Israel and the Bomb

by Avner Cohen

Book Overview

Until now, there has been no detailed account of Israel's nuclear history. Previous treatments of the subject relied heavily on rumors, leaks, and journalistic speculations. But with Israel and the Bomb, Avner Cohen has forged an interpretive political history that draws on thousands of American and Israeli government documents--most of them recently declassified and never before cited--and more than one hundred interviews with key individuals who...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231104820
• ISBN13: 9780231104821
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 470 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Israel's nuclear opacity

Interesting account of the secret development of the Israeli atomic bomb, starting in the fifties with the decision of Ben Gurion, and his persistence. One can hardly exempt Israel from the general charges against proliferation, but at least in this instance there is a certain discipline to the endeavor, and, so far, no mad bomber routines. To be sure, Israel is a special case, the factor of deterrence has surely been more than abstraction. And one can only cheer at the destruction of the Iraq reactor. But this work is interesting for the description of the insidious tactics of 'opacity' in the public discourse of Israel on the subject, that is, the engineered lack of discourse. We invade Iraq to nix the nukes, while Israel simply slipped into half-invisible mode. That is changing now, and the author ponders the future here. Quo vadis?

An Easy to read historical review

A brief comment- Avner Cohen's book supplied an incredible amount of insight and interesting facts to the uneducated reader. Although i am inclined in the field of israeli history Cohen uncovered a side of Israel i had never seen before. I highly recomment it. -Eyal Ebel, 16

A UNIQUE MASTERPIECE

Dr. Avner Cohen's book is unquestionable the most thorough, complete account available on this crucial subject!After almost a decade of minute detail research, ISRAEL AND THE BOMB, IS THE DEFINITIVE REFERENCE WORK ON THIS MATTER! For the record please allow me to state, that as a individual, I have been studying Israel's Defense and Security Matters for over 28 years. David Chindler maucha@unisys.com.br Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Excellent research based on the 1st hand material

The Avner Cohen's book, is one of the best in the field. Based on the 1st hand material it examines the development of the Israeli atomic bomb from the 1950 till 1970. Much attention is dedicated to the Israeli internal politics, as well as Israel-US and Israel-France relations at that time.