Spy thriller weaves personal drama into Yom Kippur War history

If you are not yet acquainted with writer Ehud Diskin and his books, allow me to introduce you. Diskin is a retired Israeli army officer who is now a successful businessman. He is also a very successful novelist.

A Winning Move is the third in a series of thrillers featuring his hero, David Gabinsky. Each novel is set mainly in the Middle East, and they follow the course of Israel’s history. The first book, Lone Wolf in Jerusalem, published in 2018, is set just after World War II. It finds David in Mandate Palestine fighting the British and falling in love with Holocaust survivor Shoshana. It became an Israeli bestseller. The second book, A Fateful Encounter, takes place in the period shortly after the establishment of the State of Israel. It plunges David and Shoshana into a hazardous effort to counter an attempt by Arab extremists to starve the Jews out of Jerusalem.

Now, in A Winning Move, David and Shoshana are on the eve of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. David is a member of a secret organization allied to Israel’s Mossad, and in March he and Shoshana undertake a secret mission to Egypt. Acting undercover as a Russian businessman and his wife, the couple attempt to discover what Egypt’s president, Anwar Sadat, intends to do regarding the Sinai and the Suez Canal.

In 1973, Israel still controlled the entire Sinai Peninsula, seized during the Six Day War in 1967. The Sinai Peninsula encompasses a vast area of approximately 60,000 square kilometers, making it a significant portion of Egypt’s territory. The canal was serving as the front line between Egyptian and Israeli forces.

IDF SOLDIERS stand at the Western Wall in June 1967 after it was captured during the Six Day War. (credit: DEFENSE MINISTRY/REUTERS)

David and Shoshana obtain convincing evidence that an Egyptian attack is being planned; but in the process their cover is blown, and it is thrill after thrill as they make their escape from Egypt. A further nail-biting episode follows as the Mossad tries to discover the date on which Sadat’s attack is planned to take place.

Early on the morning of October 6, Yom Kippur itself, David and Shoshana are told that war is imminent. The next morning their son, Yuval, leaves for the front. Shortly afterwards, they learn that Yuval has gone missing during a battle in the Sinai desert. They rush down to the front line and pull every string in an effort to locate and rescue him. It is a gripping episode.

About the author

Diskin keeps his readers on tenterhooks for much of his fast-moving and thrill-packed novel. He achieves depth and impetus by making his narrative a personal account by his hero David; but the realism, especially of front-line military action, stems from his own personal experience.

Diskin was born in Jerusalem, served in the IDF, and was actively involved in several wars. He concluded his military career with the rank of colonel.

Subsequently, having earned a PhD in business management from the Hebrew University, he moved to the business sector. He has established successful enterprises in the United States.

A Winning Move maintains the high standard he has so far achieved in his thrill-packed spy series. Lovers of action and adventure will be very pleased with this latest offering.■