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Traitor's Gate
The drums of war beat amid global economic ruin. The skies, not the trenches, will decide the survivors. Rich men marshal their resources as all sides race to acquire 100-octane aviation gasoline, an unproven, unstable witches’ brew that could fuel the fastest attack aircraft. In a brutal maze of corporate treason, personal blackmail, and imperfect heroism, a young, brilliant petroleum engineer battling the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma may hold the key. Eight years ago in Jerusalem, schoolgirl Saba Hassouneh survived the murder of her family. Sentenced to the barbaric refugee camps, Saba is freed by a legendary Bedouin freedom-fighter. She embraces his life of a bandit/rebel, evolving into a fearsome Arab nationalist femme de guerre hunted by the colonial powers and religious mullahs. Saba has one free her people. An epic historical thriller from acclaimed author Charlie Newton, Traitor’s Gate races toward the first shot of WWII. As the world’s true rulers vie for dominion, two unlikely lovers collide. Their attraction is immediate, their goals opposite.
635 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2015
34 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Newton
6 books53 followersCharlie Newton is a Chicago native, a writer known for a global life on the road and extended MIA absences. When he does publish, Newton’s heart-pounding, gritty, and witty realism has been a starred-review favorite of the critics and a finalist for the Edgar, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the Macavity, and the International Thriller Writers awards. Newton is the author of Calumet City (Simon & Schuster, 2008), Start Shooting (Doubleday, 2012), Traitor’s Gate (Thomas & Mercer, 2015), and Privateers (BlackType Press, 2020).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 12, 2015
Historical fiction centered in 1929-1939, in preWW2 US and Middle East. Interesting time and place- normally the history told of that era is of statesmen fighting against war but this showed different levels and how hard it was to see who,were the good guys and who, the bad. A romance based among a fit over the need of the major powers for aviation gas. At times very slow but the time depicted was so interesting I kept coming back. The rights and interests of the Palestinians, Jews, Britain losing their empire, Nazis trying to ally with the U.S. And others against the Communists. Very confusing, at times. At the end, I had a hard time putting it down.
September 12, 2015
One of the best books I have read in some time!
Adventure-- Mystery-- Romantic-- Suspense-- International -- Middle Eastern History -- Action -- Felt like I was there while reading, the feel of the sand, mountains, strangers in black - International Affairs/Noir -- Could not put it down yet did not want to finish because I want more -- And hope to see more books like this from Newton -- Well Done suggest book to every one!
Adventure-- Mystery-- Romantic-- Suspense-- International -- Middle Eastern History -- Action -- Felt like I was there while reading, the feel of the sand, mountains, strangers in black - International Affairs/Noir -- Could not put it down yet did not want to finish because I want more -- And hope to see more books like this from Newton -- Well Done suggest book to every one!
June 4, 2015
As a fan of Mr. Newton's first two books, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Recalling the relentless pace of Calumet City and Start Shooting, I braced for it. The context in which Traitor's Gate is set is much more familiar to me than either of the first two, and this made it even more enjoyable than I had hoped. Mr. Newton has clearly done his research. I escaped into the world he created effortlessly and completely. Some references, especially those regarding some titans of American business, came as surprises to me; so much so that I did some research of my own after reading Traitor's Gate to verify some facts. Rather than hear me attempt to describe the characters and story, read this page and believe what others are saying. If it seems the type of story you'd be interested in, just the type, then my opinion is pick it up and get on with it. I wonder if he plans to continue the story further into the future, as I'd love to see some of these characters again.
June 2, 2015
Acclaimed author Charlie Newton just keeps getting better. He was nominated for a host of writing awards for his first two novels, "Calumet City," and, "Start Shooting," but I believe his latest release, a 572 page historical thriller titled, "Traitor's Gate," will overshadow them both. A magnificent effort by Charlie Newton, which transports us back to a sad era in America's history, after the stock market crash and on the brink of WWII, and a story of star crossed lovers told in poignant detail. Kudos.
August 23, 2015
Charlie Newton has pretty good material here for a story, but his writing reduces.everything to cliché. He resorts so much to trite constructions that even his neologisms sound hackneyed.
February 3, 2017
Really good book, and Luke Daniels is an excellent narrator for any story narrated by a Southern Midwestern male.
I found the story hard to get into at first, but once Eddie Owen was sent to the Middle East as a petroleum engineer for Standard Oil, things picked up. A little romance helped add human interest to the horrors of the intrigue and strife leading up to WWII.
