Fred Burton

This fast-paced, non-fiction account of the long unsolved murder of a former war hero turned Israeli diplomat, Joe Alon, (aka Jospeh Placzek) is filled with intrigue, deception and conspiracy theories. I was reading several other books at the same time, as I am wont to do, but once I started this one, the others languished on the table as this story consumed me and I concentrated on it, to the exclusion of all else. It is a case of the truth being stranger than fiction. Can he have been a show more double agent? Was there a cover up of his murder or was it truly unsolvable at the time? There are many mysteries dealt with in this short book, as we are taken from Brno, Czechoslovakia to Israel and finally to the United States. All of the intervening wars, including the history of Israel and the Middle East conflict, are outlined and somewhat explored in the process. It is a clear and concise explanation that is easily understood and absorbed.
Beginning with the murder of Joseph Alon, in 1973, a tale of intrigue which spans decades is born. Tracing back through the history of this unique man and his family, we are taken from the tragedy of the Holocaust to Israel’s war for independence and right up to the present day. We learn what made him successful and what motivated him to do the things he did. His courage was often tested and his piloting skills in the Israeli Air Force were legend. He was a major force in Israel’s defense forces. He loomed large, once discovered, in the Palestinian terror network. Did politics, international relations and clandestine operations prevent the details of his murder from being explored and solved in a timely fashion? Why was his family kept in the dark about the circumstances surrounding his death?
This is a well written book whose pages turn themselves. You will not be bored as you trace the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, through the life of this unusual hero or was he??? There are so many variables that one wonders if the whole story behind his murder can ever truly be resolved? The conjecture surrounding the secrets and ploys of various governments and their enemies create plots that rival those of a modern day spy novel. The subterfuge surrounding the secret deals between different organizations is often unfathomable. In the end, you will turn the final page with more knowledge about the event than you had before but you will still wonder about what to believe regarding the mysterious death of Joseph Alon. It is a true life tale of espionage. show less

I loved this book and have a lot of praise for it, but first I have to debunk the subtitle. Chasing Shadows is advertised as the story of "a Special Agent's lifelong hunt to bring a Cold War assassin to justice," however, the author/investigator is actually retired from the Diplomatic Security Service when he undertakes his investigation and has to rely on records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and interviews with also-retired investigators. And as for "Cold War" - the main show more players all come from Israel, the United States and Palestinian territories, though there is a spectacular firefight in Berlin that isn't the least bit "Cold".

This book provides an exhilarating, inspiring history of Israel's tiny Air Force and the extraordinarily fierce and smart tactics they used to preserve their nation in the face of existential threats from their neighbors after World War II. One of the brightest stars in their air service was Joe Alon, a pilot who invented many of Israel's air war tactics and trained a generation of pilots on how to compensate for their inferior equipment and tiny numbers. Alon then came to the United States as an Air Force liaison (and possible spy) until he was gunned down in his driveway in Bethesda, Md.

Fred Burton was a teenager living a few blocks away when that shooting occurred and never forgot it. After he retired, he spent years trying to solve the long-forgotten cold case. He follows not only Alon but also all of his suspects through the decades of the Cold War - through the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the Munich Olympics and many other events rarely told as vividly as they are here. And it's the only time I've ever read the CIA, Mossad and the Montgomery County Police department mentioned in the same paragraph.

For the Israeli military history alone, I recommend this book. But the true-crime espionage story at the heart of the book is exceptionally interesting and ultimately leaves you feeling like Fred Burton really may have cracked the case in the end. show less

The Islamist militant attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 had become such a politicized issue, so the opportunity to read the Fred Burton and Samuel Katz book "Under Fire, The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi" seemed like a good opportunity to gain an understanding of the true story of the attack. After all the claims and counter claims by the warring political parties in Washington, and talking heads in the media, I was relieved to finally have a show more non-political, detailed account of the attack. Burton and Katz ignored the political arguments, and did an excellent job of describing the heroism of the individuals responsible for security and protection of the U.S. Ambassador in Libya, and of the horrific attack which occurred that night. They also detailed the lack of government control in the area, the number of militia groups vying for control in Benghazi at the time, and the total failure of the local militia contract to provide protection for the mission.
After initially hearing that the attack may have been prompted in protest to an anti-Muslim film titled "Muhammad's Trial", and then having that story dismissed, I did find it interesting to hear a little more about the basis of that initial possibility. In fact, on the day of the attack, there was a protest of thousands in Egypt in from the the U.S. Embassy to protest the film, and another several days later in the Sudan. At least six other diplomatic missions in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe were subject to protests and violent attacks in response to this inflammatory video, so there clearly was a backlash in Muslim Countries resulting from the film. However, as it was later shown, the attack in Benghazi was a well planned, coordinated attack by Islamist militants intended to kill American "infidels". The debate continues to this day as to whether the militant group was an Al Qaeda linked group or not, but once the shooting started, I don't imagine the security detail felt that was the most important issue they had to face at that moment. show less

When the author was a teenager a murder happened in his neighborhood that he unknowingly trained his entire life to solve. This book tells the story of how he did that after over 30 years of following the case. While the book is about the murder investigation, about half of it is dedicated to explaining the Israel/Palestine conflicts and how they affected the world and ultimately relate to this murder mystery. A great story and great education on the Middle East.