No Mission Is Impossible: The Death-Defying Missions of the Israeli Special Forces by Michael Bar-Zohar

No Mission Is Impossible: The Death-Defying Missions of the Israeli Special Forces Reviews

• 
  Divakar

  Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal are prolific writers. And most of their writings are about Israel, its turbulent history, Mossad and generally about the struggles of Israel to stay alive with possibly the most hostile neighbourhood.
  
  In 2014, I read MOSSAD – the greatest missions of the Israeli Secret Service by the same authors. You might not agree with the way, Israel and Mossad operate but if countries all around you have a stated mission of decimating and eliminating you, one probably doesn’t have much of a choice.
  
  Their missions are well thought of, planned well and executed with a finesse that makes the CIA and MI6 look like bumbling idiots.
  
  Unlike in MOSSAD, where each story was a complete story – the event, damage caused, the Israeli response and the aftermath, in No Mission is impossible, the focus is narrower. No details of the strategies but only about the execution by the Israeli Special Forces which is like the execution wing of Mossad.
  
  Same stories as in Gideon’s Spies and Mossad but rich in the execution detail. An interesting addition is for each of the missions – they have interviewed someone connected to the mission – either the main guys or in some cases – their kith and kin – which lends a very personal angle to the mission and its success.
  
  Go for it if real crime, espionage and retaliation is up your street.
  
• 
  Racheli Zusiman

  מאכזב, ואפילו מרגיז. בספר מתוארים מבצעים של צה"ל, חלקם מפורסמים מאוד, חלקם מעט פחות. התיאורים מפורטים אבל קרים ויבשים, וזה צרם לי ממש, ובלט במיוחד כשבספר נכתב על מוות של חיילים ואזרחים - נזרקים מספרים כאילו זה כלום. היה חסר לי ברוב המקרים - מהו הרקע למבצע, למה הוחלט לצאת אליו, מה היו החלופות (ובכלל האם היו? האם חשבו על אופציות אחרות?), שלבי התכנון, הדיון המדיני וכיצד אושר המבצע, או בקיצור: ביקורת. what-if.
  כמו כן, כיצד מוציאים ספר המתאר קרבות, שאין בו ולו מפה אחת?! קראתי תיאורים מפורטים על כוח שהלך לפה והסתער לשם וכו וכו, ברמת דיוק מדוקדקת, ולא הצלחתי להבין מה ומו. מדוע לא כללו מפה עם סימונים של התקדמות הכוחות?! גם תמונות ו/או ציורים ושרטוטים של סביבת הלחימה היו יכולים לעזור ולהמחיש.
  כל הנ"ל בולט במיוחד לעומת ספרים דומים כמו "מלחמות הצללים" ו-"המוסד המבצעים הגדולים " שהם הרבה הרבה יותר מוצלחים. מאוד התאכזבתי ואפילו התקוממתי וכעסתי ממש במהלך הקריאה.
• 
  Martin Smrz

  All of the examples which are before I'd paid any attention to the situation there + I am not so familiar with Israel cartography. 1 star down. Repetition in the chapters. First the writer said all about the mission and than some participant says "almost" the same. In my opinion no need for that and the participant could be inserted in the story. 2nd star down.
  
  The 3 stars for is for the interesting read and learning about the events. Hats off for the leadership of Israel. Not many countries can show they have this much guts. :-)
• 
  The Jewish Book Council

  
  Review by Libby K. White for the Jewish Book Council.
• 
  Titi Coolda

  Cartea despre Mossad a celor doi autori a fost infinit mai bună.
• 
  Eric Johnson

  It's an informative book about some of the major operations that were done by Israel. Most of them are old history and back in the early days and beginning of Israel. I wished though that it had more operations in the story, as there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Israel.
• 
  Miloș Dumbraci

