Owing to the sensitivity of the subject, it is still not possible to write the definitive story of Abdel Nasser's intervention and war in Yemen on the basis of full documentation. But this study by an Egyptian scholar, using all available material plus interviews, is the most comprehensive and objective account of that ill-advised venture yet written. It covers both political and military aspects, places the episode in the context of the inter-Arab and international politics of the time and of Nasser's own preconceptions and drives, and gives the pros and cons of the key decisions.