What do you think?
The Syrian Sunset
A sweeping novel of international intrigue about the Syrian Civil War, the failure of the West to save the Syrian people, and how that inaction against the Russian incursion in Syria emboldened Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine.
In 2012, President Obama declared that if Assad used chemical weapons in Syria, that would cross a red line. A year later, Assad murdered a thousand people in East Damascus with sarin, and the West did not respond. Soon after, the Russians vastly augmented their presence in Syria, built a huge air base to add to their warm water port on the Syrian Mediterranean and from those runways bombed the Free Syrian Army across the breadth of Syria.
Based around these true events, THE SYRIAN SUNSET tells the tale of a fictional Syrian Military Intelligence general who wants a better Syria, and the events that led to the death of 500,000 civilians, 5 million people fleeing Syria, another 15 million being displaced internally.
In 2012, President Obama declared that if Assad used chemical weapons in Syria, that would cross a red line. A year later, Assad murdered a thousand people in East Damascus with sarin, and the West did not respond. Soon after, the Russians vastly augmented their presence in Syria, built a huge air base to add to their warm water port on the Syrian Mediterranean and from those runways bombed the Free Syrian Army across the breadth of Syria.
Based around these true events, THE SYRIAN SUNSET tells the tale of a fictional Syrian Military Intelligence general who wants a better Syria, and the events that led to the death of 500,000 civilians, 5 million people fleeing Syria, another 15 million being displaced internally.
315 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2022
About the author
Howard Kaplan
13 books109 followersTHE SYRIAN SUNSET A SWEEPING NOVEL OF INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE ABOUT THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, THE FAILURE OF THE WEST TO SAVE THE SYRIAN PEOPLE, AND HOW THAT INACTION AGAINST THE RUSSIAN INCURSION EMBOLDENED VLADIMIR PUTIN TO ATTACK UKRAINE
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 12, 2024
The publication date of this fiction spy book was 2022.
Fast forward to 12-2024
Documented history changes once more.
Fast forward to 12-2024
Documented history changes once more.
July 27, 2023
The Syrian Sunset
Book 2 of the Jerusalem Spy Series
By Howard Kaplan
Middle Eastern literature
Jewish literature
Political, Thriller, and Suspense
The first chapter takes place in Daraa ,Syria 2011.
Lillia Wassaf rushed towards the main square in Daraa Syria. It was the time of the Arab Spring.
People spoke of the sweet fragrance of living, without whispering, of a time of an end to the secret police knocking on people’s doors at any hour, of some of their neighbors doors and loved ones, being taken away over the decades, emerging from dark cells.
Fear ran through Lillia when she heard what happened to those Daraa boys 10 days ago. She had fallen to the floor in her parents house, cried helplessly, and wasn’t able to move. Two days later, she slipped outside and was walking behind her two brothers and was unseen and then turned back. Lillia was 32 years old. She wanted to become a teacher. She preferred to sit alone in the hills and read and dream. She wanted change along with everyone else.
Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad trained as an ophthalmologist before replacing his father as president. He promised reform. Bashar had married Asma, a British socialite of Syrian Pedigree, The couple had three young children.
A bunch of people headed towards the government headquarters in al-Mahata, some people argued, some shouted : reform the regime. While others threw bottles at the large photo of Bashar at the intersection. emotions were high. The very next day 30 people were dead. This all happened because young boys were kidnapped. An hour before sunset word got out from house to house that the boys had been released. Is this the beginning of a Civil War?
Another chapter takes place in the Golan Heights. It tells us about someone named Tami, who is a child of two holocaust survivors. She was a late accidental birth after the couple couldn’t conceive.
A positive thing about this book was that it was quite educational. It was interesting learning that pistachios, apricots, were one of the cherished Syrian exports.
One will learn that the jewish quarters of Damascus and Aleppo once bustled with 75,000 Jews.
The negative was learning that in al-Assad's Syria, questions were dangerous, people disappeared for less.
It is rated 5 out of 5 stars as it is fictional but based on events that are true.
