Operation Thunderbolt: The Entebbe Raid – The Most Audacious Hostage Rescue Mission in History

Safety advice before reading this stunning book . . . Take a day off work. Then lock the doors, close the curtains, switch off the phone, tell friends and neighbours you’ve gone on holiday, stock up on food and water, sit comfortably, then begin. Because I promise you, you won’t be able to move from that seat until you have read this superb book from beginning to end in one go… It might be hard to imagine how a non-fiction history book could be as exciting and edge-of-the-seat as the likes of The Day of The Jackal or The Hunt for Red October, but this book is all that and more, probably because it is a true story. Saul David’s masterpiece of historical research and brilliant narrative writing fully deserves to become as much a benchmark for outstanding non-fiction history as Stalingrad by Antony Beevor. Indeed, Operation Thunderbolt elevates Saul David’s reputation to the levels of Beevor, Overy, Hastings and their ilk. Superbly researched, often down to the most intricate detail, the book is written in a breathtaking linear narrative with rapid-fire international scene changes as the crisis develops and races to its conclusion. The inevitable climax with the release of the hostages at Entebbe in a lightning commando raid, is then backed up by a superb series of loose-end tie-ups stretching on for many years after the event – something that is often missing in books that get you so involved that you hardly want them to end. Good novelists like to give their characters human flaws, yet the real-life people in this book are all the more compelling and the narrative more gripping precisely because of those all-too-human flaws. The barbaric behaviour of the murderous tyrant Idi Amin, especially in the aftermath of the raid, is particularly shocking. Like the author, I was a youngster (14 years old) in that hot summer of 1976, and still remember the truly electrifying feeling that this incredible rescue raid had upon myself and millions of other people around the world. For once, the good guys actually won. Saul David does full justice to the heroic actions of the Israeli commandos that day, with a masterful account of what really happened. Ironically, my last book revue on Amazon complained about how not to write a history book. Operation Thunderbolt, by complete contrast, is an absolute masterclass in how to write a good history book. Saul David - I’m looking forward to your next book already . . .

A brilliant read and particularly helpful when dealing with the various attitudes amonmg the decision makers in the Israeli cabinet prior to the event. As time passes it is so easy to forget the drama of the time, but Saul David brings it to life in such a clear, readable and enjoyable manner.

An extraordinary story Well researched and told

An interesting and very readable account of a very significant moment in time. It puts this mission and thinking behind it in context of the time and geopolitical situation.

I enjoyed reading this book

Great book but never bought off Amazon

A new, measured appraisal of the events surrounding the hijack of Air France Flight 139 and the remarkable IDF operation to free the hostages is long overdue but I'm not sure this is it. The author openly states that he hopes the book reads as a novel rather than a history and it certainly does - the screenwriter tasked with turning it into a movie will have a very easy job. It is obvious that Mr David has done a considerable amount of research - I had the pleasure of listening to him give an eloquent and very enthusiastic account of the book at last year's Chalke Valley History Festival. However, I am concerned when he admits to making up much of the dialogue that is such a central part of the book's appeal. The detailed conversations between all the key participants are such that one has the impression of almost being an eavesdropper as events unfold. Given that such detailed records can't possibly exist; that many of the people involved are long dead and that even for those still alive it suggests a level of recall that is unbelievable after the passage of 4 decades, I really began to question much of what I was reading. This is very readable popular "history" - but take it with a large pinch of salt.

Written in real time, the narrative switches between all main locations applicable to the situation . Reveals the inner thoughts and actions of hostages,Israeli government, and security departments The actions of the terrorists are outlined with all the tension that they created. In summary it reads like a great fictional thriller but it is all fact which makes it all so readable and interesting. I recommend it to fiction lovers and non fiction lovers. Both palates will be satisfied with its' content.

Bellissimo libro di una vicenda appassionante. Lo consiglio sicuramente! Sembra quasi impossibile credere che il Mossad abbia potuto concepire e portare a termine un'impresa del genere.Eppure!!!!

Exciting, moving and very well written. A great story brilliantly researched and told from all the angles. I really enjoyed this book.

This is a very exciting and detailed account of the Entebbe rescue of the passengers on an Air France plane flying from Israel to Paris that was hijacked by Arab and German extremists and flown to Uganda. Based on the records of the time and individual accounts by the hostages themselves, we watch the hesitations and decisions painfully assumed in Israel, France and Germany in regard to the demands of the terrorists to liberate their imprisoned comrades in various jails and then free the hostages. We also experience the day to day trauma of the hostages held in an abandoned building at the Entebbe airport. The final decision taken in Israel, as we know, was to attempt a risky military liberation in a far-away country where planes would have to refuel and the attack take place in an unfriendly territory. After the non-Israelis among the passengers were freed by the terrorists and only Israelis held as hostages, five planes flew out from Israel, one a hospital plane for possible wounded and four filled with soldiers, armaments, and vehicles. The resulting successful liberation is described in detail as well as the aftermath of the operation and its effect on the countries involved.

Captures the essence of the entire operation for saving the hostages held in Uganda with the connivance of the Idi Amin. The brilliant planning by Israel and its soldiers and the support of the Government and political parties of Israel across the board .

It was a very detailed coverage on the chronology of the rescue of those passengers of Flight 139 who were held at Entebbe Airport. At the same time it gave a detailed description of the impact on the hostages, their captors and those involved in the rescue.