Given the current situation in the Middle East, this is not an easy review to write; if nothing else, this publication proves that there is nothing new in the World.

The long-standing enmity between Arab and Israeli politicians has festered since the foundation of Israel in 1947. Aside from the continuing Arab terrorism during the period between the 1967 and 1973 Wars, there was a less-known ‘low-level’ conflict, known as the War of Attrition, where nation-states on both sides positioned themselves as best they could for the next war.

The locations of this conflict ranged from the Israeli borders, with cross-border raids being carried out by both sides; to the skies over disputed territories as the Israeli Air Force hammered the Arab air forces; to the sky and ground worldwide as Arab terrorists hijacked international airliners and carried out attacks on foreign airports in their quest to kill Jews wherever they were, while also murdering foreign nationals. As I said, there’s nothing new in the World.

In this third and concluding part of his trilogy, author Bill Norton charts chronologically the War of Attrition in Gaza and the West Bank, but later also over the Suez Canal and the Lebanese borderlands. Arab fighting Arab is a common theme, often overshadowing the Arab antipathy to Israel, but this struggle set the stage for the Yom Kippur War- until now perhaps the most critical period of Israel’s long existential struggle for existence.

Norton divides his story into (relatively, given the subject matter) easily digestible chunks but he could have used an editor as his prose and phrasing are a little awkward in places, as if he’s a non-native English speaker. The illustrations are good and the maps helpful; all in all, this is a useful reference for the period. Reading this book will give some context to current events.

Many thanks to Helion and Casemate for the review sample.