Rating: 
Summary: Clancy Schmancy
Review: It seems like people are always referring to this guy as a new Tom Clancy. I don't understand it. Clancy has his literary faults, but is a MUCH better writer than this guy, and it's pretty simple to break down why. Rosenberg's characters are paper-thin, and the plot, dialogue etc. is all pretty amateurish. I will say it keeps you reading, but only because you know it's a quick read and the pain won't last long.I did read Last Jihad, and I thought it had all the same problems, and I think part of the reason is all the political assertion. I've always found Tom Clancy (and I am--or was--a big Clancy fan, read almost all his books) to be hard to figure out ideologically, and to me this is a positive--I don't want to feel like someone is trying to propagandize if I'm reading a dang novel. Clancy just gives you a story that seems very real (and super-entertaining). With all the shots Rosenberg has a tendency to drop in, and the leaps of imagination that seem extremely close-aligned with a certain political frame of mind, it reminds me of loudmouth, dopey pundits. So not only is it a poorly written piece of junk, but, like many pundits, makes me want to yell "shut up, quit yer bellyaching, go back to the Beltway" repeatedly. You wouldn't want Bill O'Reilly at your kid's soccer game, would ya? Or Michael Moore at the dinner table??
Rating: 
Summary: A superb follow-up.
Review: Joel Rosenberg burst onto the fiction scene with the New York Times bestseller "THE LAST JIHAD", and did not disappoint with this followup "THE LAST DAYS".
'DAYS' picks up where 'JIHAD' left off, with Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden both dead and Baghdad in ruins. All the main characters of the first installment are back, and the action doesn't let up.
The underlying direction of the storyline is one that should have special meaning to any Christian that reads either of the two books. While neither the title or the synopsis of either book specifically states as much, the entire story takes place leading up to the Last Days prior to the Seven Year Tribulation and the return of Christ. I won't reveal any story elements, but there are several occurances in the plot of the book that are intricate in God's final timeline, things like the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount and the rebuilding of Babylon (in Iraq).
One thing I did notice is that each chapter and each scene change is started with a one sentence paragraph. I don't know if that is just the author's trademark or what, but it almost seems like a slight lack of confidence in his writing...something that is not well founded. I've found Rosenberg's writing to be very full and entertaining, without being over the top like some authors who seem to be trying to impress the reader with their vocabulary skills.
As was the case with 'JIHAD', again this one ends somewhat unresolved. I can only hope that that means a third book is on the way soon.
Rating:
Summary: practically prophetic, and better than The Last Jihad
Review: Joel Rosenberg's new political thriller, "The Last Days," is absolutely riveting, and better than his first (though I liked "The Last Jihad," too). Last Days begins with the assassination of Yasser Arafat and the U.S. Secretary of State, the eruption of a Palestinian civil war, and an attack against a U.S. diplomatic convoy in Gaza, eerily similar to what recently happened. Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy find themselves under seige and trying to escape and the next 92 pages are non-stop action. If that's not enough, the CIA discovers Palestinian suicide bombers are headed to the United States, and a Jewish terrorist group is plotting to blow up the Dome of the Rock and rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Woven all the way through is an understated by provocative premise that we are currently living in "the last days," an apocalyptic time before the return of Christ. It all makes for a compelling package, and somehow refreshingly unique and different from Clancy's latest book and other thrillers in this genre. What makes "Days" work even better than "Jihad", I think, is that it's longer, giving Rosenberg more time to develop the multiple story lines, and the characters. It's not the literature of John Steinbeck, but then again, it's not supposed to be. The oteher thing that works really well is that Rosenberg writes witha real visual flair. As I was reading "The Last Days" (and I raced through it just two days), I could vividly picture everything that was happening, like I was watching it as movie. Also, the research is really fascinating -- especially the whole subplot about the attack against the Temple Mount. It was engrossing and fast-moving, but I was also learning things I'd never known before, never thought about before. What's intriguing about both "Days" and "Jihad" is that they feel almost prophetic. How he basically predicted a kamikaze attack on the U.S. and a war with Iraq all before it happened is a story that I'd like to know more about. And I have a feeling "The Last Days" is going to be coming true in some way, shape or form pretty soon as well. I hope not -- it's a scary scenario. But you never know. I'm looking forward to more.
Rating:
Summary: Good Followup To The Last Jihad!
Review: Jon Bennett and his bodyguard Erin McCoy attend a historical
summit that is also attended by the U.S. Secretary of State and Yasser Arafat. The Palestinian security becomes a suicide bomber
killing the Secretary of State as well as Arafat. A civil war
breaks out among various faction who want to replace Arafat.Our
hero Bennett and McCoy and their delegation have to find a way out of the west bank.You have two villains,a Russian Gogolov and an Iranian,Jibril who are the masterminds behind all of the plans
of evil.The evil planners have decided to dispatch suicide bomber
squads to the United States.Bennett and McCoy finally escape but
face an attack from terrorist forces bent on their demise.There
is never a dull moment in this book.You will definitely find this
book hard to put down.I hope Joel C. Rosenberg writes more books.
