to the Mossad. Marwan’s influence then began to wane and he was forced to leave the government on March 1, 1976, but remained in the background working on a weapons consortium. After Sadat’s assassination in 1981 he began a new chapter in his life moving to London. Throughout he maintained his contacts with the Mossad, but after the Camp David Accords in 1979 he became a low priority for Tel Aviv.

Bar-Joseph spends the latter part of his study conjecturing on who outed Marwan as an Israeli spy, and how he died in 2007. His speculations do not reach concrete conclusions on either score, but Marwan dies shortly after he was outed, leading to all kinds of conspiracy theories that the author addresses. Overall, Bar-Joseph describes an amazing life integrating all the major players in Marwan’s career as a spy. Though, at times the book becomes bogged down in detail and is overly wordy, it is worth exploring because it is an important story that deals with a very sensitive topic.
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Nov 29, 2016 Thabet rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is one of the best books I've read recently. Regardless of your opinion on whether Marwan was a double agent or a Mossad spy, there are a few amazing things about this book:

1. The documentation that the Israeli government had. Meeting notes from critical meetings are citied, although I haven't seen the original sources myself, the fact that the author references exact meetings and notes and links them in the appendix adds a lot more weight vs. the view from the Egyptian government, ...more

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Aug 05, 2016 Eric Gartman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The incredible true-life story of Ashraf Marwan, the Egyptian spy who worked for the Mossad before, during, and after the landmark October 1973 War, receives the full treatment it finally deserves by Uri Bar-Joseph, the worlds top authority on the intelligence failure prior to the 1973 War. Not only do we get a gripping real-life spy thriller, we are treated to analytic explanations of why certain events occurred, analysis that is based on incomplete evidence, but that professors Bar-Joseph so ...more

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Oct 31, 2016 Daniel Sevitt rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, translated

Plenty of juicy spycraft anecdotes here that are so bonkers they must be true. Speculation about the reasons someone choose to become a spy is fascinating even as it remains mere speculation.

The real strength of the book is revealing the mundane way that individual reactions to military intelligence and its source can impact the way a country goes to war. There were serious failures in 1973 and the book lays them at the feet of specific personalities. Harsh, but somewhat convincing also.

The ...more

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Aug 17, 2016 The Jewish Book Council added it · review of another edition

"Since Ashraf Marwan was exposed as a Mossad agent, the debate over Marwans true loyalties has centered on whether he was a double agent for Egyptian intelligence." Review by Adam Hirst for the Jewish Book Council. ...more

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Dec 26, 2017 Mohamed Shehab rated it liked it

Shelves: history, biographies

I 've read a lot of books regarding this era of time about the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although the storyline is reasonable, I think the book is completely biased to a specific side. There are a lot of historical mistakes (or Let's say points of view) devaluating the strength of the Egyptian preparations and tactics before and during the 1973 war! So the credibility of the book cannot be taken for granted and is questionable!

My opinion is that Ashraf Marwan wasn't loyal neither to Israel nor to I 've read a lot of books regarding this era of time about the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although the storyline is reasonable, I think the book is completely biased to a specific side. There are a lot of historical mistakes (or Let's say points of view) devaluating the strength of the Egyptian preparations and tactics before and during the 1973 war! So the credibility of the book cannot be taken for granted and is questionable!

My opinion is that Ashraf Marwan wasn't loyal neither to Israel nor to Egypt, but he cooperated with all the key players just for his own interests. Seeking a fast wealth could lead him to deal with Israelis in espionage affairs as well as he did with the Saudis and Libyans in their armistice deals. (Mr. 50%)

On the other hand, seeking power and being in the middle of the Egyptian power centricity could drive him to aid the Egyptian intelligence and achieve some specific intelligent tasks before and during the 1973 war. He was more likely to be a double agent based on the analysis the book's author did on Marwan's controversial personal character not only to the storyline (which is explicitly only from an Israeli point of view)

Moreover, The fact that Marwan worked with two different presidents and being awarded the highest medal of the Egyptian republic cannot disclaim an ongoing surveillance from the Egyptian intelligence on him personally over years. (Especially- as the author mentioned several times that intelligent reports on him never stopped since he got married to Nasser's daughter Mona)
In a comparison to similar stories of Eli Cohen (An Israeli spy who reached the peak of the Syrian presidential hierarchy during the 1960's) and Shula Cohen (who formed an espionage nexus in Beirut from top-ranked Lebanese officials), we find that both were discovered and caught. so how can imagine that the Egyptian intelligence wouldn't be able to discover a spy at the president's office during a war If he was really a spy to Israel ??

