Status
Available
Publication
Forge Books (2003), Edition: 1st Mass Market Ed, 335 pages
Description
The Last Jihad is a gripping and prescient tale from New York Times bestselling author Joel C. RosenbergJon 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 that he has not yet played. Only a solid Arab-Isreali coalition against Iraq can keep the U.S.--and other Western nations--from certain devastation. And only Bennett and his beautiful partner, Erin McCoy, can make that happen. Their secret project--a billion-dollar oil deal off the coast of Gaza--could be the basis for an historic peace treaty and enormous wealth for every Isreali and Palestinian. But just before a treaty can be signed, Isreali commandos foil an Iraqi Scud missile launch, recovering a nuclear warhead and evidence that the next attack will level Washington, New York and Tel Aviv. Now, the Isreali Prime Minister gives the American President an ultimatum: Melt down Baghdad within one hour...or Israel will do it herself. From Jerusalem, Bennett and McCoy must summon all their stealth and savvy to save themselves--and the world--from absolute destruction.… (more)
Series
Collection
Original publication date
2002
Subjects
Language
ISBN
0765346435 / 9780765346438
User reviews
LibraryThing member KevinJoseph
The initial allure of this doomsday thriller, the way it builds a diabolical plot around real public figures and political conflicts, turns out to be its major weakness. Set in the year 2010 during the presidency of Bush's successor, the novel dazzles the reader at first with its compelling
Another problem with the novel is the bumpiness of the plotting after the first few chapters. Instead of allowing the reader to witness these shocking events through the eyes of his core characters, Rosenberg jumps from scene to scene and viewpoint to viewpoint every few paragraphs or less. While this keeps the attention deficit types turning pages, it also renders the story telling more impersonal and disjointed than it could have been.
And then there's the ending, which I can only liken to the sensation of rounding a sharp turn in the road and driving off a cliff. No time for reflection. No tying up of loose ends. Just a big unfulfilling void.
-Kevin Joseph, author of "The Champion Maker"
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characters, knowledge of the president's inner circle, and descriptions of military hardware and geopolitical events. But like Rosenberg's protagonist Jon Bennett, who prides himself on his ability to foresee future trends, the author makes bold and unnecessary predictions about the war on terror and the situation in Iraq, many of which were almost immediately overcome by real world events. These false predictions, which could have been avoided by populating his novel with fictitious villians, end up sacrificing what might have been a powerful story in order to further Rosenberg's thinly-veiled political agenda.Another problem with the novel is the bumpiness of the plotting after the first few chapters. Instead of allowing the reader to witness these shocking events through the eyes of his core characters, Rosenberg jumps from scene to scene and viewpoint to viewpoint every few paragraphs or less. While this keeps the attention deficit types turning pages, it also renders the story telling more impersonal and disjointed than it could have been.
And then there's the ending, which I can only liken to the sensation of rounding a sharp turn in the road and driving off a cliff. No time for reflection. No tying up of loose ends. Just a big unfulfilling void.
-Kevin Joseph, author of "The Champion Maker"
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LibraryThing member mramos
In this book we enter a world where Iraq launches simultaneous terror attacks against Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the West. In one of the first attacks the president of the U.S.A. is wounded and he enlists a former Wall Street guru Jon Bennett to help broker a peace settlement. But the threat of a
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desperate nuclear offensive by the rogue state looms. The book is a fast read. It contains violence and some strong language. Show Less
LibraryThing member nolak
Wow!! Who could put this down? Written nine months before Sept. 11th, 2001, the events are almost like what really happened, and then it was published 5 months before the War in Iraq, detailing what actually happened before it happened. The action never lets up in all 5 books in the series.
LibraryThing member dspoon
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
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Riyadh . . . and the Butcher of Baghdad has a nuclear ace in his hand that he has not yet played.Only a solid Arab-Isreali coalition against Iraq can keep the U.S.--and other Western nations--from certain devastation. And only Bennett and his beautiful partner, Erin McCoy, can make that happen. Their secret project--a billion-dollar oil deal off the coast of Gaza--could be the basis for an historic peace treaty and enormous wealth for every Isreali and Palestinian. But just before a treaty can be signed, Isreali commandos foil an Iraqi Scud missile launch, recovering a nuclear warhead and evidence that the next attack will level Washington, New York and Tel Aviv.Now, the Isreali Prime Minister gives the American President an ultimatum: Melt down Baghdad within one hour . . . or Israel will do it herself. From Jerusalem, Bennett and McCoy must summon all their stealth and savvy to save themselves--and the world--from absolute destruction. Show Less
LibraryThing member johnjohnson42
Great book. Although a little dated. I wish I had read this when it first was published. Still a great read.