Book 2 of the Jerusalem Spy Series
By Howard Kaplan
Middle Eastern literature
Jewish literature
Political, Thriller, and Suspense
The first chapter takes place in Daraa ,Syria 2011.
Lillia Wassaf rushed towards the main square in Daraa Syria. It was the time of the Arab Spring.
People spoke of the sweet fragrance of living, without whispering, of a time of an end to the secret police knocking on people’s doors at any hour, of some of their neighbors doors and loved ones, being taken away over the decades, emerging from dark cells.
Fear ran through Lillia when she heard what happened to those Daraa boys 10 days ago. She had fallen to the floor in her parents house, cried helplessly, and wasn’t able to move. Two days later, she slipped outside and was walking behind her two brothers and was unseen and then turned back. Lillia was 32 years old. She wanted to become a teacher. She preferred to sit alone in the hills and read and dream. She wanted change along with everyone else.
Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad trained as an ophthalmologist before replacing his father as president. He promised reform. Bashar had married Asma, a British socialite of Syrian Pedigree, The couple had three young children.
A bunch of people headed towards the government headquarters in al-Mahata, some people argued, some shouted : reform the regime. While others threw bottles at the large photo of Bashar at the intersection. emotions were high. The very next day 30 people were dead. This all happened because young boys were kidnapped. An hour before sunset word got out from house to house that the boys had been released. Is this the beginning of a Civil War?
Another chapter takes place in the Golan Heights. It tells us about someone named Tami, who is a child of two holocaust survivors. She was a late accidental birth after the couple couldn’t conceive.
A positive thing about this book was that it was quite educational. It was interesting learning that pistachios, apricots, were one of the cherished Syrian exports.
One will learn that the jewish quarters of Damascus and Aleppo once bustled with 75,000 Jews.
The negative was learning that in al-Assad's Syria, questions were dangerous, people disappeared for less.
It is rated 5 out of 5 stars as it is fictional but based on events that are true.
February 17, 2023
Author Howard Kaplan’s first historical novel about Syria was made into a major motion picture. This follow-up novel on Syria weaves a fascinating and timely tale. Written in a kind of stream of consciousness, the style is befitting the complicated amorphous tribal religious cultures of the region.
While important to the message, it is at times difficult to read depictions of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s brutality and torture of innocent civilians, so I skimmed certain passages. But, as we approach the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kaplan pins much of the current global political turmoil on Putin’s long-term KGB playbook tactics in Syria. Testing the world’s response to Bashar’s war crimes, Putin correctly concludes that his own 2014 invasion of Crimea would be met with little resistance by world leaders “hungover” from interventions in Afghanistan, (also caused by Putin).
Thus is the evil genius of Putin’s ability to read the global political climate and take advantage of any weaknesses for his own political positioning. Although Obama and others mitigated some of Bashar’s illegal use of sarin gas on his own populace, the practice continues. In hindsight, this book illustrates indisputably how the world should have intervened in Bashar’s tyranny from the onset, before the deaths of 500,000 innocent Syrians and displacement of 12 million more.
The resulting destabilization from the massive influx of refugees into Europe was indeed part of Putin’s plan when he decided to support Bashar’s murderous tyranny. It can be argued that Putin’s maneuver in Syria set in motion the elections of right-wing leaders in the UK, Poland, Italy, and even the USA.
That said, this book offers some bitter-sweet respite from the carnage with beautifully depicted Syrian culture, food, art, history, the world’s oldest continually inhabited city, Damascus, and even romance between its heroic characters. The story wraps up nicely full circle to the well-developed fascinating protagonists. It is a riveting read.
While important to the message, it is at times difficult to read depictions of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s brutality and torture of innocent civilians, so I skimmed certain passages. But, as we approach the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kaplan pins much of the current global political turmoil on Putin’s long-term KGB playbook tactics in Syria. Testing the world’s response to Bashar’s war crimes, Putin correctly concludes that his own 2014 invasion of Crimea would be met with little resistance by world leaders “hungover” from interventions in Afghanistan, (also caused by Putin).
