My new book, Iron Dome: A History of Israel’s Military Strategy is now available with Bloomsbury in hardback, paperback, and Ebook. Click here for flyer with a 20% discount.
“A compelling, thoroughly researched, and highly readable account of Iron Dome’s history, how it shaped Israeli doctrine and cooperation with the United States, and how this and similar systems are changing the nature of conflict in the Middle East and beyond.”
— Daniel Byman, Georgetown University
“A rare blend of technical, bureaucratic and political history backed by careful reading and extensive interviews. An excellent guide to Iron Dome’s strengths, its limits, and its strategic implications for Israel and the broader Middle East.”
— Eliot Cohen, Center for Strategic and International Studies
“Coming in the aftermath of the October 7th Hamas attacks, this book offers novel, timely insights into the system’s history and its role in reshaping Israel’s strategic balance between offense and defense. This essential and highly recommended study reveals how a single technology became a national symbol, transformed Israeli security thinking, and influenced global perceptions of modern warfare.”
— Sanam Vakil, Royal Institute of International Affairs – Chatham House
“A fascinating biography of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system… For those looking to understand how artificial intelligence, mobile missiles, and hypersonic technologies may transform future conflict in the Middle East, this book offers a compelling read.”
— Brandon Friedman, Tel Aviv University
IRON DOME tells the remarkable story of how a single military system, designed to protect against rockets, reshaped Israel’s politics and strategy. Conceived against the resistance from many, and developed at extraordinary speed, Iron Dome eventually became one of the most iconic symbols of modern warfare.
Drawing on extensive fieldwork and interviews with Israeli and American decision-makers, the book traces the rise of Iron Dome against the backdrop of Israel’s wars with Hamas and Hezbollah. The new system enabled Israel’s governments to assuage the fears of its population amid the flow of rockets targeting its cities.
However, the book shows that the story of Iron Dome is more than a tale of technological prowess: it reveals key insights into the evolving conflict between Israel and the Palestinians since the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the struggle within the Israeli Defense Forces to adapt its strategy, and the way missile defense is shaping the future of Israel-US military cooperation. It also offers a compelling study of the core tensions of modern warfare, from the dilemma between offense and defense to the uneasy marriage of strategy and technology.
Jean-Loup Samaan 