Rating: 
Summary: One thing's obviouls
Review: Publishers Weekly's review doesn't leave much doubt that they don't like Mr. Rosenberg.Rosenberg worked as a communications strategist with Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, Bill Bennett, and Benjamin Netanyahu. He's advised some of the world's most influential leaders in business, politics and media. I think the review has more to do with Mr. R's politics than it does his writing skills.
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Summary: Fast Paced
Review: Rosenberg quickly moves along this novel about attempting to find peace between Israel and the Palestinians. There are lot's of moments where the good guys are fighting the terrorists that seem just startling real. Almost as though the reader was accompanying Oliver North on secret missions. The chief character is Jon Bennett,a Wall street strategist recruited to be a senior advisor to the President. Bennett just seems to me not to be a believable hero. At least not to the degree he is in this book. The plot,while in general, quite exciting seems to bog down with the details of the peace plan. Still, plenty of excitement!!
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Summary: Not what I expected
Review: The book was very slow, only really keeping my attention the last few chapters. The description sounded like it would be action packed, but just moved very slow. Should have put as much effort into the entire book as he did the final chapters.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: The book was very slow, only really keeping my attention the last few chapters. The description sounded like it would be action packed, but just moved very slow. Should have put as much effort into the entire book as he did the final chapters.
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Summary: Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Read by Steve Forbes
Review: The Last Days by Joel C. Rosenberg is a rip-roaring, heart-pounding, page-turning, high-octane geopolitical adventure. Anyone out of shape should have oxygen nearby; the action never stops from the first sentence to the last. How's this for starters? The year is 2010. The U.S. secretary of state goes to visit an aging, yet still-potent, Yasser Arafat in the Gaza Strip in order to unveil a bold, out-of-the-box peace plan "that could offer unprecedented riches for every Muslim, Christian, and Jew in Israel and Palestine." His reward: Arafat's chief of security suicide-bombs the meeting, killing the secretary, Arafat and scores of others. The surviving American delegation finds itself under attack. This is no isolated assault. Soon all the Palestinian territories are engulfed in civil war; Israel is hit by waves of suicide attacks; and terrorists are about to launch numerous, murderous assaults on U.S. territory. So many complications would seem to block any path to peace. Enter presidential envoy extraordinaire Jon Bennett, assisted by Bondesque beauty-with-bountiful-brains Erin McCoy. Together they work to bring about ultrasecret negotiations between the Israeli prime minister and the new Palestinian prime minister for the mother of all peace agreements. Upping the ante, Bennett's mother is suddenly discovered missing from her Florida apartment, apparently kidnapped by terrorists. Rosenberg's first novel, The Last Jihad, was a national bestseller. Critics wondered if he was a one-book wonder. The Last Days decisively answers that--there will be many more of Rosenberg's riveting reads. (review appeared in FORBES magazine, December 9, 2003)
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Summary: Will Anything Remain?
Review: The Last Days is the sequel to The Last Jihad. In the previous volume, an alternate timeline unfolds where Saddam Hussein has bought nuclear weapons from Russia and other sources. When his various plots against the US and Israel have been frustrated, he unveiled his nuclear tipped ICBM, which was hidden within a children's hospital building. As the Iraqis prep the missile for firing on New York City, the US President reluctantly authorized use of tactical nukes against Baghdad to prevent the missile launch. The center of the city disappeared in fire and smoke. In this novel, Jon Bennett returns to the Holy Land with a US diplomatic team headed by Tucker Paine, the Secretary of State. As they arrive at the Palestinian Authority compound, Yasser Arafat is rolled out in a wheelchair to meet them. The man pushing the chair is the head of Arafat's security, but he detonates an explosive vest that kills Arafat and others around him, including Tucker Paine. Immediately after the explosion, someone starts firing on the diplomatic convey from across the road. Others start firing from the PA building. Bennett keeps his head down, but it soon becomes obvious that they have to get out of the compound and back to Israeli territory. He climbs behind the wheel of the armored limo, gets everybody left alive back inside, and drives furiously out of the compound and down the road, with Palestinian vehicles chasing him. Bennett and the other survivors are cut off from the Israelis, but find shelter is a top secret safehouse in an old gutted-out hotel in the Gaza Strip. From there, they contact other US forces in the area and plan an escape. However, severe weather has grounded all aircraft in the area, precluding any rescue until the storm abates. This story continues the mission to unite the Palestinians and Israelis in a venture to develop trillions of dollars worth of gas and oil into a joint treasure. The death of Yasser Arafat was intended as a setback to this plan, but the self-immolation of the Palestinians militants after his death convinces Palestinian moderates to try another approach. The Palestinian Council selects Ibrahim Sa'id as prime minister. Since Ibrahim is the partner with Dmitri Galishnikov in the Palestinian Petroleum Group that is promoting the gas and oil venture, this is good news to the US. Unfortunately, Ibrahim is also hidden away in the Gaza safehouse with Bennett's party and surrounded by hostile mobs. Meanwhile, the terrorist organization that has been trying to kill Bennett, and has successfully assassinated Arafat, is searching for the whereabouts of Bennett's party. Contacts throughout the Mediterranean have been alerted to watch for them. Airplanes and boats have been obtained and some special arrangements have been made with Libya. When Bennett and company are found, they are going to find themselves in a small war. Highly recommended for Rosenberg fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of desperate ventures to defeat evil men in order to solve world problems.