LibraryThing member JCO123
OK, kind of fun to read. Tries too much to ''be conservative''. Ending leaves you kind of hagbing.
LibraryThing member nittnut
Apocalyptic. I would like to hope that there is never a scenario in which our government would use a nuclear weapon.
Recommended by a friend - not really my genre. Writing is not bad if you don't mind skipping around the globe between the good and bad and ?? guys. If you like "political thrillers"
Recommended by a friend - not really my genre. Writing is not bad if you don't mind skipping around the globe between the good and bad and ?? guys. If you like "political thrillers"
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then I recommend it to you. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lynngood
Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy are two of the shrewdest strategists on Wall Street and close friends of the president of the United States. Their secret project: a billion-dollar oil deal off the coast of Tel Aviv and Gaza that could form the basis of a historic peace treaty and bring enromous wealth
•Terrorist hijack a jet plane and fly a kamikaze mission into an American city.
•Israeli commandos foil a nuclear attack but find evidence that the next targets could be Washington and New York.
•And suddenly the United States finds itself in a war in the Middle East over terrorism and weapons of mass destruction that will forever change the course of human history.
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to every Israeli and Palestinian. But nothing has prepared Jon or Erin for the terror that lies ahead. •Terrorist hijack a jet plane and fly a kamikaze mission into an American city.
•Israeli commandos foil a nuclear attack but find evidence that the next targets could be Washington and New York.
•And suddenly the United States finds itself in a war in the Middle East over terrorism and weapons of mass destruction that will forever change the course of human history.
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LibraryThing member Venqat65
Great book. Amazing that Rosenberg wrote it before 911!
I'm ready to read the next book now!
I'm ready to read the next book now!
LibraryThing member Kevin.Wilkins
"3 stars for the book; 1 star for the reader..."
Okay... let's get this out on the table: I am a Christian, Christ-follower, Believer, pick your favorite monicker for someone espousing personal faith in Jesus Christ, and belief in the Bible as the inspired Word of God. And this book was recommended
Joel Rosenberg was capable and clearly did his homework, effectively applying this into a technically accurate portrayal of the key backdrops of the story: world politics of the day, international finance, and the seamy realms of military and government intelligence and espionage. Also, the high-voltage topic proclaimed in the title of Western vs. Islamic tension and conflict prepared me to be riveted.
Alas, I was anything but riveted. Why? Because I failed to perform my due-diligence and discover the book was first published in 2002. Nothing knocks the props out from under a topical novel more effectively than the passage of time and actual historical events. As it turns out, the Republicans weren’t repeatedly reelected after 911 and Sadaam Hussein, though a dirtbag, wasn’t much of an evil geopolitical mastermind.
Still I decided to put aside the facts in order to fairly judge the fiction and stuck with the book. I quickly faced my next challenge. In his attempts to be edgy while still holding fast to Christian mores (i.e., avoiding dirty words and suggestive situations) Rosenberg sacrifices a good bit of realism and comes off smarmy and contrived. Christian friends, forgive me...but, really...you know what I'm talking about. Having read a couple of outstanding novels by secular authors lately, there was just no comparison. Rosenberg is a competent writer, and my opinion of him would not have been diminished if he wrote the way real people speak. Jesus didn't decide who to interact with based on their deportment. And I find I enjoy reading more with my head out of the sand.
Okay... let's get this out on the table: I am a Christian, Christ-follower, Believer, pick your favorite monicker for someone espousing personal faith in Jesus Christ, and belief in the Bible as the inspired Word of God. And this book was recommended
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to me this year (2011) by a friend of the same ilk who framed their recommendation by making sure I knew the author was a "Christian novelist". Joel Rosenberg was capable and clearly did his homework, effectively applying this into a technically accurate portrayal of the key backdrops of the story: world politics of the day, international finance, and the seamy realms of military and government intelligence and espionage. Also, the high-voltage topic proclaimed in the title of Western vs. Islamic tension and conflict prepared me to be riveted.