  Cartea prezintă numeroase operațiuni celebre de comando, dar fiecare expediată în câteva pagini (format foarte mic), prea pe repede înainte și atât superficial, cât și deseori incoerent. Se simte că autorii sunt soldați, nu scriitori sau jurnaliști, din moment ce nu reușesc deloc să distingă ce e important ca informație și ce nu. Drept urmare, lipsesc adesea elemente vitale de context și suntem inundați cu detalii absolut irelevante. Traducerea foarte proastă nu ajută deloc și acest aspect mă enervează tot mai tare la editurile românești, sincer să fiu. Nici eu, care de fapt le știam deja foarte bine (operațiunile), nu am rămas cu nimic. Fast food, nu recomand.
• 
  Sunil Mike victor

  Coincidentally.... Reading this book at a time when IAF is pounding Hamas in Gaza strip. This time in Israel's history matches the title of the 25th chapter " THE NEVER ENDING STORY IN GAZA:2008, 2012, 2014".... I add 2021 to it....
  
  
  So many action packed moments giving goosebumps... Some out of the world adventures.... Relentless grit, glory and sacrifice.... the determination to save each Jew, no matter where he/she is located on planet and the ability to hit the enemy of the state anywhere in the world even if they had to operate 2000 miles away from their homeland..... make them the best and the most dreaded...
  
  
  A Gripping book by an author that was part of many operations himself... Brings out the valour of the IDF Special Forces soldiers, that have lead men into wars earlier during their service and lead the country later. Their current PM Bibi being one of them.
  
  
  PS (or a spoiler 😉): The last chapter, chapter 26 about Jewish rescue from Ethiopia was brought to life in the 2019 movie (and one of my favorites) THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT.
  
  
  I thank Micheal Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal for all their books, for they have given me a whole lot of exciting reads and motivation.
• 
  Lamar Stellfox

  Not quite what I was expecting, but a good read on various special operations or missions performed by IDF components throughout Israel's history in chronological order. Actually a concise look at the most difficult and impactful operations and into one book. In my opinion, many of the operations chronicled were not performed by Israeli SOF, but were special missions nonetheless, important to the country, and required great daring, bravery, and sacrifice. I have read many volumes about The Arab-Israeli Wars and battles and this volume motivated me to purchase volumes specific to Entebbe and the hunt for Black September; reading "Operation Thunderbolt" next.
• 
  Wes F

  I'm giving this a 3-1/2 stars on my Reading Log. It was good/interesting & fairly informative, especially about the War 0f 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Very interesting also to read about the Raid at Entebbe Airport & the rescue of the hostages there. A bit "outdated," as most of the operations described all occurred before 2000. I think the reason they were included is they have been "unclassified" at this point. Got the book on sale; read on my Kindle.
• 
  Tushar Mangl

  After Mossad, writers Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal reunited for this epic narrative. It Chronicles some of the spectacular feats of the Israeli Special Forces. Like Mossad, the scenes play out as in a cinema or a TV show. And they make you wow of the Israeli populace which has shaped such a force.
• 
  Navdeep Pundhir

  The book is almost like a sequel to the author-duo's earlier blockbuster, Mossad. This reads well in the beginning though you feel tired by the middle and want to finish it off quickly.
  Since I am a big fan of Mossad and the IDF operations, this is a welcome read.
• 
  Craig

  Good history of the wars of Israel.
  It felt a bit more like a general history of the wars; than being specifically about their special forces.
  The stories were generally good an interesting.
  More high level than similar books.
• 
  Amarjeet Singh

  Amazing. Just amazing. A numerically small nation with its back against the wall combatting for its very survival from day-to-day. How does it do it? Through technological and military prowess.
  
  The narrative is uncluttered, the language free of jargon.
  
