From the front-line carnage of the Sinai desert to political intrigues at the highest levels of government, Jeremy Bowen offers an unflinching view of one of the key conflicts of the late 20th century.

With a devastating air assault on Egyptian forces, the Israeli air force began the six-day war against its Arab neighbours in June 1967. In his first book, the former BBC Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen outlines how this conflict, in which the Israeli armed forces routed the forces of Egypt, Syria and Jordan, led to the creation of the Middle East region as it exists today.

After a brief outline of the tensions which led to war from the creation of the Jewish state through conflict in 1948, Bowen outlines the six days from multiple perspectives. From the highest levels of

government in the Middle East and the US down to Palestinian civilians in Jerusalem cowering in darkened rooms to avoid gunfire, Bowen gathers compelling testimony from all sides of the conflict.

Six Days: How The 1967 War shaped the Middle East by Jeremy Bowen. Published in hardback by Simon & Schuster. Price £16.99.