The Arab-Israeli War of Attrition 1967-1973 Volumes 1-3

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The Arab–Israeli War of Attrition 1967–1973 – Volumes I–III (Complete Set)
By Bill Norton

Following the cataclysmic Six-Day War of June 1967, the Middle East entered one of the most intense and perilous periods of modern conflict. The Arab states, humiliated by defeat, were determined to regain lost territories and restore their national pride, while Israel sought to consolidate its gains and defend its new borders. What followed was a prolonged and violent confrontation that became known as the War of Attrition — a struggle of escalating military engagements, diplomatic brinkmanship, and Cold War superpower involvement that reshaped the region and set the stage for the October 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Across three richly detailed volumes, Bill Norton presents the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of this critical but often overlooked conflict, drawing on extensive research and supported by hundreds of photographs, maps, charts, and specially commissioned colour artworks.

 
Volume 1 – The Aftermath of the Six-Day War
In the wake of the Six-Day War, Arab states reeled from their devastating defeat while Israel found itself occupying vast new territories — the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. Fury and frustration across the Arab world quickly reignited hostilities, marking the beginning of a sustained and deadly struggle.
This volume examines the immediate post-war years as armies on all sides rebuilt, rearmed, and trained for renewed conflict. It covers the first clashes along the Suez Canal, the Jordan Valley, and the Golan Heights, as well as the global rise of Palestinian militancy and terrorism. The author explores how the period saw the deepening involvement of the United States and the Soviet Union, each supplying arms and advisors to their regional allies, bringing the Middle East perilously close to superpower confrontation.

 
Volume 2 – The Canal War, 1969–1970
The War of Attrition formally erupted on 8 March 1969, when Egypt launched a sustained campaign to drive Israeli forces from the Suez Canal zone. What followed was a brutal 17-month conflict of artillery duels, air battles, and commando raids.
This volume charts the escalation from limited harassment to large-scale air and ground operations, as both sides pushed their endurance to the limit. Israel constructed the Bar Lev Line of fortifications along the canal, while Egypt, with Soviet assistance, deployed new air defence systems and pilots in combat. The result was one of the most intense aerial wars of the Cold War era. Through clear analysis and rare visual material, Norton reveals how both nations approached exhaustion before a ceasefire was finally agreed — leaving the underlying issues unresolved and the region more dangerous than ever.

 
Volume 3 – The Wider Fronts and Prelude to 1973
The final volume expands the focus beyond the Suez Canal to the wider regional fronts. Norton examines fierce clashes along the Jordan River, the civil war in Jordan (Black September), and armoured battles between Jordanian and Syrian forces. He also documents Syria’s renewed efforts to challenge Israeli control of the Golan Heights, and the rising tide of cross-border attacks from Lebanon, which drew Israeli reprisals and pushed Lebanon toward instability.
Meanwhile, Palestinian groups expanded their campaign of international terrorism, and both Egypt and Syria quietly prepared for a new, coordinated assault to reclaim their occupied territories — plans that would erupt in the October 1973 War.
Richly illustrated with photographs, maps, charts, and tables, this final instalment provides the most focused and authoritative account yet of the climactic years of the War of Attrition and their global implications.

 
Together, these three volumes offer an unparalleled examination of the Arab–Israeli War of Attrition — a complex and dangerous conflict that bridged the gap between 1967 and 1973, reshaping the Middle East and redefining modern warfare.