The Eve of Destruction: The Untold Story of the Yom Kippur War

On October 6, 1973—Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar—the Arab world launched a bold and ingeniously conceived surprise attack against Israel. After three days of intense, bloody combat, an unprepared Israel was fighting for survival, while the Arabs, with massive forces closing in on the Jewish heartland, were poised to redeem the honor lost in three previous wars.

Based on declassified Israeli government documents and revealing interviews with soldiers, generals, and intelligence operatives on both sides of the conflict, The Eve of Destruction weaves a suspenseful, eye-opening story of war, politics, and deception. It also tells the moving human tale of the men and women who fought to maintain love and honor as their lives and destinies were swept up in the Yom Kippur War.

Thirty years ago, October 6, 1973, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, the Arab world launched a bold and ingeniously conceived surprise attack against Israel. After three days of intense, bloody combat, an unprepared Israel was fighting for survival, while the Arabs, with massive forces closing in on the Jewish heartland, were poised to redeem the honor lost in three previous wars.

Based on declassified Israeli government documents and revealing interviews with soldiers, generals, and intelligence operatives on both sides of the conflict, The Eve of Destruction weaves a suspenseful, eye-opening story about war, politics, and deception. It also tells the moving human tale of the men and women who fought to maintain love and honor as their lives and destinies were swept up in the Yom Kippur War.

And for the first time, author Howard Blum uncovers the role of the Egyptian double agent whose masterfully woven plot nearly succeeded in toppling Israel.The Eve of Destruction is not only a complex and fascinating story brimming with headline-making revelations and absorbing characters, it is also mandatory reading for those who want to understand what is happening today in the Middle East.

“Remarkable.” - New York Times

“Remarkable....The Brigade [is] an illuminating addition to the annals of World War II.” - New York Times Book Review

“One of the most moving accounts of the war to appear in many decades.” - Washington Post