The Way It Was

This important memoir, translated into English for the author’s 100th birthday, tells the life story of Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Horev, a visionary leader whose contributions helped shape Israel’s growth across many fields.

Rooted in memories of growing up in Jerusalem in the 1920s and ‘30s, where he built foundational friendships with other future leaders, such as Yigael Yadin, Uzi

Narkiss, and Yohay Ben-Nun, Horev tells the story of Israel through the personal lens of his own experiences. One of the first Palmach commanders and deputy to Yigal Allon and Moshe Dayan during Israel’s War of Independence, he went on to shape the evolution of the Israel Defense Forces’ weaponry and logistics, later serving as president of the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology and chair of the board of Rafael, Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.

Presented the Israel Defense Prize in 2011 by President Shimon Peres, in 2022 Horev received the Chaim Herzog Prize from the Hebrew University for “his unique contribution to the State of Israel” and as “a role model and an example to many who follow in his footsteps.”