The sword and the olive

by Martin van Creveld

"Around 1905 a small group of Jews, having escaped the pogroms in their native Russia, found themselves refugees in a foreign country. Surrounded by hostile Arabs, they banded together in a small group known as Ha-shomer - "The Guard." From these humble beginnings, the renowned Israeli Defense Force was born, and over the course of the 20th century proved itself to be one of the greatest armed forces of all time. Again and again, often against overwhelming odds, it defeated its enemies in victories so dramatic that the IDF assumed mythical status. Behind every myth, however, there is a reality. Israel's forces have suffered defeat in recent years - most notably in Lebanon in 1982 - and some of the successes have come at a great cost to morale. The events of the second Intifada have even led some to ask if Israel is now the Goliath, and no longer the David of the region: powerful, arrogant, and vulnerable.". "In the Sword and the Olive, military historian Martin van Creveld offers the f