The Egyptian Mukhabarat (Secret Intelligence Services) got rid of him when he was linked to the Mossad in the beginning of 2000's to avoid any embarrassment. His death was planned in the same way used with Soad Housseny (a famous Egyptian actress-when she declared she would write her personal memoir mentioning her personal stories with top-ranked Egyptian officials)

Anyways his death ended, by all means, a story of a genuine corrupted man!
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Mar 02, 2019 Koustubh rated it really liked it

Ashraf Marwan an Egyptian Aristocrat inn this book who was a spy with his spy name "Angel" makes a reader wonder if he was an angel in reality for Israel. The only spy who is considered a patriot in Egypt as well in Israel captures readers imagination and makes one to think of spying more deeply with very inquisitive mind.

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May 27, 2018 Jim D rated it really liked it

Another exceptional book by this expert on Arab- Israeli conflicts. I have read one of his previous books and find him easy to read and very thorough. This particular book deals with a real world mystery concerning a high ranking Egyptian who was providing Israeli intelligence up to date information in the years and days leading up to the 1973 war. The fact that the Israeli's discounted his warning until it was almost too late is one of the main themes of the story. Other themes that emerge are ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Mal Warwick rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers

The history of the state of Israel is one of continuous war punctuated by intermittent stretches of peace. The open military conflicts the young nation has experienced have always threatened its continuing existence, but none more so than the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Never before and never since has Israel come closer to annihilation.

In The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel, the Israeli political scientist Uri Bar-Joseph tells the little-known tale of Ashraf Marwan. This son-in-law of The history of the state of Israel is one of continuous war punctuated by intermittent stretches of peace. The open military conflicts the young nation has experienced have always threatened its continuing existence, but none more so than the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Never before and never since has Israel come closer to annihilation.

In The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel, the Israeli political scientist Uri Bar-Joseph tells the little-known tale of Ashraf Marwan. This son-in-law of President Gamal Abdel Nasser and close adviser to his successor, Anwar Sadat, was also a spy for the Mossad. Marwan’s reports to his handler enabled the Israeli Defense Force to recover from the surprise of the initial Egyptian and Syrian attack and soon turn the tide.

A remarkable episode in Israeli history

Marwan’s story is astonishing. As a supremely ambitious young man, he married Nasser’s daughter. Marwan made the mistake of misjudging his father-in-law. When the puritanical president learned that Marwan was using his position to enrich himself, he cast the young man adrift. Bar-Joseph speculates that Marwan’s desire to exert revenge on Nasser led him to offer himself as an informant for the Mossad.

The making of an Egyptian spy

Nasser died in 1970 when Marwan was just 26 years of age. He cleverly maneuvered himself into the good graces of Anwar Sadat by undermining the Nasserite faction during the confusion when the country’s new leadership was in question. In short order, Marwan became Sadat’s personal representative to other Middle Eastern leaders, including King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and President Moammar Gaddhafi of Libya. These connections, and his closeness to Sadat, enabled him to amass a large personal fortune while reporting to the Israelis on a regular basis.

Doubts about Marwan’s authenticity

Marwan’s reports in the early 1970s frequently reached the desk of Prime Minister Golda Meir. But he was not universally regarded as reliable within the Israeli intelligence community. In fact, for the rest of his life there were those in the Israeli military intelligence leadership who maintained that Marwan was a double agent, placed to mislead Israel at important junctures. It was this skepticism that led several key Israeli leaders to disregard several of Marwan’s early warnings of the impending Egyptian-Syrian attack. Only on the day of the attack itself was his last, desperate message heeded at the highest levels. Though it came only hours before the Egyptians crossed the Suez Canal, the warning time was sufficient for the IDF to avoid catastrophe.

Espionage and egotism

Bar-Joseph explains at great length how distrust of Marwan came to be so widespread not just in the Israeli government and military but among the public as well. The head of military intelligence when the Yom Kippur War broke out had rejected Marwan’s report of the imminent attack—and for decades afterward he insisted in press interviews and in a widely read book that Marwan was a double agent. Bar-Joseph details the evidence refuting the double agent hypothesis and makes clear that Marwan’s chief critic was motivated by a desire to avoid blame for his failure to act on the warnings he received. Little wonder, since his stubborn refusal to accept reality was one of the most shameful acts in Israeli history.

