The Attack on the Liberty - by James M Scott (Paperback)

About the Book

Journalist Scott presents the definitive account of the infamous 1967 attack on the U.S.S. "Liberty" by Israeli forces and the continuing controversy over what really happened.

Book Synopsis

- Notorious incident: In 1967 the spy ship USS Liberty was attacked by Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats in international waters during the Six-Day War. Thirty-four sailors were killed and more than 170 wounded, many critically. Israel claimed mistaken identity, which a U.S. naval court of inquiry confirmed, but that explanation is contradicted by the facts of the case. - Based on new revelations: James Scott has interviewed Liberty survivors, senior U.S. political and intelligence officials, and examined newly declassified documents in Israel and the United States to write this comprehensive, dramatic account. He reveals that officers in Israel's chain of command were aware of the Liberty's identity and shows how events in Vietnam prompted the American government to deemphasize the attack despite widespread disbelief of Israel's story. - The son of an attack survivor: Scott's father, John, was an officer and engineer aboard the Liberty who was awarded the Silver Star for helping to save the ship from sinking.

Review Quotes

"Comprehensive and compelling. . . . Few events in modern military history have spawned as many conspiracy theories as Israel's attack on a U.S. Navy spy ship, the Liberty, during the Six-Day War in June 1967."

About the Author

A Pulitzer Prize finalist and former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, James M. Scott is the author of Target Tokyo, Black Snow, Rampage, The War Below, and The Attack on the Liberty. In addition, Scott is a sought-after public speaker, who leads battlefield tours and lectures at institutions around the world. He lives with his wife and two children in Charleston, South Carolina, where he is the Scholar in Residence at The Citadel. Visit him at JamesMScott.com.