mwb@umcp-cs.UUCP (Michael Blanks) (08/22/84)
Has anyone read this extraordinary account about the Israeli hit team sent
to avenge the 1972 Munich Massacre?
The book gives detailed insight into the world of counter-terrorism (and
thereby terrorism itself), and should be read by anyone interested in the
subject.
I welcome any discussion pertaining to the book, especially its validity.
Though not familiar with any other works by Mr. Jonas, I found the account
believable and accurate in the most minute of details. If anyone has
a comment on Jonas' background (or previous works) to support - or refute -
his competence in writing this book, I would be most interested.
And perhaps a discussion on the subject matter of the book itself (especially
the fascinating ending of betrayal): the difficulties in fighting international
terror, and the psychological profile of those involved in this venture.
jdj. respond to: umcp-cs!mwbian@loral.UUCP (Ian Kaplan) (08/24/84)
I too read Vengeance by Mr. Jonas. I have been a fan of Mosad spy
stories, so I bought the book when it first appeared in B. Dalton.
I found the book interesting and emotionally satisfying. The
emotional satisfaction is similar to that provided by a Dirty Harry
movie. We are usually helpless victims to such things as street crime
and terrorism. In the Dirty Harry movies all the bad guys get killed
and at an emotional level this diminishes the feeling of helplessness.
Vengeance proposes a similar solution, the terrorists are not merely
killed, they are terrorized. Although this sort of fantasy has some
emotional appeal I believe that both the path taken by Dirty Harry and
by the "Mosad agents" would eventually lead to anarchy. Such a
situation would be worse than what these acts are designed to
prevent.
When I read Vengeance I found the description of the French terrorist
support group to be very implausable. Since reading the book I read
two book review, on in the Wall Street Journal and the other in
Newsweek, which labeled the book as a fraud. The Journal article
discussed how the book came to be published and from this discussion I
believe that the book is a fraud. The journalist who originally
agreed to write the book with the "former Mosad agent" declined to
continue when he found the story changing frequently. My personal
view is that Jonas was persuaded to write the book by a large advance.
Ian Kaplan
ucbvax!sdccsu3!loral!ian
The views above are, of course, those of the author alone and
are not necessarily shared by his employer