Reuven Shiloah: the man behind the Mossad : secret diplomacy in the creation of Israel

Abstract

"The story of Reuven Shiloah - the man who established the Mossad, Israel's 'Institute for Intelligence and Security' and laid the foundations for the intelligence community of the State of Israel - is disclosed here for the first time. Although he was head of the Mossad for only two years, from its inception in April 1951 until his resignation in March 1953, Shiloah was a man born to such an age." "The grey world of undercover negotiations and quiet dealings was Shiloah's element, and he manoeuvred his way skilfully around this hidden realm for three momentous decades in the history of the Jewish people, from his induction at the beginning of the 1930s until his untimely death in 1959 at the age of 49." "Based on documents from private archives - many of which are published here for the first time - and interviews with people who worked closely with Shiloah both in Israel and abroad, this book is the most comprehensive portrayal of one of Israel's most esoteric characters. While this portrait will enlighten and often surprise even well-versed readers of early Israeli history, the enigma of Reuven Shiloah undoubtedly lives on."--Jacket