Assault on the Liberty,   ISBN:9780972311601

Customer Rating: 

I met the author of this book on a message board on the Prodigy service back in the mid 1990's. After writing a note to him on a message board I immediately came under attack from the Jewish crowd that was hounding him. I was branded by this crowd an anti-semite, Israel hating neo-nazi for having an interest in something I had never heard about so I bought and read the book to see what all the fuss was about.(after reading some of the critical reviews, especially all those from "A Customer," I have to wonder if some of those same folks are still hounding him. They sure sound familar).



In the past several years I have come across several articles (see below) which indicate Mr. Ennes, contrary to what some would have you believe, is truthfull in his book. To me what's more uspetting than an ally attacking a US ship is the US government not responding to the attack then covering it up. I highly recommend this book.


In the following article, a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff accuses Israel of intentionally attacking the USS Liberty. This conclusion was reached by an independent commission comprised of the following:

Admiral Thomas Moorer: former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (under President Nixon)

Four-Star General Ray Davis: former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the most-decorated living Marine until his recent death (his honors include the Purple Heart, two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, two Legion of Merit awards, and the Congressional Medal of Honor)

Rear Admiral Merlin Staring: former Judge Advocate General of the Navy

Admiral James Akins: former United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

[...]



New revelations in attack on American spy ship
Veterans, documents suggest U.S., Israel didn't tell full story of deadly '67 incident

....The attack "couldn't be anything else but deliberate," the NSA's director, Lt. Gen. Marshall Carter, later told Congress.

"I don't think you'll find many people at NSA who believe it was accidental," Benson Buffham, a former deputy NSA director, said in an interview.....

[...]

...unknown to Israel, a US Navy EC-121 intelligence aircraft was flying high overhead the "Liberty," electronically recorded the attack. The US aircraft crew provides evidence that the Israeli pilots knew full well that they were attacking a US Navy ship flying the American flag.....
[...]

Customer Rating: 

What US Navy ship that most Americans have never heard of was collectively awarded: one Medal of Honor, two Navy Crosses, eleven Silver Stars, twenty Bronze Stars (with "V" device), nine Navy Commendation Medals, two hundred four Purple Hearts and the Presidential Unit Citation? The USS Liberty, which was brutally and intentionally attacked by Israel June 8, 1967. What is the best book on the subject? Assault on the Liberty, by James Ennes, Jr.

I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting. Some books are well written, others are compelling, this one is both. Even though Jim Ennes was a member of the crew, so he was able to write about the attack on the ship from a first hand point of view, but he also did his homework and documented the details of this little known piece of history very well.

If you have a shred of patriotism, like history that is written with the intrigue of a novel, I strongly recommend this book. It should be required reading for every high school student in the United States.

Customer Rating: 

Public persons are free to assail and insult every nation in the world -- including their own United States -- except Israel. Note that AIPAC is by far the most influential lobbying firm in America and you're labeled an anti-Semite (witness Mearsheimer and Walt's treatment...). Become critical of Israel in Congress and you're likely not to get re-elected (read Congressman Findley's They Dare to Speak Out). Write a book on our beloved "ally" deliberately and repeatedly attacking a US Navy technical research vessel in international waters in broad daylight with the Stars and Stripes flapping in the wind and you're labeled a conspiracy theorist.

Such is the state of public discourse in America today. Most non-historians, I dare say, have never heard of the attack on the USS LIBERTY. In 1967, during the Six Day War, LIBERTY was cruising in the Mediterranean in international waters. Though technically a "research vessel", it is/was no secret that she was a "spy ship", fitted with sophisticated communications equipment capable of intercepting signals traffic. After being flown over at low altitude several times by Israeli aircraft (making her identity unmistakeable), LIBERTY was subsequently strafed and torpedoed by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats, killing 34 US sailors.

Distress signals from LIBERTY were received by the USS SARATOGA, which on two occasions launched Phantoms to assist LIBERTY. On both occasions, the rescue planes were called back by Secretary McNamara.

Despite the accusations of "conspiracy theory," many senior government representatives, including then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Moorer, have publicly stated their belief that LIBERTY was attacked deliberately by the Israelis. Ennes provides a moving and thorough account. No student of American history, Naval history, or American foreign policy should miss this book.

Customer Rating: 

I found this as a used book for a friend of my brother. He and his friends do not have computers and are thrilled when I can find them out-of-print or unusual books. His friend was actually on the American Intelligence Ship Liberty, so you can imagine how interesting this was and how much it meant to him. The
Assault on the Liberty The True Story of the Israeli Attack on an American Intelligence Shipway the U.S. government covers up so many things and lies to the very people who are trying to serve their country is heart-rending, mind-boggling, sickening and just plain wrong. It makes your blood boil.

Customer Rating: 

Excellent book with endless detail and exciting prose. I could not put it down until I finished it. A very interesting book on a rarely mentioned or written about(until recently) subject. Sometimes our friends in the world engage in unusual diplomatic tactics. Go figure. Anyways, excellent book and intriguing subject matter.