Raid On The Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign That Denied Saddam The Bomb (2005)

Book Info

Author

Rodger Claire

Genre

Young Adult Fiction

Rating

4.17 of 5 Votes: 5

Your rating

ISBN

0767914252 (ISBN13: 9780767914253)

Language

English

Publisher

broadway books

Shops

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

Read Online

About book Raid On The Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign That Denied Saddam The Bomb (2005)

What's always amazed me about this moment in history is that despite out pivotal it was it has barely registered as a footnote.In 2003 when we went back into Iraq part of the reason was Hussein's weapons of mass destruction program. When the absolute beyond a shadow of doubt proof wasn't found that satisfy even the most skeptical cynic (don't get me started on the mobile chemical labs to make "insecticide") the argument suddenly became that he never had a WMD program and that this was all just the actions of a cowboy president. This book takes the trip back in time to when Iraq was attempting to build a nuclear reactor strictly for the function of creating plutonium to build atomic bombs. Given Israel's normal level of classification around such events this is an amazing read. The author had complete access to all the participants and was able to create wild ride read. The attention to detail, secrecy and high level of rehearsal that went into this raid was mind boggling. The one funny thing that I learned was that Israel did with the F16 Fighting Falcon what its manufacturer, General Dynamics, said couldn't be down: a mission flown that far without refueling. The book is a page turner even though you already know the outcome. As you start reading the details you can easily find yourself reading on to find out how they overcame the next obstacle. The interesting way that the book is laid out is that the chapters alternate between the preparation and the actual mission. The other interesting point is that history seems to have come full circle as we now find ourselves confronting Iran over its nuclear program. Somehow this all sees like daja vu. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes to read books in the genre of military history such as Blackhawk Down.

Do You like book Raid On The Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign That Denied Saddam The Bomb (2005)?

This was an abridged audio version that, under 6 hrs, is perfect for listening during a single session (long drive, at work, etc). It chronicles the details of the 1981 Israeli Air Force raid that destroyed an Iraqi nuclear plant before it could go online. Saddam claimed it was for peaceful power generation, but also was a key part of their nuclear weapon research efforts.It starts with a brief history of Saddam's history and rise to power, some Mossad covert operations to get information needed to ensure destroying it before going online, Israeli political support/opposition, and the raid itself. It's reads a lot like a Tom Clancy techno-thriller, but is based on actual events. When it gets to the details of the raid itself, it's very fast-paced. This would make a great film with all the intrigue, politics and action
—Al