No Margin for Error: The Making of the Israeli Air Force

by Ehud Yonay

Book Overview

Describes the development of the Israeli Air Force from a handful of old surplus planes battling enemies of the newly created state of Israel into the sophisticated fighting force of the present day. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679415637
• ISBN13: 9780679415633
• Release Date: April 1993
• Publisher: Pantheon Books
• Length: 426 Pages
• Weight: 1.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Incredible (and true) Story of Israel's Air Force

I read this after a friend of mine, who had met the author, handed me a copy. I have to admit, I nearly turned my nose up at this book when I read the cover description that it was "the true story of 'Top Gun.' " I expected a flashy, poorly researched and superficial collection of stories that wouldn't pique my interest.I should have trusted my friend's opinion more -- the book and the stories it contains are absolutely fascinating, even for someone (like me) with little interest in (or knowledge of) Israel. Though Yonay doesn't use oral histories as source material, the stories have the captivating personal aspects that make Stephen Ambrose's WW2 histories so compelling. They are funny and gut-wrenching, impressive and terrifying, all at once. Quite honestly, this is one of the best non-fiction aviation narratives that I have ever read. I would highly-recommend it to anyone.

The finest book I have ever read about the Israel Air Force.

This is the first book that I have seen which describes the air war during the Six Day War, The War of Attrition and the 73 War. The personal stories make this book a must read. I met Iftach Spector before reading the book. How I wish I had read it first before meeting him. I have so many questions I would like to ask him. As a combat ready Air Force F-16 pilot I found this book extemely informative.

Very accurate portrayal of Israeli aviation.

I enjoyed this book so much I gave it to my father-in-law in Israel, who was actively involved in building the Israeli Air Force and Israel Aircraft Industries from their onset, and knew the people and events depicted in the book first hand. After reading it, he said it is a very accurate portrayal.

If There Were Only One . . .

If there is only one book in your aviation library devoted to the Israeli air force, Ehud Yonai's No Margin for Error should be that book. Yonai brings to life the pilots, the leaders, the visionaries and prophets who made and shaped the Heyl HaAvir into the force that it is today, portraying the men and the world they lived in ways that only an experienced writer could hope to achieve. The author of the original "Top Gun" story which inspired the hit 1986 movie, Israeli-born Yonai has had a long and award-winning career as an investigative reporter within the aerospace and defense industries. There are many other books on the Israel Air Force which fill in those gaps which Yonai did not have the time or space to fully describe. Eliezer Cohen's Israel's Best Defense, for example, includes coverage of the 1982 to 1991 period which was omitted by Yonai. And Peter Mersky's Israeli Fighter Aces provides the largest collection of first-hand pilot accounts currently available from the aircrews of the IAF. But Yonai's history of the Heyl HaAvir stands out as the most well rounded, and best written account of this remarkable fighting force that is currently available. Nowhere else are the personalities and mannerisms of Ezer Weizmann, Moti Hod, or Yak Nevo so vividly portrayed. This is the book that leaves the most lasting impression of the IAF, its men, its mission, and the spirit that has sustained them.

As deep as it gets

This book goes into large amounts of details about the IAF and how it was formed. Ehud tells about the IAFs greatest achievements and worst moments in details that I have never seen. I recomend this book for anyone intrested in the IAF, but I do warn that this book might be a little hard to stay with in the begining.