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tartancrusader's review against another edition
5.0
Thoroughly absorbing and painstakingly researched
jfranco77's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an incredibly detailed history of Israel's targeted assassination and strike programs, from 1947 all the way to the present. For anyone who would want to read this book, it's probably 5 stars. It's practically a textbook - and it's definitely that well sourced.
Bergman talked to hundreds of sources, none of whom were authorized to speak with him. There's a ton of detail about the various Israeli organizations (it's more than just Mossad) and the various permutations of Arab nations and states that wish Israel harm.
For me, the book was just a little dense and a real struggle to get through at times. But it was still interesting, and now I feel really well informed.
The book is largely apolitical. Bergman criticizes where necessary, and praises where appropriate. I'll leave one quote here that probably sums up his overall vision, which IS a little bit political and opinionated, but after 700 pages of history, I think he's justified in saying it:
Bergman talked to hundreds of sources, none of whom were authorized to speak with him. There's a ton of detail about the various Israeli organizations (it's more than just Mossad) and the various permutations of Arab nations and states that wish Israel harm.
For me, the book was just a little dense and a real struggle to get through at times. But it was still interesting, and now I feel really well informed.
The book is largely apolitical. Bergman criticizes where necessary, and praises where appropriate. I'll leave one quote here that probably sums up his overall vision, which IS a little bit political and opinionated, but after 700 pages of history, I think he's justified in saying it:
Because of the phenomenal successes of Israel’s covert operations, at this stage in its history the majority of its leaders have elevated and sanctified the tactical method of combating terror and existential threats at the expense of the true vision, statesmanship, and genuine desire to reach a political solution that is necessary for peace to be attained.
briqhtkit's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.0
it was a LOT of info at first and hard to focus on, but it got so interesting. relevant ofc and the author clearly did a lot of research. the last couple pages!!!
ninaandtheb00ks's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite non-fiction books. It tells the story of the intelligence services of Israel, with a special focus on its targeted killings, from the time of the Yishuv until now. In order to do so, Ronen Bergman has interviewed countless state officials, who are directly quoted in his retelling. What I appreciate about this book is that it doesn’t only tell the success stories, but also discloses the wrongdoings and even blatant failures, which are sometimes so amateurish that they’re almost funny. I also liked that even though a large part of this book is about the conflict with Palestine, the author has tried to remain objective, and makes an effort to include both sides of the story. He’s honest: none of the players are pure and all of them are selfish. It’s quite a pill (800+ pages), filled with moral and strategic dilemma’s and a shocking amount of assassinations. I thought it was very informative; there was so much information that I think I already forgot half of it. Nonetheless, highly recommendable and thoroughly enjoyable.
yossikhe's review against another edition
5.0
Pretty great. Even though it is long, this history is impressively easy to read and contains the exact information needed. As a great journalistic and historiographic work, it tells an objective story of one of the world’s most mysterious organizations and brings up a space for reflecting upon subjects such as the limits of power, of targeted killings, and how can it affect/benefit a country.
netsfrompdx's review against another edition
4.0
Rise and Kill First is an interesting read. It spans the length of Israel's 70+ years of existence, giving a detailed historical account on regional politics, war and terrorist groups/tactics. For the most part, it doesn't put Israel in the best light and feels like the author has an agenda/ax to grind from his days as a reporter. Or put another way, it's the other side of the story versus what you see in the media when it comes to Mossad and Israel's mission to protect itself from all enemies. In any case, the author got amazing access to files, data and the leaders who lived it, allowing him to share a ton of info that I found fascinating. The book is really long and felt like a grind to get through at times, but it was a great historical lesson so was worth the time investment to read it.