This is the authoritative account of the Israeli army’s performance in the bitter Yom Kippur War of 1973. The origins of the war amid the turbulent history of competing powers in the Middle East are fully explored, as is the build-up of Arab forces that almost inexplicably caught Israel by surprise. The author then provides a gripping narrative of the conflict itself, punctuated by firsthand accounts and interviews with combatants. The War of Atonement is full of drama and tales of inspirational bravery, as Israel defied the odds to defeat the two-pronged invasion. An analysis of the political implications of the conflict bring this epic tale to a close.

For this edition Chaim Herzog’s son, Brigadier General Michael Herzog, has written an introduction which places the book in the context of his father’s achievements and gives a revealing insight into the man himself. This is the most comprehensive work on a conflict that has had major implications for our own troubled times.

Chaim Herzog was the sixth president of Israel, serving from 1983 to 1993. His other books include Battles of the Bible (coauthored with Mordechai Gichon) and his autobiography, Living History, published shortly before his death in 1997.

Michael Herzog, a retired brigadier general in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is the son of Chaim Herzog and an Israel-based Milton Fine International Fellow of The Washington Institute. Over the past decade General Herzog has held senior positions in the office of Israel's minister of defense under several administrations. His published work at the Institute included the study, Iranian Public Opinion on the Nuclear Program: A Potential Asset for the International Community and the influential Foreign Affairs article "Can Hamas Be Tamed?". He currently divides his time between Israel and Washington, DC.