"Highly skilled and detailed . . . it's a page-turner. As the rest of the world looked on in horror and amazement, the hostage crisis played itself out as a sinister comedy of ineptitude, a moral and military disaster whose ironies, to this day, are almost too excruciating to bear." —New Yorker
"The 1972 Munich Olympics were dubbed 'the Games of Peace and Joy.' But following 24 hours of mismanagement and murder, that dream had died. Here, at last, is the full story." —Esquire
"A gripping account." —Times of London
"This astonishing record of the massacre at the Munich Olympics should be compulsory reading . . . I read in one sitting the gripping narrative." —Daily Mail
"Simon Reeve, a journalist who specializes in the history of terrorism, was just a few months old in September 1972, but achieves the considerable feat of retelling the details of the massacre and its aftermath as if he were a witness. His account is rounded and frequently gripping. Very moving testimony." —Financial Times
"For the first time, hostages, terrorists and German police tell the extraordinary story of the day in Munich that all but extinguished the Olympic flame." —Observer
"Simon Reeve pulls off another master stroke." —Village Voice (New York)
"A splendid, disturbing, and gripping account . . . stands among the best of its kind." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"[A] brilliant investigation into the Olympics' darkest day. This book, which brilliantly recaptures the tension of the day as well as the human cost of the botched police operation, is a masterclass in investigative journalism." —International Herald Tribune
"The strength of Reeve's book is that it starts before the beginning. It details not only the crisis itself, but also the historical background that led to the crisis. It is an important book, a thorough primer on the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian standoff. It does not provide excuses for the terrorists, but it does provide context. Reeve reconstructs the day moment-by-moment." —Chicago Tribune
"[A] controversial, engrossing new account of the slaughter. The governments of Israel and Germany have criticized Reeve's book for exposing state secrets; he may have done so, but he avoids passing judgement on any one group. Instead he tries to show why the countries and people involved felt compelled to act the way they did, even when their actions led to horrible consequences."—Time Out New York
"Fascinating . . . a gripping account which reads like a thriller. Reeve is a very thorough investigator, and the book encompasses German archives, news programs, quotes, decisions, and international reactions."—Jewish Book World
"A gripping, often moving, account of the bloodiest sports day on record."—Jewish Chronicle
"Reeve's research reads as slickly as a good thriller. Unlike the documentary, the book has more room to recreate the Munich Olympics massacre in a context stretching back to King David. It's hard to believe there'll be a more definitive account." —Sunday Herald
"Powerful . . . recounts in horrifying detail the tragedy that claimed the lives of 11 Israelis. One Day in September describes the savagery of the 'Black September' Palestinian terrorists and the monumental ineptitude of the German forces that tried to rescue the hostages at Fürstenfeldbruck airport." —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"This is an important book. It helps us understand what really happened in Munich, what went so tragically wrong at the airfield. It helps us understand why Middle East peace is so fragile, so elusive. It helps us understand why Israel refused to negotiate with the terrorists. And why, in an incredible operation named 'Wrath of God,' the key people involved in the Munich slaughter were hunted down by Israeli secret agents and killed." —Philadelphia Daily News
"Written with all the pace of a thriller, this is a genuinely moving account of one of the most tragic, and shameful, episodes of recent history. Excellent."—Birmingham Post
"The Munich Games should have been a showpiece, a symbol of Germany's rehabilitation in the democratic world. They should have provided new images for Munich, the city close to Dachau and closely identified with the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews. But everything went wrong for the new Munich and the new Germany as the world watched Jews suffering once again on German soil. Reeve tells the sad and human story of the trauma that has continued to haunt the families of the Israelis killed in Munich." —Irish Times
"Highly skilled and detailed . . . it's a page-turner. As the rest of the world looked on in horror and amazement, the hostage crisis played itself out as a sinister comedy of ineptitude, a moral and military disaster whose ironies, to this day, are almost too excruciating to bear." —New Yorker
"The 1972 Munich Olympics were dubbed 'the Games of Peace and Joy.' But following 24 hours of mismanagement and murder, that dream had died. Here, at last, is the full story." —Esquire
"A gripping account." —Times of London
"This astonishing record of the massacre at the Munich Olympics should be compulsory reading . . . I read in one sitting the gripping narrative." —Daily Mail
"Simon Reeve, a journalist who specializes in the history of terrorism, was just a few months old in September 1972, but achieves the considerable feat of retelling the details of the massacre and its aftermath as if he were a witness. His account is rounded and frequently gripping. Very moving testimony." —Financial Times
"For the first time, hostages, terrorists and German police tell the extraordinary story of the day in Munich that all but extinguished the Olympic flame." —Observer
"Simon Reeve pulls off another master stroke." —Village Voice (New York)