In our time, we hear much about the big oil companies and how those companies are a country unto themselves ... not American, not European ... especially with the confirmation hearings of Tillerson as our Secretary of State. The more I read about the many roles American oil companies and other large American businesses played leading up to and during this war, and probably many others, the more naïve I realize many of us are about the world. Most of us live our lives so far away from the political and economic intrigue that we would never guess what our multi-national American companies and our government are doing. This book has a lot of historical data that was never taught in school, and like others I have read of this nature, drove me to Google and Wikipedia many times. For that reason alone, my rating is a high "4" stars.
I found the story hard to get into at first, but once Eddie Owen was sent to the Middle East as a petroleum engineer for Standard Oil, things picked up. A little romance helped add human interest to the horrors of the intrigue and strife leading up to WWII.
In our time, we hear much about the big oil companies and how those companies are a country unto themselves ... not American, not European ... especially with the confirmation hearings of Tillerson as our Secretary of State. The more I read about the many roles American oil companies and other large American businesses played leading up to and during this war, and probably many others, the more naïve I realize many of us are about the world. Most of us live our lives so far away from the political and economic intrigue that we would never guess what our multi-national American companies and our government are doing. This book has a lot of historical data that was never taught in school, and like others I have read of this nature, drove me to Google and Wikipedia many times. For that reason alone, my rating is a high "4" stars.
July 31, 2020
Palestine and World Politics
Sixteen year old Saba Hassouneh lives a happy life in 1929 Jerusalem with her father, mother, two brothers, and little sister. Her father is a teacher of history at the Arab College in Jerusalem and a Palestinian patriot who preaches rebellion against British occupation of Palestine to his fellow Arabs.
He also preaches against the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine which makes him unpopular with the Haganeh, a Jewish paramilitary organization.
Soon Saba’s happy life will change forever as the
British and the Haganeh react with horrifying violence against anyone who opposes their agenda in Palestine! Not only men and women are faced with incredible cruelty, but youth and children also!
This tale spans many years and continents! It involves individuals from many nations and brings the political issues of the time into focus! It delineates the history of today’s conflict.
Sixteen year old Saba Hassouneh lives a happy life in 1929 Jerusalem with her father, mother, two brothers, and little sister. Her father is a teacher of history at the Arab College in Jerusalem and a Palestinian patriot who preaches rebellion against British occupation of Palestine to his fellow Arabs.
He also preaches against the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine which makes him unpopular with the Haganeh, a Jewish paramilitary organization.
Soon Saba’s happy life will change forever as the
British and the Haganeh react with horrifying violence against anyone who opposes their agenda in Palestine! Not only men and women are faced with incredible cruelty, but youth and children also!
This tale spans many years and continents! It involves individuals from many nations and brings the political issues of the time into focus! It delineates the history of today’s conflict.
December 18, 2024
I’m gonna be honest, it took me a HOT minute to get into this one. The premise is great however, there are several times that the author makes a jump to another scene or another year altogether which made it feel a bit choppy and left me disoriented. But, the second half of this book really drew me in and I love the complexity of the storytelling that wove in all the loose ends.
December 30, 2019
Full review to come!
April 14, 2023
This is a very well written and informative thriller. It has many stories that are all creatively brought together. Enjoyed the read!!
May 5, 2023
Wow, this one started out pretty slow, but when it got interesting, it got REALLY intersting.
March 6, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
The drums of war beat amid global economic ruin. The skies, not the trenches, will decide the survivors. Rich men marshal their resources as all sides race to acquire 100-octane aviation gasoline, an unproven, unstable witches’ brew that could fuel the fastest attack aircraft. In a brutal maze of corporate treason, personal blackmail, and imperfect heroism, a young, brilliant petroleum engineer battling the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma may hold the key.
Eight years ago in Jerusalem, schoolgirl Saba Hassouneh survived the murder of her family. Sentenced to the barbaric refugee camps, Saba is freed by a legendary Bedouin freedom-fighter. She embraces his life of a bandit/rebel, evolving into a fearsome Arab nationalist femme de guerre hunted by the colonial powers and religious mullahs. Saba has one mission: free her people.
*3.5 stars*
At first glance, the two storylines as described in the blurb don't really seem to be from the same novel...but the beauty of this story is the way these two plots come together in a very satisfying way.
The historical elements of the story were also handled extremely well - there were points raised, especially regarding the companies that were battling it out for the gasoline, that I needed to go and check and, as usual, once I did that, it led me down the rabbit hole into many other interesting facts from that time. I commend the author for making me use my head when reading it.
The intrigue, the politics, the backstabbing...all great additions to the story. Have to say this was a page-turner of a book and one that I would happily recommend but...
