The Last Jihad (The Last Jihad #1)
Jon Bennett is a top Wall Street strategist turned senior White House advisor. But nothing has prepared him for the terror that he will face. Saddam Hussein dispatches his top hit men to assassinate the President of the United States. Iraqi terrorists spread carnage throughout London, Paris, and Riyadh . . . and the Butcher of Baghdad has a nuclear ace in his hand tha...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
September 15th 2003
by Forge Books
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booklady
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Bear
Recommended to booklady by:
my dear friend, Lori
A cross between Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum (the Bourne series) The Last Jihad is a speculative political thriller and as such not the kind of book I usually read, but I found myself really enjoying it!
Written in 2002, The Last Jihad envisioned a world where Saddam Hussein had not only acquired the wherewithal to produce fully functional ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) but was launching one against the United States. A fascinating and terrifying scenario then, it is ...more
Written in 2002, The Last Jihad envisioned a world where Saddam Hussein had not only acquired the wherewithal to produce fully functional ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) but was launching one against the United States. A fascinating and terrifying scenario then, it is ...more
This book is kind of hard to explain. The first draft to the publisher or editor was complete before September 11th. Because of the subject material, after 9/11, they put this book on hold for almost a year. Once it felt more appropriate, they modified some of the plot to be post 9/11 by almost 10 years.
The reason that is important is because it was released before the U.S. invaded Iraq as a preemptive strike. So, in this book, Saddam is still alive and leading Iraq. Since the ...more
The reason that is important is because it was released before the U.S. invaded Iraq as a preemptive strike. So, in this book, Saddam is still alive and leading Iraq. Since the ...more
I cannot remember who recommended this to me, but I'm fairly certain I was told to read it because it's not the kind of book I normally check out.
I knew right away that it might not be my kind of book after seeing the rave reviews by both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on the back cover. Hmmmm. In spite of their warning, I forged ahead.
The Last Jihad takes place in 2011 - ten years after the the World Trade Center attacks and enough time later for the current presi...more
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This was really a fantastic book. Fast-paced and action-packed from the very first page, the storyline was tense and authentic and I found myself completely engrossed from start to finish. The premise - what if the war on terror goes nuclear - is so timely; great food for thought. One particular quote I found that resonated for me particularly;
"The instruments of war are not evil....Not in and of themselves. Not unless they are in the hands of those who use them for evil. Preventing ...more
"The instruments of war are not evil....Not in and of themselves. Not unless they are in the hands of those who use them for evil. Preventing ...more
This was pretty bad. Although a Christian myself, most Christians think this is Freakin' awesome.In fact, one of my friends found this too scary. Why? The plot was far-fetched:there is NO WAY a Russian ultranationlist and an Islamic terrorists could have convinced Saddam to wage jihad against NATO. Iraq considered Iran its mortal enemy, and Iraq did not have tight, in-depth ties to terrorists.And Iraq bombs the Canadian embassy in Paris. What?What would that accomplish? They even attack Buckingh...more
I'll get this out of the way first: the single greatest distraction to THE LAST JIHAD is the fact that, in large sections of the prose, it is written just a touch too cinematically. You can read whole sections and see passages heavily influenced by the films of the Tom Clancy novels, the James Bond adventures, and even Fox Television's stellar action suspense series '24.' That's not to say that it's a bad thing ... I just found it occasionally distracting.
However, THE LAST JIHAD deals with...more
However, THE LAST JIHAD deals with...more
This is a guy's book. It started out like a pretty good political thriller--and that it definitely is--but so much of the book was taken up with guys and their war toys, as we are poised on the brink of World War III with Iraq and the US having nuclear weapons pointed at each other that I really got bored with it. I did have to laugh that communication seemed to be primarily by AOL -- does anybody use AOL any more? And there was a LOT of description about guns, missiles, bullets, battles, e...more
In a Nutshell: Compelling, fast-paced, compulsively readable, and thought provoking.
Characters fairly shallow, dialog less than sparkling. Still, it's a reasonably nuanced take on the Mid East conflicts, and an interesting "what if" scenario. Remarkably prescient given that it was written before the 9/11 attacks.
More Thoughts:
I need more stars to work with! I never rate anything 1 star, because I don't finish (or even pick up, most of the time!) 1 star bo...more
Characters fairly shallow, dialog less than sparkling. Still, it's a reasonably nuanced take on the Mid East conflicts, and an interesting "what if" scenario. Remarkably prescient given that it was written before the 9/11 attacks.
