About the book (from dust jacket):
Throughout the ages, it has been the complaint of historians to obtain the truth about contemporary history. The Jewish-Arab War of 1948, as a result of which the Israeli state emerged, is no exception to this rule. But now for the first time, the authors of this book have given us the only reliable account of this vital event of our times. They have had access to the secret Israeli archives and the confidential reports of the Arab League. They have talked with the leaders, British, Arab and Israeli. one of them fought in the war itself as an Israeli soldier; the other observed it as a newspaper correspondent with exceptional facilities. The story, as it emerged from their narrative, is both unexpected and important.
The actual fighting which took place in the summer and autumn of 1948 is brilliantly described. With the aid of maps, the reader is taken into the plains and passes of Palestine with a directness which recalls Thucydides. For the first time, the correct figures of armies on both sides are given, and the extent of their armaments. The tactics and strategies and ruses of the generals and statesmen involved are clearly revealed. The war was fought by forces numbering at their maximum 100,000 men on both sides.
