Rating: 
Summary: Deeply Disturbing
Review: I started this book the other day. Whilst reading it I recoiled in amazement at the blunders and blatantly incompetent German officials and their complete lack of regard for the seriousness of the situation. Their determination for the Games to continue.I am Jewish and my opinion may be clouded, however, the book represents the various parties involved well. It captures the wariness of the Israeli team in entering the Games, and reflects individual athletes feelings about stepping once more onto German soil. I for one completely understand for the obvious reason. I still have trepidations now 50 years on. Imagine their trepidation not even 25 years on! Above all this book reflects the way people tend to ignore or trivalise major events. Not just where they involve Jews, but other events throughout the world. Someone has reviewed this book saying 'if you liked Black Hawk Down'. Black Hawk Down involved American soldiers, trained and employed to fight. The incompetencies involved may be similar, but these were Israeli athletes. Their fate was in the hands of a country who had tried to wipe out the religeon. I realise that the Germans were well aware of this and the book makes this very clear. But I can't help feeling that more was possible to prevent tragedy. Why weren't the assualt team properly equiped? Why was there no communication between the Israelis (who have dealt with similar situations) and the German officials. The list goes on. This book is deeply moving, and the events of 5th September 1972 will echo for eternity.
Rating:
Summary: An astonishing book
Review: My copy has just arrived and I've read it cover to cover. I couldn't put it down. It's a riveting read providing one of the best primers on the Arab-Israeli conflict I've ever found. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating and well researched book.
Review: One Day in September is a fascinating and well researched book about the events surrounding the 1972 Munich Olympics takeover and subsequent massacre of members of the Israeli Olympics team by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September. The book provides extraordinary details of events leading up to and during the takeover, the negotiations to free the hostages, the events at the airport in which all of the Israeli hostages and many of the terrorists were killed, and the aftermath; including the "Operation Wrath of God" (the Israeli retaliation), the cover-up of mistakes and miscues made by the German government and police, and the thoughts of survivors on all sides in retrospect. There is also a chapter dedicated to providing a short but comprehensive history on what led to the current problems in the Middle East - an excellent lesson for someone like myself who is a novice in this department. This is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it. It is a must read for those who have an interest in history, and/or have their own personal memories of the Olympic games of Munich, 1972.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing...an education in terror and its aftermath
Review: September 1972 meant running home from junior high to see the latest accomplishments of my hero, Mark Spitz. I remember the hostage taking by the Black September, a shadowy vision of a figure on a balcony, Peter Jennings on the TV and the emotion in Jim McKay's voice as he announced the botched rescue attempt of the eleven Isreali athletes and coaches. It was confusing to have the festivity of the games continue...knowing such a terrible event had just taken place. One Day In September is a journalistic account of those fateful days. It covers the political climate that fostered the hatred, the absolute horror of Jewish athletes being held hostage on German soil, the inexcusable mishandling by German authorities of a rescue attempt. All these things are told, with information of who some of the major players on both sides were. It follows the aftermath, the effect on families on both sides, the unwillingness of the Germans to admit error(in fact there was a massive coverup of their ineptitude). Most facinating is the story of Operation Wrath of God, Isreal's answer to the horror that had been foist upon its athletes and people. This book was hard to put down. It also pointed out how bloodshed seems to begat bloodshed.... even with the most righteous intentions.
Rating:
Summary: Definitive Account re: Munich Olympics Tragedy
Review: Simon Reeve has offered a compelling and definitive treatment of the events of September 5, 1972, when members of Black September occupied the building housing the male members of the Israeli Olympic team at the Munich Olympics. The book also covers the "revenge" against the perpetrators by the Israeli Intelligence organizations. What I enjoyed most about the book was that it incorporated journalistic-style reportage with pathos that brought to life the dead Israeli athletes, and also provided a human element to the motivations of the members of Black September who planned and participated in this extremely sad and tragic event. There will, perhaps, be those who would prefer the demonization of the individuals who were part of Black September, but by treating these individuals as human beings, the events of September 5, 1972 have an added resonance for the reader that does not lesson the horror of the event.