More Thoughts:
I need more stars to work with! I never rate anything 1 star, because I don't finish (or even pick up, most of the time!) 1 star bo...more
Lots of people have called Rosenberg a modern Nostradamus, but I think that he is simply someone who pays attention to events and the ripple effect they have on other events. For instance the first book in his Political Thrillers series (creative series title I know), The Last Jihad begins with a hijacked plane, and while it refers a couple of times in the beginning to 9/11, the majority of the book was written pre-9/11 and those bits were added in later rewrites according the preface in the se...more
Rosenberg spins a tale that appears to have a lot of truth behind it. This book is about the world in which we live where countries with nuclear capabilities are run by mad men. In this case it is Iraq which is run by Sadam Hussian. He wants to destroy Israel, the US and there allies. The book starts off with an assassination attempt made on the President while at the same time attacks are made on world leaders in Canada, England, Saudia Arabia and other nations. We get a glimpse into the i...more
WOW! I read some of the reviews for this and his other books and am currently reading "Epicenter". When they talk about "ripped from the headlines" writing they are definitely talking about Joel and his books. When I read books, sometimes, in a good one, I can picture certain people playing certain parts. While I could do that with this one, at times I could certainly picture current and/or past people in these roles,like the president, too(just maybe not our future one,e...more
My parents turned me on to this author and book series, based the apocolyptic prophesies within the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. The Last Jihad is the first of this series, and opens with a kamakaze terrorist crashing into a presidential motorcade on American soil. Prior to Sept 2001, this seemed almost unfathomable by any American, but what makes this book interesting is, it was written prior to Sept 2001, and scheduled to be released around the end of September 2001-- and of course, that dat...more
Whew! This book may actually deserve a better rating, but it was so not my bag. Very Tom Clancy-ish; whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends on your point of view. In this book's defense, I had The Headache of Death the day I started it, which was undoubtably a mistake. There are a million characters--most of them not important--all described as equally sharp and clever, steely and capable, and usually referred to by their last names, so even keeping track of men vs. women is tri...more
This book had an interesting premise noted by character Deek Black on page 279: Referring to Dr. M, an Israeli Deek said, "He [Dr. M]said, and I quote: 'The problem with you Americans is that you don't believe in evil.'"
If you don't believe that the above may be true and the root of many of America's problems, read The Triple Agent by Joby Warrick, a true story about the present CIA.
...more
I wish I could give this one more stars, because I like the premise and thought it would be like a Clancy or Ludlum political espionage thriller.
It tried to be, but the writing was not up to the challenge. The characters were not realistic, the dialogue was painfully bad. There was a lot of unnecessary descriptions and background that did nothing to add to the story. I found myself wishing he would get back to the suspenseful part.
He did pretty good at crafting an idea ...more
It tried to be, but the writing was not up to the challenge. The characters were not realistic, the dialogue was painfully bad. There was a lot of unnecessary descriptions and background that did nothing to add to the story. I found myself wishing he would get back to the suspenseful part.
He did pretty good at crafting an idea ...more
I was worried going into this book that I would not have enough background knowledge on recent developments in terrorism. The overwhelming amount of news on this current topic has caused me to draw away more than be pulled into it. Yet, from the beginning to the end I was riveted by this action packed thriller. I even enjoyed the few bits of politics that remained simple enough for even me to understand. Rosenberg was off on some of his guesses for the future after 9/11, but this doesn't drag do...more
I really debated over what to rate this book. If I could give it half stars, it'd probably be 3 1/2 stars. I'll admit that I had extremely high hopes for this book, and it just didn't quite deliver. But maybe my expectations were a bit too high! After reading the back, I was expecting Vince Flynn level writing and action, and this fell short for me.
First off, when reading this book, you have to keep reminding yourself that it's just fiction. It's written as if Sadam Hussein wa...more
First off, when reading this book, you have to keep reminding yourself that it's just fiction. It's written as if Sadam Hussein wa...more
I'd say like 3.5 stars. It was quite good. It was a bit hard for me to get into. Whether that was because I was reading it in smallish chunks, or because it's really just not my genre, I'm not sure, but there you have it.
It was pretty suspenseful there at the end! I was like, "Ummmmm... Everyone's not going to die are they? This isn't Hamlet, is it??" But not everyone died. The ending was a bit cliffhangery, but not in a way that leaves you going, "...... WHAT??...more
It was pretty suspenseful there at the end! I was like, "Ummmmm... Everyone's not going to die are they? This isn't Hamlet, is it??" But not everyone died. The ending was a bit cliffhangery, but not in a way that leaves you going, "...... WHAT??...more
Regardless of one's views politically, this book was a nervous read! I'm pretty sure my heart rate went up each time I read the pages. It's action packed and caused me to wonder about all kinds of government related things. (Remember, that I am a pansy when it comes to suspense. I can handle quite a bit less than the normal person.) All in all, it was an entertaining read. And...due to the fact that the last chapter left me completely hanging, I might have to check the sequel out from the l...more
An engaging procedural action/ adventure/ suspense read full of details about the inner workings of government. Because the manuscript was finished on 9/11/2001, it is my understanding that some revisions were required.