"A splendid, disturbing, and gripping account . . . stands among the best of its kind." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"[A] brilliant investigation into the Olympics' darkest day. This book, which brilliantly recaptures the tension of the day as well as the human cost of the botched police operation, is a masterclass in investigative journalism." —International Herald Tribune
"The strength of Reeve's book is that it starts before the beginning. It details not only the crisis itself, but also the historical background that led to the crisis. It is an important book, a thorough primer on the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian standoff. It does not provide excuses for the terrorists, but it does provide context. Reeve reconstructs the day moment-by-moment." —Chicago Tribune
"[A] controversial, engrossing new account of the slaughter. The governments of Israel and Germany have criticized Reeve's book for exposing state secrets; he may have done so, but he avoids passing judgement on any one group. Instead he tries to show why the countries and people involved felt compelled to act the way they did, even when their actions led to horrible consequences."—Time Out New York
"Fascinating . . . a gripping account which reads like a thriller. Reeve is a very thorough investigator, and the book encompasses German archives, news programs, quotes, decisions, and international reactions."—Jewish Book World
"A gripping, often moving, account of the bloodiest sports day on record."—Jewish Chronicle
"Reeve's research reads as slickly as a good thriller. Unlike the documentary, the book has more room to recreate the Munich Olympics massacre in a context stretching back to King David. It's hard to believe there'll be a more definitive account." —Sunday Herald
"Powerful . . . recounts in horrifying detail the tragedy that claimed the lives of 11 Israelis. One Day in September describes the savagery of the 'Black September' Palestinian terrorists and the monumental ineptitude of the German forces that tried to rescue the hostages at Fürstenfeldbruck airport." —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"This is an important book. It helps us understand what really happened in Munich, what went so tragically wrong at the airfield. It helps us understand why Middle East peace is so fragile, so elusive. It helps us understand why Israel refused to negotiate with the terrorists. And why, in an incredible operation named 'Wrath of God,' the key people involved in the Munich slaughter were hunted down by Israeli secret agents and killed." —Philadelphia Daily News
"Written with all the pace of a thriller, this is a genuinely moving account of one of the most tragic, and shameful, episodes of recent history. Excellent."—Birmingham Post
"The Munich Games should have been a showpiece, a symbol of Germany's rehabilitation in the democratic world. They should have provided new images for Munich, the city close to Dachau and closely identified with the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews. But everything went wrong for the new Munich and the new Germany as the world watched Jews suffering once again on German soil. Reeve tells the sad and human story of the trauma that has continued to haunt the families of the Israelis killed in Munich." —Irish Times
Adult/High School-A comprehensive and unsettling account of a horrific occurrence that shocked millions in 1972. The Summer Olympics were held in (West) Germany for the first time since 1936, amid hopes for an open, nonmilitaristic competition. Early on the morning of September 5th, eight mem-bers of a PLO faction called Black Septem-ber snuck into the Olympic Village and stormed the men's residence, seizing 11 Is-raeli athletes and coaches. Two were killed immediately, and the remaining nine (along with five of the terrorists) were slain less than 24 hours later in a badly bungled rescue at-tempt at F rstenfeldbruck airport. Reeve's book originated with research conducted for an Oscar-winning documentary, but the vol-ume goes beyond the film to present many disturbing and previously unknown facts. While the film focuses on the massacre itself, the text covers acts of retaliation and cover-up that continued for years afterward. Indeed, one vital source of information is an investigative report, the existence of which was denied by German officials for 20 years, and came to light only through the persistent ac- tions of family members of the murdered ath- letes. Despite the regrettable omission of an index, Reeve's book is an important one since it deals with many issues-terrorism, anti-Semitism and other forms of racism, and Middle East unrest.-Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
On September 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists invaded the Olympic Village in Munich, Germany, and held 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage. A failed rescue attempt left 17 people dead. Reeve (a journalist and writer who has written investigative feature articles for publications including and ) recounts one of the most politically explosive events of the 20th century. He draws on interviews and previously unavailable German records. His coverage includes the German government's cover-up of the tragedy, and the Israeli revenge mission. The book is not indexed. Expect the fake-sewn binding to endure only for a few readings. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Reeve's skillful interweaving of the statements of those directly affected makes for gripping, suspenseful reading: the vivid accounts of Israeli athletes ungarmed by sheer luck, the emotional memories of the relatives of the eleven victims of Palestinian violence and the blatant incompetence, if not gross negligence of the Bavarian police...
—Times Literary Supplement
