a very detailed book, interesting reading

books:


	• One Day in September: The Full Story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli Revenge Operation ... Simon Reeve Arcade Publishing, 2006 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 31 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

a very detailed book, interesting reading

A great book on the munich massacre and the killings thereafter. detailed research and very readable. A little thick on the moral equivalence for my tastes, but that doesn't get in the way of enjoying the book.

The death of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

This is an exceptional read on the killing of Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics. These were defenseless individuals, not even properly guarded by the German authorities. The Palestinian Fatah movement commissioned Black September to take as many of the team hostage so they could force the release of over two hundred other hardened killers. The Israeli authorities would not do this. Therefore the Germans came up with a ridiculously simple plan to free the nine Israeli athletes and kill the hostage takers. They made so many simple mistakes, that even some policemen refused to take part in it. When the Palestinians and hostages arrived at the airport, an hour long shoot out resulted with five Palestinians killed and all nine athletes killed. This really destroyed the innocence of the Olympic Games and showed really what the Palestian Fatah were really all about.

The book also covers the revenge killings by Israel. The author disagrees that these have a beneficial effect on the outcome of the battle. I disagree. These revenge killings show that the hunter can become the hunted. It puts the fear into those that cause devastation throughout the world. Other than that, I think this is a fine read.

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Good read - lots of information

Well researched but irritating sometimes, as many reviewers have noted, for the moral equivalence stance.

In addition to the gross incompetence shown by the Germans trying to make the situation go away, some of the words used (i.e. murder) to describe Israeli actions grated on my nerves. One point made early in the book, and still true today, was the culpability of neighboring Arab countries in the Palestinian situation..."Confining the Palestinians to camps actually suited many regional governments...Far better to keep them in squalor near their homeland and foster their fighting spirit."

Overall it is a good read containing lots of information on the Munich massacre.

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Olympia is a Sacred Place

First let me say that this is a well written book that kept me engaged throughout. Although the author indulged in a bit too much moralizing for my taste, he still manages to deliver a highly detailed and informative account of the Munich massacre and it's aftermath. He does a good job at weaving the lives and personalities of the victims-as well as the perpetrators-with a blow by blow narrative of both the massacre and the Israeli retaliation.

Many of the Israelis had serious reservations about coming back to the country where so many of their people-including immediate family members for some-were killed. Despite this, they came to Munich enthusiastic to compete and represent their country. Ironically, their fears turned out to be legitimate, only not for the reason they suspected. The fact that Jews were being killed in Germany yet again was not the only tragic irony of the Munich Olympics massacre. There was also the fact that the German officials had purposely scaled back security at the events precisely because of the nation's history. They were desperately trying to redeem their nation's reputation and they were afraid that excessive security would evoke painful memories of the Third Reich. This decision had devastating consequences. Reeve pulls no punches in his criticism of the Germans. By most accounts-and Reeve is sure to emphasize the point-the rescue attempt that resulted in the death of all of the athletes was completely botched by the Germans. They come off as looking completely incompetent and Reeve does not shy away from pointing this out.

Reeve then goes on to Israel's retaliation which was code-named, the "Wrath of God" operation. This is where the Israelis hunted down and assasinated dozens of people who were thought to be involved in the Munich attack. Anyone who has seen Stephen Spielberg's film 'Munich' will recognize the names and locations of these asassinations. As I stated previously, Reeve tends to over-moralize the issue by constantly sticking his two cents in about the massacre itself, Israel's response, and terorism in general. It's not that I necessarily disagree with him, but I just don't feel the need to be preached to about right and wrong. Other than that, it is well worth the read.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Published to coincide with Steven Spielberg's MUNICH, here is the updated edition of the gripping, definitive account of the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics and the Israeli revenge operation that followed, with a new epilogue.

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