First Strike: The Exclusive Story of How Israel Foiled Iraq's Attempt to Get the Bomb

by Shlomo Nakdimon

First The Exclusive Story of How Israel Foiled Iraq's Att by Nakdimon, Shlomo; tr by Peretz Kidron

352 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading First Strike: The Exclusive Story of How Israel Foiled Iraq's Attempt to Get the Bomb by Shlomo Nakdimon. First Strike was not well-reviewed on Goodreads. There was criticism that it "dragged" and of the translation from Hebrew. I am giving the book "Five Stars" regardless. I am giving the book "Five Stars" regardless. I consider it a thrillin page-turner.

The author well makes the point without saying so directly that "diplomatic efforts" are useless against a determined enemy. Iraq was bound and determined to get "the bomb" and obliterate Israel. In the prevailing atmosphere of the late 1970's and early 1980's, oil could buy anything, notwithstanding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the International Atomic Energy Agency of the U.N.

Nakdimon well makes the case that should not need making; Israel and similarly advanced countries must defend themselves. Words are not enough.

[Josh Ehrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a translation and doesn’t flow as well as it could but, the material is excellent. A thorough account of the duplicitous behavior of Chirac and cronies as well as Italy to knowingly sell the equipment and no how to produce nuclear weapons. It also represents the failure of the IAEA to be able to address a dictator acquiring nuclear arms. The book demonstrates a clearly wrongheaded view in the American foreign policy establishment to the need for Arab support and the consequences of strong leadership. An erroneous view which has been destroyed by the current administration. That history has clearly demonstrated the attack was just, and beneficial to not only Israel, but to Iran, the US, and anyone who might have opposed Saddam is unquestionable. Begin deserves the credit for the decision.

[Alec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account, especially in the light of current events in mid-2019, but this book seemed to have dragged on a bit longer than it needed to.