Saad Shazly was Chief of Staff for the Egyptian Armed Forces during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, and this is his account of that war. This updated edition includes three new chapters by the author.

Surviving -- Planning -- Operation 41 and the High Minarets -- Plan Badr takes shape -- Rebuilding -- Reaching the soldier -- Building the forces -- Equipping the infantry -- Marshalling the crossing -- Mobilizing -- Searching for weapons -- The crucial factor -- The budget -- Political diary -- Sadat seizes power -- Dealing with the Russians -- The search for allies -- The October Arms Deal -- Apparatus of power -- Problems with the Russians -- Gathering reinforcements -- A question of payment -- A tale of two allies -- Confrontation with Sadek -- Expelling the Russians -- A waste of effort -- Aftermath -- The catastrophe of Ismail -- Conspiracy -- Hopes for the future -- The final deal -- The lull before the storm -- War -- Sunday, October 7 -- Monday, October 8 -- Tuesday, October 9 -- Wednesday, October 10 -- Thursday, October 11 -- Friday, October 12 -- Saturday, October 13 -- Sunday, October 14, -- Monday, October 15 -- Tuesday, October 16 -- Wednesday, October 17 -- Thursday, October 18 -- Friday, October 19 -- Saturday, October 20-Monday, October 22 -- Tuesday, October 23 -- Wednesday, October 24 -- Helping hands -- Aftermath -- Thursday, October 25 -- Friday, October 26 -- Saturday, October 27 -- Who was responsible? -- Developing the attack to the Sinai Passes -- Dealing with enemy penetration -- Government secrets versus the people's right to know the facts.