The Sword And The Olive: A Critical History Of The Israeli Defense Force

The Sword And The Olive: A Critical History Of The Israeli Defense Force by Van Creveld, Martin. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781891620058.

A complete history of one of the worlds most admired-and most mythologized-fighting forces. AUTHOR COMMENT: "He who fights the weak will end up by becoming weak. He who, fighting the weak, behaves like a coward, will end up by turning into one. This is the central message of The Sword and the Olive; and one which, while using the Israeli Army as its case in point, also applies to the other armed forces of this world and, indeed, to human life in general. . . . This book then, takes a fresh look at the factors which will make men (and women, since Israel is the only country in history to conscript them for military service) either want to or refuse to fight. At the same time, it tells the story of one of the twentieth centurys best known, and most admired, armed forces."