The Other Side of the Coin

المؤلف

The following lines are a synopsis of Yahia Al Shaer's, non-fiction, history and documentary book "The Other Side of the Coin, Suez War 1956".

A book, which reveals - first time to be published - details and unknown secrets of the Egyptian underground resistance against the Anglo-French Assault troops in Port Said, during their presence in the city between Wednesday 7th., Novermber and Saturday 22nd., December 1956.



The book uncovers many confidential details about the influence of the egyptian political leadership in shaping and controlling the progressing of events, in order to enable the readers and history researchers to analyze and evaluate the resistance movement against the assaulting Anglo-French armed forces..

It uncovers the names, the infrastructure, the planing methods, and the implementation of the military resistance ambush operations against the occupying troops, and lists the weaponary of their resistance groups including their serial numbers.

Moreover, it reveals the information about the secret wireless communications center, which was hidden at the author's home, and reveals the applied procedures and the reporting methodology between the wireless station and the presidential office in Cairo, to explain the tactical approaching to solve the reoccupation of Port Said by the British and French armed forces..

Uncovering the details of kidnapping Lt. Antony Moorehouse - a relative of the British Monarch, Queen Elisabeth II - and details of his tragic death while being in custody of the resistance...and the details of the daily ambush operations, and the spectacular ambush against Maj. Williams, commander of the British secret services in the city are intended to enrich the available information about the performance of those groups and their patriotic importance within the Egyptian history of foghting for freedom ..

The author gets into depth, and deals with the personal competition between the commander of (Saaka Group) - special forces of the egyptian army - dispatched to the city by Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer, and the commanders of the secret resistance, ordered to Port Said by president Nasser, to lead the underground resistance in the city.

He unreveals the information and reasons of replacing colonel A. Fadl, the first commander of the secret resistance groups, by "Major S. Aafra", another officer of the second line of the the Egyptian Revolution Councel that was led by president Nasser, to lead the second "escalated" phase of resistance against the British and French troops in the city... It documents the change of policy and resisting tactics, to oblige the foreign forces to leave the egyptian soil as soon as possible.

The book uncovers, the secret procedures and the span of control, between the office of President Gamal Abdel Nasser in Cairo and the Headquarters of the secret resistance - hidden at the author's home - in Port Said, during that forgotten War.

Due to the fact, that the author "Yahia Al Shaer", was not only the coordinator and planner, but also the deputy leader of the underground military resistance groups in the city, besides his access to many of the information and orders transmitted from Egypt's presidential office to the secret via the wireless station, hidden at his home, he was able to get - unique- and indepth information about the development and implementation of the egyptian military secret resistance during this historical time period.

Yahia Al Shaer, had become the commander of the whole resistance groups, after the British forces had encircled a larger part of the city in search for late police office Captain Kamal El Sayyad - the leader of groups - who had to dismerge to avoid his arrest or capture.

The author's activities were not limited only to the administrative responsibilities of the groups, but he had partricipated and led several ambushes and attack operations against the invading Anglo-French troops in the city.. i.e

- He dynamited and blew up the huge statue of De LeSepps at the northern enterance of the Suez Canal,
he coplanned and had participated in the -only- combined night attack operation (secret resistance and special forces of the egyptian army (Saaka Group) against the British Centuirions and Armoured Cars Camp, which had caused the Brits a substancial material and human loss, consequentlly resulting in their immediate withdrawal to the eastern suberbs of the city. He was ordered -directly from the presidents office, "revealed later in Heikal's a book The Suez Files", to clarify the whereabouts of Lt. Moorehouse.

Yahia Al Shaer, had also participated in other ambushes and attacks, which could be read in his book "The Other Side of the Coin, Suez War 1956".

To complete the historical documentation of the war events, the book, details all the military fighting in the city, list all the complete details of the participating forces, fighting ships, aircraft, bombers, fighters, attacked objectives, timetable of the air-raids and many other official details of the Suez War 1956, which makes the book as a valuable historical reference.

The book is supported by official and authentical documents and references in addition to handwritten notes and remarks and unreveals many maps and .

The objective of these information is, to give the reader an idea about the author's background and the undisputable legitimacy of publishing those details.