Major Farran's Hat: The Untold Story of the Struggle to Establish the Jewish StateIn May 1947 a sixteen-year-old Jewish activist named Alexander Rubowitz was abducted in broad daylight from the streets of Jerusalem. At the abduction scene, a gray hat was found, purportedly belonging to Major Roy Farran, a decorated World War II officer who was in charge of British counterterrorism in Palestine. As evidence mounted against Farran, the Zionist underground swore vengeance. The episode precipitated a series of nail-biting twists and turns that had far-reaching consequences. An engaging mix of true crime and polemical narrative history, peopled by a cast of luminaries including Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, Menachem Begin, and Golda Meir, Major Farran's Hat investigates shady violence, scandaluos cover-ups, and political expediency. It also explores why Britain lost Palestine, as well as how its counterinsurgency and diplomatic strategies collided so disastrously. By exposing Britain's legacy in the Middle East, this historical thriller echoes today's war on terror and pointedly illustrates the circumstances surrounding the birth of the State of Israel. |
Contents
Roy Farran and the Special Squads | |
CoverUp and Scandal | |
Court Martial | |
The Heros Return and the Terrorists Revenge | |
Epilogue | |
Sources and Bibliography | |
Picture Credits | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abduction Alexander Rubowitz antiterrorist Arab Archives Army and Jewish arrest attack Attlee August Aviv Bernard Fergusson Bevin bomb Brigadier Britain British Army charge Colonial Office command counterinsurgency court martial Creech Jones Cunningham Daily Express Daily Mail Daily Telegraph David documents Eliav escape evidence German Gray Gurney Ha’aretz Hadingham Hagana Heruti high commissioner immigration Inspector Insurgency in Palestine intelligence investigation Irgun Israel Jerusalem Jewish Agency Jewish Insurgency Jewish terrorist Jewish underground Jews July June Katz kidnapped killed later Laurence Collins LEHI Lieutenant Colonel London Major Farran Manchester Guardian mandate Memoirs Middle East military mission Montgomery murder National Nochimowski November October Operation Tombola operations organisation Palestine government Palestine Police Force Palestine Post Palestinian political Roy Farran Roy’s Royal Rubowitz family Secretary security forces September 1947 soldiers Special Branch special squads Stern Gang Syria terrorism told trial Trumpet United Wickham Winged Dagger Ya’acov York Zionist