John Quigley’s controversial book seeks to provide a corrective on the character of the June 1967 war, widely perceived as being forced on Israel to prevent the annihilation of its people by Arab armies hovering on Israel's borders.
Using period documents declassified by key governments, Quigley shows the lack of evidence that the war was waged on Israel's side in anticipation of an attack by Arab states, and gives reason to question the long-held view of the war which has been held up as a precedent allowing an attack on a state that is expected to attack.