His first two have been outstanding.
Rating:
Summary: Rosenberg - next generation Clancy - nails it again!
Review: Just finished The Last Days, by Joel Rosenberg. I picked it up last week because I thoroughly enjoyed his first effort, The Last Jihad. I'm generally a person who enjoys reading 2-3 books over the course of 2-3 weeks, but I read this cover-to-cover over 72 hours. Rosenberg's writing is very clean - he keeps just enough balls in the air - but not too many - to keep the reader focused and hungry for the next shoe to drop. What makes it more intriguing is that as you read it, you're reminded of the latest newspaper headlines re: the Middle East or the evening stories on World News Tonight. If you enjoy reading non-fiction - you'll like The Last Days because of its real time and current event nature. If you enjoy fiction, you'll like this book because it is action packed, thought provoking, complete with twists and subplots, and a serious work of fiction. Write another one, Mr. Rosenberg! You've got that "thing" that makes a book a great read. JT
Rating:
Summary: The Last Days
Review: Loving it. Got to know the characters in the last book, The Last Jihad, and glad to meet up with them again. Looking forward to another evening of reading. Cheers for The Last Days. Reader from Rome
Rating:
Summary: Are we in the last days?
Review: Of all the fiction novels that I have read, this is by far one my favorites!!! In fact, I would say it is either #1 or #2. And here's why: It hooks you from the very first sentence drawing you into a plot to assassinate a well known leader. The gripping action that follows has you on the edge of your seat (careful...don't blow out your aorta!) and forces you to turn off the also intense and thrilling 2003 World Series between the Yankees and the Marlins (go Marlins!). Just when you think and expect things to slow down, Rosenberg takes you further into a world and into the minds of those filled with darkness where evil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour its prey. Similarly, you are taken into the minds of those who seek to make peace, who seek the good of all men. The struggle that follows is powerfully intense, timely, heart-pounding, and insightful!
Rating: 
Summary: 3 1/2 Stars...Tricks Aside
Review: On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Rosenberg's first novel, "The Last Jihad." Fast-paced and timely, the book kept me hooked till the last page. Once again, Rosenberg starts off with a bang. This time, Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy are under intense fire in Palestine. The casualties mount as they try to escape a brewing civil war. Even as violence escalates, the opportunity for a widesweeping peace agreeement arrives from an unexpected source. As the title suggests, "The Last Days" provides a story that many Christians could enjoy, while also showing some understanding toward the Palestinian situation. With a plot that could fit nicely into an apocalyptic thriller, Rosenberg takes us on a rollercoaster through the Middle East and its conflicts. He also cheats us at a few points. He leads us through an extended dream sequence, convincing us that it's reality until another chapter. Then, he adds a minor plot thread that is useless to the story and nothing more than an improbable wild goose chase. He does not need this to keep the tension ratcheted. I should've suspected such tactics when I noted that every single chapter starts with a one-line paragraph; this smacks of a writer who doesn't trust his own pacing. These issues aside, I enjoyed the book. Unfortunately, they left me feeling ambivalent by the end. Perhaps in a third novel, Rosenberg will trust his own storytelling and leave the tricks aside.
Rating:
Summary: Sins of omission
Review: One of the most blatant omissions in TLD was any reference to the US nuclear strike. NOTHING AT ALL is mentioned...as if it didn't even happen. And the funny part is the suggestion that meetings/press conferences take place in Sadaam's palace. Now, first of all, the city was nuked. Secondly, concern for radioactive fallout isn't even mentioned (either regarding the targets of the nukes or the neighboring countries). Nothing along these lines is addressed. If this is a follow-up to "The Last Jihad", then please refer to the very last page of that book...TWO nuclear bombs are dropped by the US (TLD starts up two weeks later...the Prez is still in a wheelchair from the attack on him in Denver). If we mere citizens can ask these questions, why oh why can't Mr. Rosenberg who is a supposed expert? And why should the US come across as being blatantly cavalier about nuclear devestation?
Rating:
Summary: Modern Nostradamus
Review: Paul Bedard, U.S. News & World Report (November 3, 2003) "Washington Whispers: Modern Nostradamus -- It's getting a little weird being Joel Rosenberg, the New York Times bestseller of terrorism thrillers and speechwriter in Steve Forbes's 2000 presidential campaign. First, he wrote The Last Jihad about a terrorist's kamikaze attack on a U.S. city and the subsequent hunt for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. That was well before 9/11. Now he has written The Last Days, which opens with a Palestinian attack on a U.S. convoy, just like what happened a few weeks back. And look out, Yasser Arafat: Rosenberg offs you on Page 28. 'People,' said Rosenberg, 'are starting to think these books are ripped from tomorrow's headlines.'"
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