The Lion’s Gate: On the Front Lines of the Six Day War

In 1967, infant state Israel was set upon by all of her Arab neighbors. Five days later, Israel had wiped out the entirety of their enemies’ armies, destroyed all opposing air forces, and captured huge swaths of new territory. How was it possible for the infantile, miniscule state of Zionists to overcome the ancient, well-armed, numerous, and disciplined foes arrayed against it? Simple! By being better-armed, more disciplined, more highly trained, and by outnumbering their foes. But, you might be asking, how did they possibly do these marvelous things? Good question, and Steven Pressfield deftly and acutely answers it with an ingenious array of interviews, letters, and narratives from actual participants in the war.

Not only does the first person perspective that each of the interviews provide lend an edge and intensity to the conflict that is unmatched by any other history book I have read, but the excellent selection the author has included gives an outstanding summary of the events of the Six Day War. A truly superb work that truly elucidates a relatively obscure subject.