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panda_incognito's review
4.0
This book started out slowly and didn't hold my interest at first, but once Malkin began writing about the operation to capture Eichmann, I was riveted. The story balances the quotidian and the thrilling details essential to any long-term stakeout and secretive operation, and it never feels sensationalized and over-the-top. Malkin's attention to detail, logistical explanations, and personal recollections bring this to life in a powerful way.
Also, even though I didn't find everything in the first parts of the book interesting, I appreciated it all by the end, seeing how the initial set-up gave me a greater sense of who Malkin and his family were, what his work was like, and what Israel was like in the early days of its nationhood. The later parts of the book had more impact because of the detailed backstory, and the ending is emotionally satisfying and meaningful.
It would be interesting to read other books about Eichmann's capture and trial, but I can't imagine that any of them would top this, simply because it is so direct and personal. Even though it didn't have all of the big-picture and documented details that historians later gathered together to tell the whole story, it was extraordinary to get such a detailed, personal look at the key players and what they experienced.
Also, even though I didn't find everything in the first parts of the book interesting, I appreciated it all by the end, seeing how the initial set-up gave me a greater sense of who Malkin and his family were, what his work was like, and what Israel was like in the early days of its nationhood. The later parts of the book had more impact because of the detailed backstory, and the ending is emotionally satisfying and meaningful.
It would be interesting to read other books about Eichmann's capture and trial, but I can't imagine that any of them would top this, simply because it is so direct and personal. Even though it didn't have all of the big-picture and documented details that historians later gathered together to tell the whole story, it was extraordinary to get such a detailed, personal look at the key players and what they experienced.
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