Alas, I was anything but riveted. Why? Because I failed to perform my due-diligence and discover the book was first published in 2002. Nothing knocks the props out from under a topical novel more effectively than the passage of time and actual historical events. As it turns out, the Republicans weren’t repeatedly reelected after 911 and Sadaam Hussein, though a dirtbag, wasn’t much of an evil geopolitical mastermind.
Still I decided to put aside the facts in order to fairly judge the fiction and stuck with the book. I quickly faced my next challenge. In his attempts to be edgy while still holding fast to Christian mores (i.e., avoiding dirty words and suggestive situations) Rosenberg sacrifices a good bit of realism and comes off smarmy and contrived. Christian friends, forgive me...but, really...you know what I'm talking about. Having read a couple of outstanding novels by secular authors lately, there was just no comparison. Rosenberg is a competent writer, and my opinion of him would not have been diminished if he wrote the way real people speak. Jesus didn't decide who to interact with based on their deportment. And I find I enjoy reading more with my head out of the sand.
Show Less
LibraryThing member coopermom71
Good reading, fast paced
LibraryThing member glade1
This was an okay read. It kept me interested and was fast paced. Like other readers, I was a bit put off by Rush Limbaugh's endorsement of this book, but overall I didn't find anything objectionable. It got a bit preachy at times but it was refreshing to see characters talk about their faith,
The last part of the book disappointed me for a couple of reasons. For one, he killed off one of my favorite characters (sorry if this is a spoiler--I won't say who). And second, the ending is so abrupt I figure he had a sequel in mind. The last sentence is "And yet, in his heart, MacPherson knew it had really just begun." I don't know how you can call it a complete story with an ending like the one this has--what happens now?! All that fairy tale stuff they discussed about the oil deal? Yeah, right. Sorry--I'm feeling cynical :)
Anyway, here's one quote I liked from this book (because I think it is probably true):
"The problem with you Americans is that you don't believe in evil...the CIA and FBI and definitely the guys at State don't properly anticipate horrible, catastrophic events because we don't really believe in the presence of evil, the presence of a dark and wicked and nefarious spiritual dimension that drives some men to do the unthinkable."
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especially considering the fact so much of the history of the Middle East is centered around disagreements about faith. The book is a little dated, though, as it has Saddam Hussein still in power, Yassar Arafat still alive, etc. And since we have gone to war in Iraq and it has not been as "tidy" as these characters hope, it's a little farfetched now. I guess that's the danger of writing books based on current events. The last part of the book disappointed me for a couple of reasons. For one, he killed off one of my favorite characters (sorry if this is a spoiler--I won't say who). And second, the ending is so abrupt I figure he had a sequel in mind. The last sentence is "And yet, in his heart, MacPherson knew it had really just begun." I don't know how you can call it a complete story with an ending like the one this has--what happens now?! All that fairy tale stuff they discussed about the oil deal? Yeah, right. Sorry--I'm feeling cynical :)
Anyway, here's one quote I liked from this book (because I think it is probably true):
"The problem with you Americans is that you don't believe in evil...the CIA and FBI and definitely the guys at State don't properly anticipate horrible, catastrophic events because we don't really believe in the presence of evil, the presence of a dark and wicked and nefarious spiritual dimension that drives some men to do the unthinkable."
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LibraryThing member blush48
Exciting, well written book about what goes on behind the scenes in fighting terrorism.
LibraryThing member JustJohn.DeYoung
Jon Bennett is a top Wall Street strategist who later becomes a White House adviser at the worst possible moment. Someone is trying to kill the President . Their first attempt was to bomb his motorcade. Bennett is called in to help close a major oil deal that will help with an Arab-Isreali
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coalition against Iraq. With his operative, Erin McCoy at his side, Bennett must make this deal in order to keep peace in the Middle east. Rosenberg knows his stuff with this political thriller. It is a page turner and for someone that doesn't have a political know how, it is still a great read. Highly enjoyed it and plan on read the rest in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member donw146
Non-stop action. One surprising plot twist and an interesting plot in general. Recommended.