Rise and Kill First Audiobook By Ronen Bergman cover art

Rise and Kill First

The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations

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Rise and Kill First

By: Ronen Bergman
Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
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About this listen

* AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR * THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *

Shortlisted for the Airey Neave Memorial Book Prize

Winner of 2018 National Jewish Book Award

The first definitive history of the Mossad, Shin Bet, and the IDF's targeted killing programs.

The Talmud says: "If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first." This instinct to take every measure, even the most aggressive, to defend the Jewish people is hardwired into Israel's DNA. From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, protecting the nation from harm has been the responsibility of its intelligence community and armed services, and there is one weapon in their vast arsenal that they have relied upon to thwart the most serious threats: Targeted assassinations have been used countless times, on enemies large and small, sometimes in response to attacks against the Israeli people and sometimes preemptively.

In this eye-opening book, journalist and military analyst Ronen Bergman - praised by David Remnick as "arguably [Israel's] best investigative reporter" - offers a riveting inside account of the targeted killing programs: their successes, their failures, and the moral and political price exacted on the men and women who approved and carried out the missions.

Built from interviews with Israeli Prime Ministers as well as high-level figures in Mossad, and the country's military and intelligence services - Rise and Kill First includes never-before-reported, behind-the-curtain accounts of key operations, and based on hundreds of on-the-record interviews and thousands of previously unseen files. Bergman traces, from statehood to the present, the gripping events and thorny ethical questions underlying Israel's targeted killing campaign, which has shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the entire world.

Rise and Kill First is the definitive book to read on Israel's military history.

©2018 Ronen Bergman (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton
Espionage Freedom & Security Intelligence & Espionage Israel & Palestine Middle East Politics & Government True Crime
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Critic reviews

"A gripping investigation of Israel's assassination policy." (Sunday Times)

"Compelling." (John le Carré)

"Remarkable." (Observer)

All stars
Most relevant  
Very enjoyable book about Israel's secret services. The book is loaded with revelations and interesting facts. The narration is good.

Excellent

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Through the story of the Mossad and the other Israeli intelligence agencies, we get a glimpse of the complexity of the situation in the Middle East. A lot of details on operations show how Israel works and the culture behind how they operate.

Excellent insight I to the state of Middle East

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Excellent history and what stood out a lot is that history fortunately or unfortunately repeats itself!

Well constructed, narrated and researched!

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