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Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel’s Deadly Response Audiobook
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(3.11) - 283 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
1972. The Munich Olympics. Palestinian members of the Black September group murder eleven Israeli athletes. Nine hundred million people watch the crisis unfold on television, witnessing a tragedy that inaugurates the modern age of terror.
Back in Israel, Prime Minister Golda Meir vows to track down those responsible and, in Menachem Begin’s words, “run these criminals and murderers off the face of the earth.” A secret Mossad unit is mobilized, a list of targets drawn up. Thus begins the Israeli response, a mission that unfolds not over months but over decades. The Mossad has never spoken about this operation. No one has known the real story, until now.
In this riveting account, Aaron Klein peels back layers of myth and misinformation about the “shadow war” against Black September and other terrorist groups.
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"I enjoyed the first part of this book due to the clear explanation of why the crime was committed. I became confused in the second half due to my lack of knowledge of the parties involved in the Isreal/Arab conflicts. "
— Rosanne (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This is a thriller, a page-turner, a probing look into the inner workings of the assassination squads that Israel mobilized after the Munich massacre.”
— David K. Shipler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Arab and Jew -
“Gratitude is due to Mr. Klein for his painstaking…book, the best one could possibly hope for.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“Told in remarkable detail…Klein’s account is well researched and highly valuable…a necessary read for anyone interested in Israeli history and politics as well as the birth of modern counter-terrorism.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A real thriller that will unnerve as much as it captivates.”
— Rocky Mountain News -
“Gut-wrenching…offers new insights and a surprisingly objective and candid examination…Rudnicki reads with palpable revulsion at the bungling and indifference of the German government…[his] voice percolates with outrage and disbelief when Klein reveals how Israel’s longstanding campaign for revenge has at times resulted in the deaths of innocent people.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Audie Award FinalistAudie Award Finalist
Striking Back Listener Reviews
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" A very good book on the inner workings of the Mossad. What does Israel do when confronted with terror? I would not want to cross them! "
— Jon, 2/13/2014 -
" Excellent detailed account of how the Munich Massacre changed the Israeli approach to terrorism. "
— Mark, 2/7/2014 -
" An excellently researched account of the 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre. Klein catalogs the failures of all parties, including Israel, that allowed the terrorists to commit their murder. "
— Shawn, 1/24/2014 -
" To say that I was more than a little shocked at the mistakes and incompetence of the Israeli government and security would be an understatement. I chose this book after seeing the movie "Munich". The movie delt with the aftermath and payback of the Munich massacre and this book delt with the actual massacre and how the Israeli athletes were put in a risky situation with not much thought to their saftey. To much trust and too much "passing the buck" quashed any chance these men would have had at survival. A real eye opener! "
— Ella, 1/8/2014 -
" Loved it! Non-stop action and international intrigue. "
— George, 12/23/2013 -
" An excellent read ...... and revealing, too. "
— Jansen, 11/18/2013 -
" was a good read,sounds fictional at times but you gotta shake your head ten times just to remind yourself how real this is. "
— Rushay, 11/7/2013 -
" A great story of how the Israelis struck back at the people responsible for the slaughter of their athletes in Munich. "
— Del, 10/18/2013 -
" Fascinating book about the Mossad and their hunt for terrorists before hunting terrorists was cool. "
— Mark, 10/8/2013 -
" Title says it all. Read this in a sitting. I hate "narrative" history, so points off, and this guy is clearly biased (although I agree with his bias.) But I did learn a lot and have some ideas to explore. "
— Bird, 8/5/2013 -
" I loved this book very intriguing "
— Bruce, 3/15/2013 -
" Extremely interesting facts about not even history yet. "
— Dlarisa, 3/9/2013 -
" I recently saw "Munich" and am surprised, after reading this book, at how historically accurate the film was. I thought the film was excellent. It does a much better job turning the subject into a narrative than this book does. "
— Lindsay, 2/20/2013 -
" After being wowed by the movie, Munich, I found this book and really loved it. It is one of those where you are there. Anything Mossad grabs my attention and this book does it anyway on its own merit. "
— Holly, 2/6/2013 -
" A detailed account of the counterterrorism response of the Israeli government to the kidnapping and killing of 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Village in Munich in '72. An interesting look at what really happened during and after Black September's attack. "
— Kendra, 1/3/2013 -
" made me fear the Mosad. "
— Jim, 10/28/2012 -
" This is a fascinating book that gives great insights into the tragedy at Munich, German inept management of it and then lethal pursuit of the perpetrators! It was a very enjoyable read. "
— Terry, 2/6/2012 -
" I enjoyed the first part of this book due to the clear explanation of why the crime was committed. I became confused in the second half due to my lack of knowledge of the parties involved in the Isreal/Arab conflicts. "
— Rosanne, 7/10/2011 -
" A very good book on the inner workings of the Mossad. What does Israel do when confronted with terror? I would not want to cross them! "
— Jon, 6/2/2011 -
" I loved this book very intriguing "
— Bruce, 3/5/2011 -
" was a good read,sounds fictional at times but you gotta shake your head ten times just to remind yourself how real this is. "
— Rushay, 11/23/2010 -
" Extremely interesting facts about not even history yet. "
— Dlarisa, 6/18/2009 -
" After being wowed by the movie, Munich, I found this book and really loved it. It is one of those where you are there. Anything Mossad grabs my attention and this book does it anyway on its own merit. "
— Holly, 2/26/2009 -
" I recently saw "Munich" and am surprised, after reading this book, at how historically accurate the film was. I thought the film was excellent. It does a much better job turning the subject into a narrative than this book does. "
— Lindsay, 12/21/2008 -
" This is a fascinating book that gives great insights into the tragedy at Munich, German inept management of it and then lethal pursuit of the perpetrators! It was a very enjoyable read. "
— Terry, 10/4/2008 -
" A detailed account of the counterterrorism response of the Israeli government to the kidnapping and killing of 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Village in Munich in '72. An interesting look at what really happened during and after Black September's attack. "
— Kendra, 5/29/2008
About Aaron J. Klein
Aaron J. Klein is Time magazine’s military and intelligence affairs correspondent in the Jerusalem bureau. He received the 2002 Henry Luce Award and has been a consultant for CNN. Klein was the military-security correspondent and analyst for Hadashot and Al-Hamishmar, two of Israel’s leading national newspapers. He teaches at Hebrew University and is a captain in the Israeli Defense Forces’ Intelligence.
About Stefan Rudnicki
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.