Rating:
Summary: Horror for the World to Watch
Review: Simon Reeve's book, One Day In September, is an outstanding documentary/report/story of the 1972 Munich Olympics. He has done excellent research in compiling the facts of this horrific terrorist attack. The book explains the very beginning plans designed to bring the world's attention to the struggle of the Palestinian's. Specifically, the pettiness in being left to feel like an outsider in the world arena of sportsmanship. Reeve's research brings Arafat's PLO full circle in Black September's attack on 11 Israeli athletes. Other facts that are revealed are the minute details of the "rescue mission" by German officials and how their plan failed miserably. Since Munich, Germany has established a counter-terrorism squad, GSG9, that has had successes in combatting terrorism since 1972. They learned a painful lesson from Black September. Stasi reports are included in Reeve's research and reflective quotes from all who were touched by this angry expression of aggression. This book explains the tragic events of the 1972 Olympics in great detail. They why, who, want, when, and how of the Palestinian decision to strip the Olympics of the pride that has generated from the kind of sportsmanship competition over many years. Thier target was plainly and clearly Israel from the very inception of the attack and their reasoning behind such deliberate motives is still maintained as to bring attention to their cause. This book puts the actions of Black September in perspective with what was seen as a horrific act for some sense of twisted justification.
Rating:
Summary: Journalism at it's best!
Review: This book is an excellent example of journalism at it's best. Reeve's research and subsequent compilation of this book is the finest I have seen, and should become standard reading for high school students and tertiary students alike. Not only will these students see how good journalism is reported, they will receive a lesson in history as it should be delivered. The events surrounding the Munich Massacre are still relevent today as they were in 1972. Let us hope that the current peace process focuses on the same dream - that what happened in Munich in 1972 is never repeated again.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Book!
Review: This book provided excellent coverage of the killing of the Israeli olympic athletes in the 1972 olympics. There were some
excellent inside interviews with people who were actually involved in the situation. The mistakes by the German police were also well documented. The Black September terrorists also
were well describer by Reeve. The book was further strenghtened
by the inside dealings of the Israeli government in the planning
of the vengance mission.Israel reacted very professionally to the killings of it's athletes. This is a very good history book.
It is well written and makes for good reading.You will not be
dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Terrifying memories... and disturbing questions
Review: This book, and the documentary film, made me relive the day that I learned, in my then 12-year-old innocence, that nothing is sacred to terrorists, not even the Olympics. To hear the words (and, in the movie, see the face) of the unrepentant, smug, self-righteous Jamal Al-Gashey sears me to my soul. It also strengthens my prayers that some Mossad agent will be fortunate enough to find him and send him to the same level of Hell occupied by his 7 compatriots in the massacre. To find out that the German authorities squandered numerous opportunities to rescue the hostages and, worse, inexplicably failed to provide enough troops and snipers to pick off the terrorists at the airport, twists my guts. To discover the depths to which the German government covered up their ineptitude borders on the criminal. Why weren't any of the members of the strike team which abandoned the airplane prosecuted for a clear dereliction of duty? Why weren't the Israeli authorities allowed to be more involved? Why haven't the families of the dead Israelis been compensated by the Germans for this incompetence? I pray fervently that the lessons this book teaches will not be lost on anyone, Jew, Arab or whoever. This CANNOT be allowed to happen again. Am Yisroel Chai!
Rating:
Summary: Horror for the World to Watch
Review: This expertly detailed book gives the story of Arab terrorists who took Israeli hostages during the 1972 Munich Olympics. The author does a great job of giving the fundamental reason behind the attack, as well as a detailed chronology of the events that took place subsequently. This book is even more poignant after the events of September 11th, as it shows that the world is still suffering from the plague of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism. While I did thoroughly enjoy the book, I do disagree with the author on his reasons for the failure of the eventual rescue mission mounted by the German government. Simply, the author believes that the failure was based on anti-Semitisim by Germans, and the fact that they really did not care what happened to the Israeli athletes. However, after reading between the lines of the book, it seems to me that the failure was more the result of a lack of trained hostage rescue squads in Munich. Yet, this was 1972, and these hostage rescue squads were not commonplace in all cities. Also, it seems that the Germans went out of their way to save the athletes, given the limited resources they had. Many German officials quoted in the book seemed willing to do anything to save the Israelis as they desperatly wanted to atone for the Nazi atrocities and not stir up old anger. Regardless of this issue, the book does a superb job of telling the tale of the first major incident of Islamic terror. It is a shame that events like this happen, but maybe by expertly chronicling them, we can learn how to prevent them in the future.
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