About the author

Uri Bar-Joseph is an Israeli political scientist who has written the definitive book on the intelligence failures that caused his country to come close to losing the Yom Kippur War. The Angel focuses on the role of the intelligence establishment’s relationship with the spy whose reports were decisive in enabling an Israeli victory. ...more

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May 16, 2020 Shaunda rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

Interesting read. I originally saw the movie The Angel, on Netflix.

I thought the movie was interesting, so I figured id read the book to see how it differed.

Well the book and the movie were totally different. But both give me alot of perspective on Ashraf Marwan.

He definitely was very charismatic. Considering that he was not from royalty, but married into it.

Mona Nasser was Ashraf Marwan's stepping stone. He wanted all the bells and whistles that went along with being in a royal family.

It ...more

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Sep 10, 2018 M. Ashraf rated it really liked it

Ashraf Marwan
Lots of questions, you kind of get a few answers here; but the most important one, the why ? is so weak in my opinion. I can accept the fact that he want to stick it to his father in law and be on the winning side but after that, enrolling in the corruption cycle of the state and getting deals on land and weaponry because of his position why did he continued ? maybe protection and status abroad could be it, as he used his connections a lot, but the reasons the book listed were meh ...more

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Jul 08, 2019 Shelley Alongi rated it it was amazing

Fascinating read. Clear, concise presentation of positions and great defenses of cases for his arguments. And on top of that, a really interesting story. It helps to have a knowledge of Israeli history since 1948 because the author doesn't always go into great detail about all events or military organizations, nevertheless, one won't get tangled up in the details. In my opinion, he presents his case with a lot of integrity, admitting military mistakes and yet making sure you know his position on ...more

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Jul 24, 2019 Sondos Alqadri added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 23, 2020 Sterling Hardaway rated it really liked it · review of another edition

a thrilling and deep read of the story of Ashraf Marwan, an Egyptian man who worked as a spy for the Israeli Mossad. .
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I missed reading up on Middle Eastern history and politics from my college days and this was a pleasant walk down memory lane, and it was a good recap of the global impact the Yom Kippur War had on Israel and our entire world for the last 40 years. There's also something always captivating about foreign intelligence. What I like about this book is Bar-Joseph starts with ...more

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Jun 13, 2017 Jeannette M. Hartman rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

Part biography, part spy thriller, this book tells the unlikely but true story of how the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's son-in-law, Ashraf Marwan, fed high level information about Egyptian plans to attack Israel through the Sinai Peninsula. Marwan, an ambitious man who wanted money, power and influence, was not trusted by Nasser. Marwan found himself under constant supervision by Nasser's Chief of Staff Sami Sharaf, rubbing elbows with the rich but receiving the lowest salary in ...more

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Dec 27, 2017 Thomas Einstein rated it liked it · review of another edition

An amazing story!

The information in this book is astonishing. In an academic fashion the author has painstakingly footnoted his work to convince the reader of his conclusion that Ashraf Marwan, Nasser's son in law and Sadat's confidant, was a pivotal secret agent for Israel. Overall, the information is fascinating, but I give it only 3 stars because the narrative got bogged down in endless repetition in support of the authors assertions. I made it through the book motivated to discover Marwans ...more

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Nov 04, 2018 Mahmoud rated it really liked it

The author put an excellent effort in tracking and collecting the subject's breadcrumbs, reaching the conclusion that is the book's title. A deep psychoanalysis of the son-in-law is there for psychology geeks to enjoy, I for one did.
The book is full of information, some are from hazy sources at best, like TV interviews and personal meetings or unidentified sources concerned with their safety. But mostly the timeline is solid and reliable.
Except for some boring moments where Uri keeps repeating ...more

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Nov 04, 2018 Sherif Mostafa Attia rated it liked it

It is worth reading, especially for anyone interested in the history of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. I liked the rationality of the author on putting the different views of where the true loyalty of "Ashraf Marwan" lied, however, the book is kind of confusing by keeping on swinging between two modes. It was like watching a movie that you cannot decide if it is a documentary or not. It also completely neglects almost 40 years of Ashraf Marwan Life and jump straight to his death, which might be ...more

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Sep 02, 2018 Mohamed Essam rated it really liked it

It is extraordinary for such a book which should give a clear and a fair answer about what was Ashraf Marwan to leave behind many more questions with no clear-cut answers with mixed emotions to the Egyptian readers.