  An honor to read this book.
• 
  Abhay

  A good book. Easy to read. Interesting stories of the IDF special operations.
• 
  Roman

  Neprisla mi tak dobra, jako prvni kniha autoru o operacich Mosadu. Asi nejvice me zklamal velmi strucny popis operaci z posledni doby. Navic u nekterych operaci neni zrejme proc byly nemozne.
• 
  Arup Mittra

  Very interesting to read and know about the Israel's several impossible missions.
• 
  Roel Vlemmings

  Hopelessly Israel biased. It reads like propaganda, and unengaging propaganda at that.
• 
  Pranay Rao

  Interesting read. One sided view of all the Israeli conflicts though. The bravery of this nation is well chronicled here.
• 
  Don

  Good historical perspectives on Israel's IDF activities from the beginning to the present day. Good reading, well written, painstakingly researched.
• 
  Saad

  Interesting book discussing a selection of missions by the Israeli Special Forces. It discusses a variety of operations and the psychology and strategy of running these operations.
• 
  Srinivas R N

  Nice narratives.. what I liked is representation of events in simple manner.. I enjoyed this book.
• 
  Socrate

  După Războiul de Independență Israelian, armata Israelului a fost angrenată în două bătălii fără final. O bătălie de linia întâi, cu inamicii săi, care nu se dau bătuți niciodată, și o luptă internă – strădania de a concepe și de a aplica principii umane și morale stricte, neegalate de nici o altă armată. Bătălia cu inamicii Israelului a fost și va rămâne nedreaptă. În 1948, anul în care a fost înființat statul evreu, populația acestuia ajungea la 650 000 de oameni, care au trebuit să facă față invaziilor a cinci nații arabe însumând mai mult de 30 de milioane de indivizi. În 2015, când populația Israelului ajunsese la 8 milioane de locuitori, constând 80% din evrei și 20% din arabi israelieni, care nu erau în serviciu militar, populația statelor învecinate a atins 140 de milioane de oameni, iar discrepanța e în creștere. Egiptul și Iordania, care au încheiat tratate de pace cu Israelul,
  trebuie scoase din calcul, dar pe câmpul inamic a apărut o putere nouă, redutabilă: Iranul, cu forța celor 75 de milioane de oameni și ai cărui lideri islamiști fanatici au jurat să șteargă Israelul de pe fața Pământului, cu arme convenționale și necon­venționale.
  FAI (Forțele de Apărare Israeliene), așadar, au trebuit să conceapă tehnici militare care să compenseze discrepanța alarmantă dintre ele și armatele arabe. Acest lucru a presupus echiparea armatei cu arme dintre cele mai noi și mai complexe, multe inventate și produse în Israel; fundamentarea strategiei de război pe blocarea inamicului pe două fronturi, alături de concentrarea eforturilor principale pe un al treilea; și, mai ales, formarea mai multor unități de forțe speciale, alcătuite din voluntari foarte motivați, centrate pe excelență fizică și mentală, pe antrenament riguros și, mai presus de orice, inspirate de planuri creative, inventive, de surprindere și de atacare a inamicului în cele mai neașteptate și mai vulnerabile puncte, aceasta în timp ce un mic număr de soldați – uneori chiar foarte puțini – desfășoară o misiune normală, cu companii și batalioane. Așa au fost create Unitatea 101 de parașutiști, trupele de comando speciale, precum Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet 13, Kingfisher, Duvdevan, Shimshon, Maglan, unitățile de comando din fiecare brigadă a FAI, precum și altele. Experiența și tacticile acestor unități selectate aveau să fie, ulterior, împărtășite marilor corpuri de armată. „Era cu neputință să vă facem față“, a recunoscut un general egiptean luat captiv, după Războiul de 6 Zile. „Sunteți trupe de comando!“
• 
  Siddhartha

  After reading 'Mossad' from the same author, i had high expectations from this book, but i found it to be just ok. Good thing about the book was to know about so many operations at one place. There were even quite a few revelations which were not known earlier (to me) and available in a single book. But still this book can be avoided or can be just a time-pass read. If you have read Mossad, you may want to avoid it.