The time period is a bit distracting when read today, as the setting is established based on a President who fictionally takes office after George W. Bush (who is NOT Barak Obama - this book was written and published before the expiration of Bush's term). These slight...more
The time period is a bit distracting when read today, as the setting is established based on a President who fictionally takes office after George W. Bush (who is NOT Barak Obama - this book was written and published before the expiration of Bush's term). These slight...more
jzhunagev
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Post 9/11 political-thriller readers
Recommended to jzhunagev by:
M.V. Doulos
First Strike
(A Book Review of Joel Rosenberg’s The Last Jihad)
Do you still remember where and what were you doing on the fateful day of September 11, 2001?
On that historic Tuesday morning, Joel C. Rosenberg was putting the finishing touches on what will be his first novel. Written some nine months before 9/11, it opens with a chilling and ominous scene where radical Islamic terrorists hijack a jet plane on a kamikaze attack mission into an American city. But w...more
This book was highly recommended from my dad and is the first in a series of three. It’s a fictional representation of what could have happened if the United States had not attacked Iraq and Saddam were to have remained in power. It opens with a series of terrorist attacks aimed at the US and its allies. It seems like the author is just trying to push his extremely conservative agenda onto the reader. The current president of the United States is conservative and everything he does works fla...more
I have heard these books discussed for quite a while now and have finally had the opportunity to read them.
This was a great book and would make a great movie. I enjoyed the action and suspense. It was very fast moving.
I am not extremely politically savvy, so there were parts of the book that went over my head. But, the book is fast moving and exciting enough to create interest even if I am not following all the whole political agenda.
I definitely give this ...more
This was a great book and would make a great movie. I enjoyed the action and suspense. It was very fast moving.
I am not extremely politically savvy, so there were parts of the book that went over my head. But, the book is fast moving and exciting enough to create interest even if I am not following all the whole political agenda.
I definitely give this ...more
Other than logistical knowledge of military and particular protocol, I really didn't think the book was very well written. The characters were sooo flat, the reader was not compelled to really care about any of them. I think the focus was in the subject matter-controversial and threatening-of which I felt was very biased. I was agitated through the entire book. However, everyone else in my book club loved it, even though they did agree with the lack of character development.
An earlier title before "Dead Heat" by the same author; written right after 9-11, but before we invaded Iraq. I won't go into details other than to say it's a well-written book; he writes in a simliar vein as Clancy (which kept my attention) with many little twists and character changes. As his other book, this one pretty well reflects what is going on in the middle east, with plausible scenarios. And given the current world situation, this guy's crystal ball is a lot more clarified...more
An easy, entertaining, eye opening book. Joel does an amazing job at taking fact from the Bible and mixing it with the probabliity of what will happen to the state of international relations of the world in the future. In fact, each of his books have eerily foretold an event that has actually happend on the international stage. If you are at all interested in the dynamics of international relations and what may be our very near future, please read!
The book starts with a bang, a very intense and exciting sequence. Then we get to meet the hero and..um, he goes some places, and some things happen to him, and none of it is very exciting. But then the plot passes him by. I was very nonplussed to find the book's hero right on the edge of things instead of center stage. This renders the book somewhat dull and insipid. I will not be reading any more by this author.
Jennifer
rated it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
mystery and suspense lovers, anyone interested in various religious and political belief systems
Recommended to Jennifer by:
I came upon it at a Christian women's retreat
I'm about 2/3 of the way through this book and, I must say, it's kind of scary how pertinent it is to today's political and economic environment. It's very suspenseful - the kind of book I really enjoy - and written in language that I find easy to follow. It makes me appreciate living at a level where I am fairly ignorant about the grand scheme of how the world powers work. At the same time, it piques my curiosity and I can't seem to put it down.
This book was the first I read in a series of Joel Rosenberg books. He is an incredible writer and is compelling in his stories. He bases all of his books on scripture dealing with the end times. The books definitely make you think whether you agree with his theology or not. I also read his books, Ezekiel Option, The Last Days, and his nonfiction book Epic Center. All of these I would recommend.
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Note: This is a different person than the fantasy author, Joel Rosenberg
Joel C. Rosenberg is the founder of The Joshua Fund and the New York Times best-selling author of THE LAST JIHAD (2002), THE LAST DAYS (2003), THE EZEKIEL OPTION (2005), THE COPPER SCROLL (2006), EPICENTER (2006) and DEAD HEAT (2008) with more than 1.5 million copies in print. THE EZEKIEL OPTION was named by the EC...more
More about Joel C. Rosenberg...
Joel C. Rosenberg is the founder of The Joshua Fund and the New York Times best-selling author of THE LAST JIHAD (2002), THE LAST DAYS (2003), THE EZEKIEL OPTION (2005), THE COPPER SCROLL (2006), EPICENTER (2006) and DEAD HEAT (2008) with more than 1.5 million copies in print. THE EZEKIEL OPTION was named by the EC...more
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