90 minutes at Entebbe
by William Stevenson, Uri Dan
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The incredible story of an Israeli mission that rescued 103 hostages from a hijacked jetliner. On June 27, 1976, Air France Flight 139 was hijacked by terrorists and flown to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. In the following agonizing days, Israeli passengers were singled out and held hostage. A week later on July 4, one hundred Israeli commandos raced 2,500 miles from Israel to Entebbe, landed in the middle of the night, and in a heart-stopping mission that lasted ninety minutes, killed all show more guerillas and freed 103 hostages. In captivating detail, Stevenson provides a fast-paced hour-by-hour narration from the hijacking to the final ninety-minute mission. In addition to discussing the incredible rescue itself, Stevenson also covers the political backdrop behind the hijacking, especially Ugandan President Idi Amin's support for the hijackers, which marked one of the first times a leader of a nation had backed terrorist activities. An illustration of one nation's undying spirit, heroism, and commitment to its people in the face of threat, Operation Thunderbolt has become a legendary antiterrorist tale. Although first written in 1976 (and published within weeks of the event), Stevenson's account presents this act of terrorism in a way that is still relevant in our modern-day political climate. A factual account of what could easily be read as sensational fiction, 90 Minutes at Entebbe will inspire, encourage, and instill hope in all readers. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home. show lessTags
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90 Minutes at Entebbe: The Full Inside Story of the Spectacular Israeli Counterterrorism Strike and the Daring Rescue of 103 hostages by William Stevenson and Uri Dan is about the daring 1976 rescue which became the stuff of legend. The book was previously published under the title "Operation Thunderbolt. Mr. Stevenson is a Canadian author and journalist, and Mr. Dan is an American author and journalist.
Contrary to the title, the book talks about the preparations for Operation Thunderbolt, which took far longer than 90 minutes, even though they were done in days, not months. The rescue story has been told over and over again, but the charm of 90 Minutes at Entebbe is show more the deep dive into operational security (OPSEC), rapid deployment, and how intelligence led the way until the very moment the Israeli Special Forces landed in Uganda.
The tactical precision required to undertake a sensitive and dangerous military operation 2,500 miles away is still a marvel. The blacked-out environment contributed to the surgical strike at the heart of Africa, it was adhered to and everyone understood the high-stakes the mission encompasses, both politically and with the 102 human lives being held hostage.
Purposefully or not, the book is a study of information asymmetry. The mission's success didn't just depend on the soldiers executing it, but also the intelligence community's ability to get as much detailed information as possible, including the blueprints to the Entebbe terminal. This was a massive intelligence coup that allowed Sayeret Matkal to rehearse in a full-sized mock-up.
thought the authors captured the QODA loop in real-time throughout the story. This made the book immersive as if I was a fly on the wall. The pressure on the personnel involved, from Yithak Rabin, the Prime Minister, to the Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and Dan Shomron the commander of all Israeli forces on the ground.
The QODA loop was developed by USAF Colonel John Boyd and was meant to be used to make fast decisions in a rapidly changing environment. If the decision makers can go through the four stages (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) faster than their opponent, they can gain a strategic advantage.
The book, as I mentioned before, is written by two journalists and it shows. While they try, and succeed often, to give historical analysis, some of it seems like dispatches sent from the field which changes the momentum of the narrative. show less
90 Minutes at Entebbe: The Full Inside Story of the Spectacular Israeli Counterterrorism Strike and the Daring Rescue of 103 hostages by William Stevenson and Uri Dan is about the daring 1976 rescue which became the stuff of legend. The book was previously published under the title "Operation Thunderbolt. Mr. Stevenson is a Canadian author and journalist, and Mr. Dan is an American author and journalist.
Contrary to the title, the book talks about the preparations for Operation Thunderbolt, which took far longer than 90 minutes, even though they were done in days, not months. The rescue story has been told over and over again, but the charm of 90 Minutes at Entebbe is show more the deep dive into operational security (OPSEC), rapid deployment, and how intelligence led the way until the very moment the Israeli Special Forces landed in Uganda.
The tactical precision required to undertake a sensitive and dangerous military operation 2,500 miles away is still a marvel. The blacked-out environment contributed to the surgical strike at the heart of Africa, it was adhered to and everyone understood the high-stakes the mission encompasses, both politically and with the 102 human lives being held hostage.
Purposefully or not, the book is a study of information asymmetry. The mission's success didn't just depend on the soldiers executing it, but also the intelligence community's ability to get as much detailed information as possible, including the blueprints to the Entebbe terminal. This was a massive intelligence coup that allowed Sayeret Matkal to rehearse in a full-sized mock-up.
thought the authors captured the QODA loop in real-time throughout the story. This made the book immersive as if I was a fly on the wall. The pressure on the personnel involved, from Yithak Rabin, the Prime Minister, to the Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and Dan Shomron the commander of all Israeli forces on the ground.
The QODA loop was developed by USAF Colonel John Boyd and was meant to be used to make fast decisions in a rapidly changing environment. If the decision makers can go through the four stages (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) faster than their opponent, they can gain a strategic advantage.
The book, as I mentioned before, is written by two journalists and it shows. While they try, and succeed often, to give historical analysis, some of it seems like dispatches sent from the field which changes the momentum of the narrative. show less
una storia vera raccontata come fosse la trama di un film d'azione. Avvincente fino all'ultima pagina
Dec 26, 2010Italian
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18+ Works 2,742 Members
William Stevenson was a distinguished journalist & war correspondent. (Bowker Author Biography)
20+ Works 508 Members
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1976
- Important places
- Uganda
- Important events
- Operation Entebbe
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- ISBNs
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- ASINs
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