Operation Thunderbolt

Operation Thunderbolt gives a minute-by-minute account of the 1976 hijacking of Air France Flight 139 and the Israeli attempt to rescue its passengers at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. After Palestinian and German hijackers diverted the aircraft and separated Israeli and Jewish hostages from the others, the crisis became a test of intelligence, diplomacy and the willingness to project military force over a vast distance.

Drawing on archival material and interviews with soldiers, politicians, hostages and other participants, David reconstructs the planning, the deception used on the runway and the brief assault on the terminal. The rescue succeeded with the loss of commander Yonatan Netanyahu and several hostages. The book places the raid within the Arab–Israeli conflict, the regime of Idi Amin and the evolution of modern counter-terrorism.