Book cover of Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations

Book description

AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR

'A gripping investigation of Israel's assassination policy' Sunday Times
'Remarkable' Observer
'Riveting' Daily Mail
'Compelling' John le Carre

Winner of 2018 National Jewish Book Award
From the very beginning of its statehood in 1948, the instinct to take every measure to defend the Jewish…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Rise and Kill First as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Ronen Bergman’s history of Israeli targeted assassinations is a stunning piece of investigative journalism. Beginning with the chilling Talmudic dictum, “if someone comes to kill you, rise and kill first,” Bergman explains how a policy of assassinations was deemed by generations of Israeli leaders as a safe and cheap substitute to conventional warfare. From the dark basements of the Zionists undergrounds to the sophisticated joint command rooms of the IDF, the Mossad, and the Shin-Bet, the author uses his unprecedented access to secret sources to tell a breathtaking story, often pausing to ponder on the morality and usefulness of secret…

If you love Rise and Kill First...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like Rise and Kill First?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Rise and Kill First.

Browse books like Rise and Kill First

Book cover of The Secret War Against Hitler
Book cover of Hunting Evil
Book cover of Operation Mincemeat : The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of World War II

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Rise and Kill First, you might also like...

Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…

Book cover of Tsunami

Tsunami by LeeAnn Pickrell,

On the morning of December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami killed an estimated 230,000 people across fourteen countries, from Indonesia to Sri Lanka to Thailand to the Maldives to India and all the way to East Africa.…

5 book lists we think you will like!