This book has some serious issues with editing. Whether it be punctuation, spelling and grammar, or repetitive or run-on sentences, this book could have really benefitted from just one (more?) look from an editor to iron them out. Clichés abounded at times, and I did feel like the story did suffer from it somewhat.
That aside, a really decent story that wouldn't look out of place in any historical fiction fans' library.
Paul
ARH
The drums of war beat amid global economic ruin. The skies, not the trenches, will decide the survivors. Rich men marshal their resources as all sides race to acquire 100-octane aviation gasoline, an unproven, unstable witches’ brew that could fuel the fastest attack aircraft. In a brutal maze of corporate treason, personal blackmail, and imperfect heroism, a young, brilliant petroleum engineer battling the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma may hold the key.
Eight years ago in Jerusalem, schoolgirl Saba Hassouneh survived the murder of her family. Sentenced to the barbaric refugee camps, Saba is freed by a legendary Bedouin freedom-fighter. She embraces his life of a bandit/rebel, evolving into a fearsome Arab nationalist femme de guerre hunted by the colonial powers and religious mullahs. Saba has one mission: free her people.
*3.5 stars*
At first glance, the two storylines as described in the blurb don't really seem to be from the same novel...but the beauty of this story is the way these two plots come together in a very satisfying way.
The historical elements of the story were also handled extremely well - there were points raised, especially regarding the companies that were battling it out for the gasoline, that I needed to go and check and, as usual, once I did that, it led me down the rabbit hole into many other interesting facts from that time. I commend the author for making me use my head when reading it.
The intrigue, the politics, the backstabbing...all great additions to the story. Have to say this was a page-turner of a book and one that I would happily recommend but...
This book has some serious issues with editing. Whether it be punctuation, spelling and grammar, or repetitive or run-on sentences, this book could have really benefitted from just one (more?) look from an editor to iron them out. Clichés abounded at times, and I did feel like the story did suffer from it somewhat.
That aside, a really decent story that wouldn't look out of place in any historical fiction fans' library.
Paul
ARH
February 17, 2017
Great Historical Fiction, excellent storytelling, specific detail, great suspense, non stop action.
June 18, 2015
Started promising enough. Then after the 4th or 5th sentence that made no sense (not content-wise, construction) I was done. Sloppy writing (or lack of editing?) is a big pet peeve to me. If I'm going to put in hours reading a book, I'd like the author to at least pay attention to the squiggly lines under the sentence in MSword. Also, in one of the chapters (set in 1939, I believe), the american that meets the main character in the synagogue uses the word "Genocide", which wasn't coined until after the Holocaust. I would think that would be evident in research for the book.
Probably seems like minor complaints, but the rest of it wasn't compelling enough to make me want to ignore these things. Also, you can only have the main character go into "sure death" so many times before it seems overblown/exaggerated.
I read half of the book, but had too many other books waiting to be read to spend more time on this one.
Probably seems like minor complaints, but the rest of it wasn't compelling enough to make me want to ignore these things. Also, you can only have the main character go into "sure death" so many times before it seems overblown/exaggerated.
I read half of the book, but had too many other books waiting to be read to spend more time on this one.
June 30, 2015
Thanks to Goodreads for this giveaway!
An entirely fresh, original fast-paced thriller (and romance) highlighting a forgotten time in Palestinian history between the wars when Britain controlled Palestine, before the current Israeli occupation. The author clearly has done his research with names, dates, places and events included at every twist and turn. I had to pace myself so I wouldn't get overwhelmed by the details and descriptions of this heartbreaking, yet at times heartwarming story.
In the end, this historical novel shows us the uplifting power of hope and love, starring two unlikely romantics literally from opposite ends of the world: a brave Palestinian heroine who becomes a freedom-fighter after her family is murdered and an engineer from Texas/Oklahoma who believes in her cause and fights to save her.
An entirely fresh, original fast-paced thriller (and romance) highlighting a forgotten time in Palestinian history between the wars when Britain controlled Palestine, before the current Israeli occupation. The author clearly has done his research with names, dates, places and events included at every twist and turn. I had to pace myself so I wouldn't get overwhelmed by the details and descriptions of this heartbreaking, yet at times heartwarming story.
In the end, this historical novel shows us the uplifting power of hope and love, starring two unlikely romantics literally from opposite ends of the world: a brave Palestinian heroine who becomes a freedom-fighter after her family is murdered and an engineer from Texas/Oklahoma who believes in her cause and fights to save her.
May 12, 2015
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In the ten years prior to WWII, economic and political events pointed directly towards disaster. Charlie Newton has written an extremely well-researched novel about this tumultuous time and has woven in a powerful love story.
