The Heights of Courage: A Tank Leader's War on the Golan

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: A terrific book from start to finish.

Rating:
Summary: Good book on what was happening from the troops POV...
Review: Bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and it was a good read. In fact, I read it while on a 12 hour flight from Europe to the southwestern US. Parts of it kind of dragged on, but overall it was a good story about what happened in that war from the point of view of the troops who fought it.

Rating:
Summary: Good book on what was happening from the troops POV...
Review: Bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and it was a good read. In fact, I read it while on a 12 hour flight from Europe to the southwestern US. Parts of it kind of dragged on, but overall it was a good story about what happened in that war from the point of view of the troops who fought it.

Rating:
Summary: A hero of Israel tells his story
Review: I read this book in Hebrew. Avigdor Kahalani is one of the great soldiers in the history of Israel. He was close to death from wounds on the field of battle, and yet came back to fight another war. The action of Kahalani and his men on the Golan Heights during the first days of the Yom Kippur War helped save the State of Israel. Kahalani is a soldier's soldier who does not idealize war but presents it in all its confusion, disorder, dirt and difficulty. He tells his story straightforwardly and clearly . Those more experienced than myself have said that this is one of the best books about combat that they have ever read. It is also a book about real heroism and character and how they truly do exist in the world.

Rating:
Summary: very real
Review: I recommend this book for anyone who wants a glimpse at modern war from the eyes of a soldier and commander. Kahalani does a fine job at recording the details of one tank battalion's perspective of the 1973 war. He captures the essense of the desperate nature of the Israeli battle on the Golan. Detailed accounts and conversations draw the reader into the story.

Rating:
Summary: Best of its Kind
Review: I've never read a better personal narrative than Kahalani's "Heights of Courage." Without question, it's the finest combat memoir ever written by an Israeli soldier. Kahalani's blow-by-blow account of fending off successive waves of Syrian T-55's and T-62's is fascinating. Perhaps more importantly, his story is invaluable for its detailed descriptions of the physiological effects of modern mechanized combat. Fatigue, confusion, exhaustion, the entire gamut of the sensory experience of fighting (and leading) from inside a tank is covered in detail. I can't understand why a similar book by an American Gulf War veteran hasn't yet been published. For professional reading or personal study, "Heights of Courage" is highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Best of its Kind
Review: I've never read a better personal narrative than Kahalani's "Heights of Courage." Without question, it's the finest combat memoir ever written by an Israeli soldier. Kahalani's blow-by-blow account of fending off successive waves of Syrian T-55's and T-62's is fascinating. Perhaps more importantly, his story is invaluable for its detailed descriptions of the physiological effects of modern mechanized combat. Fatigue, confusion, exhaustion, the entire gamut of the sensory experience of fighting (and leading) from inside a tank is covered in detail. I can't understand why a similar book by an American Gulf War veteran hasn't yet been published. For professional reading or personal study, "Heights of Courage" is highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and quick read, but not great for study
Review: To start,"Heights of Courage" is an outstanding book, and a very personally told story of what it is to lead and fight in armored combat. The best parts of this book come in three chapters, where Kahalani relived experiences of getting hit and wounded in Egypt, moving mounted in tanks through a village,and when Kahalani relives the attack into Syrian territory. I had to rate this book lower, becuase i was highly dissapointed in two things. 1. Kahalani constantly refers to units by individuals names...which can be confusing as to whether he is speaking of the Division Commander or his Tank driver. 2. the book is totally lacking in Maps or tactical drawings to clarify the situations he is describing. The scale of the 3 maps provided is so great and lacking in detail, that one can not gain any aspect of the lower unit tactical situation, and are truly political, not military maps.

Rating:
Summary: First hand account of fighting on Golan Heights in '73 war.
Review: Undoubtedly this is one of the greatest, most well written battle stories of our time. This is an excellent first-hand account by one who was there and experienced the fighting from beginning to end. A brilliant book written from the vantage point of the men actually fighting on the front line.

This is the absorbing story of a Unit Commander of Battalion 77 of the Israeli Army, fighting against incredible odds against numerically superior and better equipped Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, during the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

The author, Avigdor Kahalani (who received Israel's highest military decoration - the Medal Of Honour), reveals and transmits the fears, traumas and other aspects of human behaviour experienced during the often unbearable stresses of battle.

We are provided with detailed accounts of how a few courageous men and their leaders, prevailed against desperate, apparently insurmountable odds.

This in the context of a failure by Israel to recognise the Arab threat, to sufficiently mobilise in time and thereby being forced to face immense enemy offensive actions with only a small standing force of regulars.

The author provides an analysis of the tactics used, initially just to contain the Syrian offensive & survive, and then to counter-attack resulting in a victory which forced the Syrians to sue for a ceasefire.

This is the compelling story of an elite brigade, from the Commanding Officer through to the soldiers on the ground, who defeated the Syrian forces and succeeded in destroying all the Syrian tanks that had penetrated the Golan Heights.

A breathless read which proceeds at a lightning pace. I highly recommend this book, it really is a first class read.

I also recommend another book on this subject entitled, "Duel For The Golan; The 100 Hour Battle That Saved Israel" by Jerry Asher/Eric Hammel. To fully understand the Yom Kippur War, one really needs to understand what occurred on the Golan Heights and the possible repercussions of an Israeli defeat. These two books will provide an excellent reference on this subject.