Eilam's Arc: How Israel Became a Military Technology Powerhouse by Uzi Eilam (Sussex Academic Press)

Israel could count very little on her meager natural resources and very much on her human resources, spawning recognizable achievements in key fields that ranged from sophisticated military technology to advanced space programs. Drawing on his compelling high-profile personal experiences in how Israel secured a foothold in the international military R&D arena, in Eilam’s Arc, Uzi Eilam shares with his readers a revealing account of this unique story.” Shimon Peres, The President of the State of Israel “Uzi Eilam is the father of Israel’s high-tech revolution in weapons development and has played a critical below the radar role in building Israel's advanced defense capabilities. In this fascinating, intimate account of how Israel developed everything from anti-tank missiles to the Ofek satellite and the Arrow ballistic missile defense system, Uzi takes the reader inside the secretive offices of Israel's defense establishment. A must read for anybody interested in the decisions that have shaped Israel’s defense for the 21st century

Eilam’s Arc reveals the inside story on how Israel became a military technology powerhouse within a period of less than two generations. It blends the broad view of a person who led the creation of incredibly far-sighted R&D programmes with intimate portraits of the main players in a complex strategy that spans continents, corporations and armies. More than any other account, it explains how a very small country was able to make a concentrated use of its limited assets with astute leverage of international relationships while at the same time creating the backbone of Israeli civilian technology industries. … Brigadier General Uzi Eilam was born and raised in a deeply socialist kibbutz where science and learning were scorned as useless and effete. His is the journey that an entire country made from devising a better spade to creating an internationally competitive space programme. During this journey Eilam learned step by step how to manage the complex relationship with the United States, which he says was willing to supply Israel with high technology only if it knew that Israel was well on its way to developing its own version of the same technology itself. … Eilam’s Arc will be of interest not only to military historians but for all those who have an interest in innovation and innovation policy. Israeli innovation policies, both civilian and military, have a proven track record of success and Eilam explains how governments can nurture, stimulate and lead individuals, corporations and foreign partners towards a desired goal.