The race to obtain 100-octane aviation gasoline becomes incredibly important to many factions. Trapped in the game of war and the coming conflict, a young petroleum engineer and a Palestinian freedom fighter encounter suffering, betrayal and stirring emotions. Offering fast-paced action combined with accurate historical material, the result is a singularly first-class book. Highly recommended reading.
In the ten years prior to WWII, economic and political events pointed directly towards disaster. Charlie Newton has written an extremely well-researched novel about this tumultuous time and has woven in a powerful love story.
The race to obtain 100-octane aviation gasoline becomes incredibly important to many factions. Trapped in the game of war and the coming conflict, a young petroleum engineer and a Palestinian freedom fighter encounter suffering, betrayal and stirring emotions. Offering fast-paced action combined with accurate historical material, the result is a singularly first-class book. Highly recommended reading.
December 9, 2015
This book did a really good job of not harping on about things. Some books like this will really over do the "I'm a ruined women, I'm giving up my life for Palestine" thing. Enough emphasis is placed on this through actions and we don't have to listen to Saba whinning for pages upon pages. Well done!
I also really like the writting of the characters, they are so frustrating and make so many mistakes or are so evil and manipulated, yet that makes them easier to appreciate because it makes them more real.
I also really like the writting of the characters, they are so frustrating and make so many mistakes or are so evil and manipulated, yet that makes them easier to appreciate because it makes them more real.
August 13, 2015
Should be a movie...
Intriguing story that brings to light America's Nazi connections before WW2. A bit disjointed at times, as the reader follows jagged plotlines that take place all over the middle east and north Africa and the love story is a bit unrealistic, but none the less intensely interesting. I could see this story as an action adventure film in the genre of "Romancing the Stone", the 1984 movie with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
Intriguing story that brings to light America's Nazi connections before WW2. A bit disjointed at times, as the reader follows jagged plotlines that take place all over the middle east and north Africa and the love story is a bit unrealistic, but none the less intensely interesting. I could see this story as an action adventure film in the genre of "Romancing the Stone", the 1984 movie with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
July 21, 2015
This was around a 4.5 star book for me. It had me crying more than once within the first couple of chapters. This can tug on your emotions fast. A good story that kept me interested and wanting to find out what happened next. Good pacing. It's a big book but worth the read for sure.
This was a review on a goodreads giveaway book (paperback, and loved the look of the book).
This was a review on a goodreads giveaway book (paperback, and loved the look of the book).
August 26, 2015
The Middle East, circa 1930's
This was a fun read on many levels. As a historical novel it illuminated mid-East politics. It traced the roots of today's strife and disparity. The novel has a well drawn romantic tree that simply fascinates. Finally, the novel has memorable characters in both senses of the word.
Highly recommend.
This was a fun read on many levels. As a historical novel it illuminated mid-East politics. It traced the roots of today's strife and disparity. The novel has a well drawn romantic tree that simply fascinates. Finally, the novel has memorable characters in both senses of the word.
Highly recommend.
October 21, 2015
This is historical fiction from 1929-1939 in the period before the World Wars were numbered. I knew very little about this time when nations were aligning and the good guys, bad guys were not that easy to determine. The main character, Eddie Owen, was engineering refineries to produce 100 octane gasoline for airplanes. Saba's quest to free Palestine is a large part of the story as well.
June 30, 2016
This book was super long. I won a free copy from a goodreads giveaway. I didn't think I'd like it, to be honest, but I did. I can't give any more info than the description already did without giving stuff away, but the book was amazing. Pick. This. Up.
June 6, 2015
This book is an Action packed Thriller. Its full of Mayhem and Murder and so much more. Thank you GOODREADS for this free book!!
August 19, 2015
Sequel please?! Within a setting of intense action, huge historical perspectives and layered motivations, there are 2 very compelling people in the unlikeliest of relationships. I need to see where that's going. Enjoyed this one a lot.
July 5, 2015
This is not a good book.
July 6, 2015
Another instant classic from the mind of Charlie Newton! Traitor's Gate weaves a fascinating fact filled historical tale with a love story that you will not be able to put down.
July 7, 2015
Really good! It's a great summer read. Although historical in nature it gives a new perspective on current events in the Middle East.
October 12, 2015
Great story, well written and kept me interested. Set prior to WW2, learned a bit of the history of that era to boot.
August 15, 2015
I love a book I can get lost in and Charlie Newton's books always take me there, plus I sometimes even learn a little history. A great way to spend a weekend!
October 4, 2015
Well written and highly recommend for those who enjoy historical thrillers with a little romance and conspiracy thrown into the mix. Will leave you wanting more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews