There have been books, articles and blockbuster movies, but the real story of the most daring rescue operation ever is finally being told – by the operators themselves.

In June 1976, when AF Flight 139 was hijacked by German and Arab terrorists and flown to Entebbe, Uganda, many around the world thought there was no choice but to succumb to the hijackers’ demands. But a few nights later, an Israeli special operations force flew an unprecedented 2,500 miles—largely over hostile territory and with only enough fuel for one leg of the journey.

These operators were the first ones to land in Entebbe. They eliminated the terrorists and freed 103 hostages. Their 33 stories, told in their own words, illustrate precisely how Sayeret Matkal pulled off the impossible on that fateful night.

Sayeret Matkal operators endure a harsh selection process – they’re trained as clandestine warriors, taught to keep the secrets they hold. For these authors, that creed has been a way of life. Now, after decades of silence, they’ve decided to share their stories of Entebbe. These individual testimonies, sure to leave an indelible mark on the historical record, were written out of goodwill; and goodwill, too, has dictated that all proceeds be donated to charity.