Entebbe : Diary of a Hostage

This book is a firsthand account of the 1976 hijacking of Air France Flight 139 and the subsequent Israeli rescue mission at Entebbe, Uganda. What makes it unique is that it is based on a diary kept during captivity by hostage Yehuda Gottlieb, rather than on memories recorded years later. His daughter, Ester Smith, translated and prepared the diary for publication nearly fifty years after the event.

The Hijacking

On June 27, 1976, terrorists hijacked the Air France flight shortly after it left Athens. Armed with rifles and grenades, they took control of the aircraft and eventually flew it to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The passengers were forced to obey under constant threat of death.

Life in Captivity

The bulk of the book describes the eight days the hostages spent in the old Entebbe terminal. Gottlieb records:

• Overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
• Constant fear and uncertainty about whether they would survive.
• The role of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who presented himself as a mediator while cooperating with the hostage-takers.
• The psychological strain of isolation, rumors, and repeated terrorist demands.

  One of the most powerful themes is how ordinary people maintained dignity and mutual support under extreme stress. The hostages organized themselves, cared for one another, and tried to preserve order despite believing they might be killed.

  One thing that stands out from the manuscript is that it is less a military history of the raid and more a human story of what it felt like to be one of the hostages waiting, hour by hour, not knowing whether rescue or death would come first.