Thus is the evil genius of Putin’s ability to read the global political climate and take advantage of any weaknesses for his own political positioning. Although Obama and others mitigated some of Bashar’s illegal use of sarin gas on his own populace, the practice continues. In hindsight, this book illustrates indisputably how the world should have intervened in Bashar’s tyranny from the onset, before the deaths of 500,000 innocent Syrians and displacement of 12 million more.
The resulting destabilization from the massive influx of refugees into Europe was indeed part of Putin’s plan when he decided to support Bashar’s murderous tyranny. It can be argued that Putin’s maneuver in Syria set in motion the elections of right-wing leaders in the UK, Poland, Italy, and even the USA.
That said, this book offers some bitter-sweet respite from the carnage with beautifully depicted Syrian culture, food, art, history, the world’s oldest continually inhabited city, Damascus, and even romance between its heroic characters. The story wraps up nicely full circle to the well-developed fascinating protagonists. It is a riveting read.
January 26, 2023
At the very top of the front cover of “Syrian Sunset”, the designer has chosen to place a one-line review by Clive Cussler, which reads, “Kaplan is up there with the best”. After reading this bin-worthy book, I suspect that the designer neglected to add the word “rubbish” after “best”.
How could Cussler read a stunningly awkward passage such as…
“Her younger brother called to tell her he was not hurt and impart the news. She dared not tell him she was near and saw.”
or
“Sleeping around a bit with guys she liked pummeled her with insecurity when she cared greatly for someone.”
…without cringing? I certainly couldn’t. Open any page of Syrian Sunset and you’ll surely find similarly penned passages ad nauseum.
To add insult to injury, the storyline of Syrian Sunset is intolerably clunky, horridly dull and brazenly unimaginative. I’ve read incel manifestos that were more compelling.
Kaplan has no business employing a female voice to tell any part of this old man’s wet dream of a story cum history lecture. It’s glaringly obvious from page one that this author (and I use the term loosely), doesn’t have a clue how women think or speak.
The only thing I regret more than wasting my precious time reading this pedantic trash is spending my hard-earned money on its purchase. Do yourself a favour and avoid this snotty kleenex of a book.
How could Cussler read a stunningly awkward passage such as…
“Her younger brother called to tell her he was not hurt and impart the news. She dared not tell him she was near and saw.”
or
“Sleeping around a bit with guys she liked pummeled her with insecurity when she cared greatly for someone.”
…without cringing? I certainly couldn’t. Open any page of Syrian Sunset and you’ll surely find similarly penned passages ad nauseum.
To add insult to injury, the storyline of Syrian Sunset is intolerably clunky, horridly dull and brazenly unimaginative. I’ve read incel manifestos that were more compelling.
Kaplan has no business employing a female voice to tell any part of this old man’s wet dream of a story cum history lecture. It’s glaringly obvious from page one that this author (and I use the term loosely), doesn’t have a clue how women think or speak.
The only thing I regret more than wasting my precious time reading this pedantic trash is spending my hard-earned money on its purchase. Do yourself a favour and avoid this snotty kleenex of a book.
December 29, 2023
Syrian Sunset--where are we? Howard Kaplan weaves a story with characters you both love and don't, confusion and interwoven stories. This story of individuals in a very difficult part of our world, one controlled by despots and used as pawns by other nations. We follow those trying to move the needle to a safer world, and those caught in the middle. There is friendship, love, political gamesmanship, and heart pounding chases. The author's insights at key moments, connecting his story to historical reality often made me stop and think. The level of detail, at times, was too much for me, but I experienced each scene. I'm glad I read this book!
March 17, 2023
Kaplan writes compassionately and convincingly about the Syrian civil war, Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons, and how the US stepped down from their commitment to hold Assad accountable. Kaplan expertly combines the historical background of the war with a compelling fictional narrative. The story is complicated, composed of doctors risking their safety to care for the war’s victims, military officials guilt ridden over their actions, and investigators seeking to prevent the use of chemical weapons. Highly recommended.
March 27, 2023
Brilliantly researched and written. Captivating. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended. Another great book, Howard!
January 11, 2024
Good book
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews