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 enlarge | Authors: Chaim Herzog, Mordechai Gichon
Publisher: Greenhill Books
Category: Book
List Price: $37.95
Buy Used: $1.15
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New (2) Used (31) from $1.15
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 446881
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Rev Sub
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 1853672661
Dewey Decimal Number: 221.95
EAN: 9781853672668
ASIN: 1853672661
Publication Date: March 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Visible shelf wear -- may have some notes/markings on pages
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| Customer Reviews:
A Labor of Love March 29, 2006
It is common knowledge that Israelis, in general, are fanatical about their unique archeology. It is also not surprising that IDF veteran and scholar Mordechai Gachon and President Chaim Herzog would know volumes about Israel's military history. What surprised me most was their ability to take the strategies and tactics from millenia in the past and compare them with campaigns fought in the exact same regions thousands of years later and show how little has changed.
In spite of the agnostic points-of-view of the authors, this book made the Old Testament (OT) histories come alive. I consider myself well-informed concerning the OT, but I never appreciated the accuracy and insights about military strategy that can be gained from careful study of the Bible. I knew great insights were contained concerning political structure and leadership, but I never thought of the Bible as a primer on military strategy. It is.
The authors set the stage for each epoch with a thorough review of the technology of the time and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the peoples involved. They also develop the political structures of the local tribes. Then they illustrate how the Israelites, and later the peoples of Israel and Judah, used their strengths, and the weaknesses of their opponents, to achieve victories (and defeats) against armies that have them outmanned and out-armed. Then they confirm it all with recent archeological findings.
By the time I finished reading about the Maccabean era, there was no doubt that the OT contained precise details of the trials faced by the Jewish people from the time of Moses to the dawn of the Roman Era. Once again, the Bible has proven to be accurate and authoritative.
The book is written in a fairly terse style, packed with detail and no unnecessary verbage. For the serious student of the Biblical World or the Old Testament, it is a must-read. My time was very well spent.
 A superb military history book December 26, 2005
I had read the bible many years ago (in school) and through my clouded memory it consisted of folklore and myth. This book has been such an eye opener! through careful on-location research and cross-reference with the written histories of the neighboring people (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, etc...) the authors turn the bible into an invaluable reference. The battles that were only names in my memory come alive, complete with troop strength, weapons used, topographical details and, most important, the strategies and the thinking behind them.
It is always fascinating to play what-if scenarios with major historical events (what if Napoleon had waited for reinforcements at Waterloo) but never before have I felt that I understood how events, and even individual decisions, that happened 2,000-3,000 years ago have influenced the world right down to today.
If you are the slightest bit interested in the ancient history of the middle east, this book should be at the top of your list.
Good Military (Not Theological) Study of the Bible May 21, 2005
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
As a conservative Christian, I disagree with some of the authors' theological understanding of the Bible. However, I believe the book is an excellent resource for better understanding military campaigns in the Bible.
While the authors treat the Bible with respect, I disagree with some assumptions and conclusions, specifically:
1. Goliath was afflicted with poor eyesight - this assumption minimizes God's interaction in David slaying the giant.
2. Joshua's victory at Jericho was the total result of an earthquake and not necessarily divine intervention.
3. Gideon's victory over the Midianites - while the authors quoted extensively from the Book of Judges about the victory, they give too much credit to Gideon and give no mention of God's ability to confuse the Midianite army.
While disagreeing with these conclusions, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the military and political tactics of biblical times. Both authors, Herzog and Gichon, served in the British Army and the Israeli Defense Force. Therefore, from a strictly military point of view, they are well-qualified in this respect to write about the military tactics of that era and region.
The book contains excellent photographs (sites of Gideon's victory, Mount Tabor, ruins of ancient cities, etc.) and there seem to be ample maps with sufficient detail describing events. The text seems to flow pretty smoothly too - has enough detail without becoming bogged down in dry narratives.
Should I be fortunate someday to visit the Holy Land, the book will be an excellent travel guide.
Again, while I do not necessarily agree with the authors' biblical viewpoints, I do heartily recommend the book if you want to learn more about the military aspects of biblical times.
A Secret Weapon! August 4, 2004
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
If you get a kick out of "biblical arcana," this book will be one you'll want. Herzog and Gichon do not accept all of the OT as reliable history, but what they do accept is significant: "The tactical description of the battles of the Bible in their intricate topographical setting and the subsequent detailed and logical interactions between movement, maneuvers, and ground features, shaping the course of the battles, cannot be explained by mere inventiveness." [22] In short, the military details are so precise and show such evidence of military genius that one would either have to conclude that the Bible battle accounts were written late by military geniuses, or that they represent genuine traditions. Herzog and Gichon do suggest that maybe leadership was attributed to the wrong persons by mistake or intent, but they remain in favor of a genuine historical core.
The book surveys battles from Genesis to the time of the Maccabbees. It does tend to meander towards the end, but is an excellent resource for serious students.
 Left God Out July 17, 2003
13 out of 41 found this review helpful
I was disapointed greatly in this book. If you want to read about war tactics than it's a book you'll like. But I am a Christian who firmly believes the Bible word for word. This book leaves God out of many of the miraculous battles in the Bible. For instance, the bible tells us that in the battle of Jericho, God won the battle. That God was the one who caused the walls to fall. This book says that an earthquake caused the wall to fall, as well as the wall being dammaged from poor upkeep. This book also leaves God out of the equation when Israel crossed the Jordan River. They credit this too, to an earthquake damming up the river, instead of God's intervention.
Another example is David's fight with Goliath. This book says that Goliath was a freak, that's why he was a giant. And that He was partially blind from this disorder so he couldn't see the rock from David's sling shot. What this book leaves out is that Goliath had four brothers (also giants) and that during David's riegn as king, he hunted down and killed all the giants. This doesn't sound like a freak, the bible says "there were giants in the land." I don't care to read any book that gives credit to man instead of God. Especially if it refers to the bible.
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