Six Days of War

June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East

By: Michael B. Oren

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

In Israel and the West, it is called the Six Day War. In the Arab world, it is known as the June War or, simply, as "the Setback". Never has a conflict so short, unforeseen, and largely unwanted by both sides so transformed the world. The Yom Kippur War, the war in Lebanon, the Camp David accords, the controversy over Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the intifada, and the rise of Palestinian terror are all part of the outcome of those six days of intense Arab-Israeli fighting in the summer of 1967.

Michael B. Oren spotlights all the participants: Arab, Israeli, Soviet, and American, as well as all the world leaders involved in this earth-shaking clash that transformed the world.

©2002 Michael B. Oren (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Oren is not only a lucid, compelling writer, but reader Robert Whitfield is a master at narrative drive through intonation alone. The listener cannot put this book down. A triumph." (AudioFile)

brilliant well researched and nail biting

this may be the best book of its genre. Meticulously well-researched from multiple sources and perspectives. captivating and suspenseful , a Triumph of Storytelling and political history

Fantastic!

This book is just great. I was afraid that this book might be a dry academic treatment of this war and the history surrounding it. It is very clearly a scholarly work, and yet it reads like a novel. The pace is intense and relentless; the narrator is great. After listening to this book it is not difficult to understand why the middle east is as screwed up as it is. Buy this book, you won't sorry.

The most accurate book you’ll find on such an interesting world event

I understand why this book alone made Oren famous and respected as an Historian - no propaganda, just facts put into an interesting story. Worth every penny.

excellent content and narration

loved it. very enlighting on this important piece of history. I'm not a history buff yet was still able to follow the story.

Very complete

Incredible book. Very informative. Paints the full picture of the events leading up to and through the war.

great, little hard to follow

Great story. However I wish that they took longer with the telling, as it can get very hard to follow at times.

Very tedious

For those very interested in detailed histories, this will probably be enjoyable. I prefer history books that move with a quicker pace.

Detailed History of the War, Causes, and Affects

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend the book if they are very interested in war and in history. Otherwise I probably wouldn't because this is a very detailed account. This book is for people who want a complete dissection of the events.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Six Days of War?

The climax of the book is Israel's preemptive attack on the Egyptian air force. The author spends the first half of the book giving an extremely detailed account of the history of the area and the actions leading up to the war. Thus, the reader is on edge, waiting to hear how the war finally begins.

What about Robert Whitfield’s performance did you like?

Whitfield is solid. He doesn't add anything to the experience and he's not going to stick in any reader's mind. However, he doesn't take anything away from the experience either. He doesn't do anything annoying or distracting, and that is the most important thing.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This story is full of animosity, hate, lies, and confrontation. There are many moments of sadness. It's a book about war so obviously there is much violence and death. War is always a tragedy.

Any additional comments?

No matter what an author does he will always be criticized by some for being biased towards one side or the other. In this case, I thought the author was neutral and sincere. All sides were criticized and praised at certain times. If there are some facts that are unflattering to certain parties, there's really nothing that can be done about it.

Drama true to life

Michael Oren sifts and digests a remarkable amount of contemporary historical material to prepare an account that stays true to fact without hiding the natural drama of the events. His first hand experience and extensive background knowledge provides impetus and insight for the story. The events of 1967 shaped the world and determined significant elements of subsequent history. Oren acknowledges that effect without exaggeration or hyperbole. He maintains the diplomat's measured eye.
At times the names and interactions were somewhat difficult to follow. This is due to the details of the account and use of original source material. The value of the narrative is worth the price of focused attention and concentration.
Well worth the time and effort to listen, especially for someone with a memory of these events.

Living history

I throughly enjoyed the book. Thought I was familiar with the events of 1967 I still learned a tremendous amount of the inside story to the war.
The performance was good.