For me, 1973 war was a miracle and on the best topics to follow, for the weak prescribed side from 1967 till the surprise war, to defeat one of the strongest forts at its era and reach the other side of the Suez canal is an epic battle despite the wrong decision of proceeding outside ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 IrritableSatirist rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-have-reviewed

Uri Bar-Joseph's The Angel is a very well-written book on Ashraf Marwan, who spied on his own country for its worst enemy. The book explores Arab-Israel tensions and Israeli national security, but what makes it interesting is that it also explores the people behind them.

Bar-Joseph studied under a behavioral psychologist at university, and the influence shows. He goes into detail about the psychologies of Ashraf Marwan and the people around him, such as Gamal Abdel Nasser and Dubi. In doing this, ...more

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Feb 13, 2019 Abhirup rated it it was amazing

Riveting story of the spy who was the son-in-law of an Egyptian president and the close aide of another Egyptian president and spied for arch enemy Israel. His actions have probably changed the course of the history of the middle east. Apart from narrating the story meticulously (at places too loaded with details), the book does a good job of dissecting the psychology and motivations that made Marwan do this extremely dangerous enterprise. The labyrinthine and often crazy nuances of Arab ...more

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Dec 17, 2016 Peter Iskander rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Both, an exciting thriller, and a well researched documentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict during the 1973 war. One of the unique things the author manages to lay is the exact details of secret meetings that took place between high profile persons of interest - and he manages to cite references and first hand interviews with many of the involved. The book also leaves very little desired about the actual war (maybe overlooked a bit the role of the Egyptian airforce during the 6th of October war - ...more

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Dec 13, 2018 Bn rated it it was ok

I watched the movie first and that's how I ended up finding out about the book and the story, which I hadn't known about before. I don't say this very often, but I actually think the movie was better than the book. The book was very heavy on names, titles, etc. so it was a little hard to follow. I think if you went into this with a good understanding of history and Middle Eastern politics, you might find it more interesting and/or easier to follow. I was glad I saw the movie first, because it ...more

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Dec 10, 2019 Zach rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, israel-history

This book investigates the life of Ashraf Marwan, an Egyptian political figure who spied for Israel in the early 1970s. The climax of the book is Marwan's intelligence leading up to the surprise attack of the Yom Kippur War, which helped the Israelis prevent a complete catastrophe at the beginning of the conflict. A lot is made of the Israeli decision makers who mostly ignored the severity of this intelligence warning.

I enjoyed this for the most part, but it did seem to drag at times. Part of ...more

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Mar 15, 2017 Tony Taylor rated it it was amazing

"The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel;" what a great title for a suspense novel by a guy whom none of us has ever heard of before! But wait, the author claims to be an expert on Israeli intelligence and has written six books on intelligence, strategy, and the history of the Arab-Conflict! Maybe there is more to this book than we would be led to expect; this guy is for real and has written a hard-to-believe tale about a real spy in the highest places within the Egyptian government who for ...more

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Aug 22, 2019 Critic in the making rated it liked it

The book provides an insightful look at what happened behind closed doors at the most decisive moment of modern history in the middle East. Yet, it failed to deliver what it had promised and that's providing thorough convincing explantation to what motivated the Angel to do what he did and why he remained the upper hand, even though the risk on his part was much higher of he was exposed. It doesn't help the authors argument the fact he relied on many unidentified sources to back his claims, ...more

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Jan 24, 2020 Joshua rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Very good, detailed, well researched book!.

As this is a real life spy account, it only certain that there will be much untied loose ends that we will likely not find out, ever...but Uri does a marvelous job in giving the reader his take on all the possible scenarios and then, the reader makes the decision based on all the facts given.

I highly recommend this book, read it, then watch The Angel on Netflix (it will differ from the book) and also The Spy that Fell to Earth to give the reader an ...more

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Oct 03, 2019 Tegan rated it liked it

I enjoyed the subject matter, but wasn't crazy about the author's writing style. The endless repetition of names and military ranks just felt so hard to follow, and the author's need to connect seemingly every point to his argument about Marwan being a spy got tiresome as well. Overall I thought the book would flow a little better, but it read much more like drier non-fiction than a spy novel for sure!

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May 06, 2020 Soveym rated it liked it

This book was a really interesting read. A detailed book, lots of research and written well. I watched the movie on Netflix and wanted to learn more and this book tells a lot more. I think Ashraf Marwan did a pretty good job as a spy and his ability to fulfill his obligations for Israel and Egypt was excellent. I'm still puzzled about his death though. I don't believe he committed suicide, for me it's just a matter of who killed him or who had him killed. "The Angel" is definitely a good read!

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