Reuven Shiloah - Man Behind the Mossad: The Man Behind the Mossad : Secret Diplomacy in the Creation of Israel

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Summary: Nation building through intelligence and secret diplomacy.
Review: At the time when political, military and religius forces are active in the middle east, an updated version of the book by Haggai Eshed: "REUVEN SHILOAH - THE MAN BEHIND THE MOSSAD - Secret Diplomacy in the Creation of Israel" has been published in English.The book which was originally published in Hebrew in 1988 tells the story of Reuven Shiloah, the founder of Israel's intelligence community and first head of the world famous MOSSAD. The personality of Shiloah, who for years worked alongside the Jewish leadership in the pre-state years and during the first ten years after independence has almost been forgotten. Using newly opened and uncovered archives and first time interviews the book describes the exciting and mysterious life of Reuven Shiloah on the backround of some of the major events in the international arena in general and in the middle-east in particular during the years 1931-1959. Some of the major activities described in the book are: *Undercover work in Iraq in the 1930's. *Intelligence ties with the Allies before and during world war 2. *Paradroping Jewish activistes into occupied Europe. *Forming and heading Israel's intelligence community after indipendence. *Conducting secret negoatiations with king Abdallah of Jordan. *Creating the base for the stratigic ties between Israel and the U.S. *Forming secret treaties with Turkey, Iran and Ethiopia. The book was written by the veteran journalist Haggai Eshed who passed away several months after the book was originaly published in 1988. The book is well researched and well written. A few of the issues raised remain unanswerd due to the scarcity of data and still classified documents. The flowing translation and adaptation by David and Leah Zinder enable readers who are less informed about modern developments in the middle-east to fully comprehend and benefit from the book. Former Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Shimon Peres, who worked with Shiloah in the early 1950's, has written an introduction to the English edition of the book. A leading authority on the history of Israel's intelligence community, Prof. Yoav Gelber, has added an after-chapter summarising Reuven Shiloah's contribution to the structuring of Israel's intelligence. The diverse fields and forms of the activities of Reuven Shiloah, who passed away in 1959 at the age of 49, are relevant to the present. The book is recommended for all those who are interested in the craft of intelligence and secret diplomacy as well as to students of modern middle-east and international affairs.