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Summary: The Middle East Aflame!
Review: The Last Jihad was so heart-pounding and sensational, I couldn't wait to pick up The Last Days. I had a little fear that the story wouldn't or couldn't live up to the first one, but I was not disappointed by Rosenberg's latest effort. Clearly, this man is a qualified expert when it comes to assessing the geopolitical nature of the Middle East. He also is a classic Washington insider and a expert on military affairs. That being said, this book is tight and concise and avoids boring the reader with technical or policy minutiae. It is a heart-pounding thriller of the first rate. One of the problems readers often have with fiction is that at times the scenarios are unrealistic. But, what critics of Rosenberg and others must understand is that this is fiction, a work of art. Moreover, I would argue that the Last Days is not terribly out of this world. He properly describes the Middle East as the powder keg it is and he drops the matches that ignite this historic region into near world war. There is a drawback to the Last Days in that it can't really decide which era it wishes to be in--2003 or 2010. Seven years from now, pop culture, technology, and politics will look much different and it seems that Rosenberg likes to launch into this unknown future, but leave the 2003 time warp. I also thougth the book was weak on guaging public and press opinion. It seemed as though the notoriously liberal American media and notoriously fickle American public gave President MacPherson a blank check to reshape the world. But, those are minor quibbles that any reader will find with any piece of great fiction. One of my favorite aspects of this book is Rosenberg's subtle Christian message, that approaches Jesus first from the logical viewpoint of a Israeli security chief (check the sources!), and then from the emotional need. Rosenberg doesn't preach a sermon, it is displayed in the everyday lives of its Christian characters. The Last Days, like the Last Jihad, is a heart-pounding thrill ride into a very possible future scenario. Rosenberg's plots not only will make this book a must-have, it will set the gears of your mind thinking of "what-ifs" and "who knows?". Clearly, this talented journalist and storyteller will educated and inform you about the complicated world in which we live. Make this one of your brand-new reads this year.
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Summary: Last Days
Review: The Middle East is a hot spot. The leaders America considers to be enemies are dead and there is a fortune in new oil to be had. Stepping in to calm the brewing storm is Jon Bennett, former Wall Street guru, now key political figure in the President's human arsenal. He and his lovely partner, Erin McCoy go to the Palestinan region hoping to broker a lasting peace. However, a war that has it's beginnings in the rivalry between Abraham's sons will not die easily. To achieve peace, they will have to thwart those to whom war is a cherished possession. *** In this book, you see how war can affect even the smallest aspects of life as minor worries take on major proportions. Tension ripples from every page. While the expected religious focus is absent, it is a fascinating look at how the secular world views what the end might be like. *** Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.
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Summary: Armageddon in the Middle East.
Review: The year is 2010. Osama Bin-Laden and Saddam Hussein are dead. Al Qaeda and the Taliban have been neutralized. However, the war on terror is far from over in Joel Rosenberg's new political thriller, "The Last Days," a sequel to the author's successful debut novel, "The Last Jihad." Most of the characters who survived the carnage in the earlier book are back, including Jonathan Bennett and Erin McCoy. Bennett is a tremendously successful Wall Street strategist who gave up the good life to join the staff of his old friend, James MacPherson, the President of the United States. Erin McCoy, a gorgeous CIA operations officer, is Bennett's partner. Bennett and McCoy care romantically for one another, but they never seem to have the time or energy to act on their mutual attraction. President MacPherson has dispatched Jon Bennett to the Middle East to convince the Israelis and Palestinians to sign a peace treaty. It seems that there are tremendous oil and natural gas reserves off the coast of Israel and Gaza. The United States is willing to help turn these reserves into a multi-billion dollar enterprise if the warring factions decide that it is in their best interests to stop the violence. Before Bennett can get his "oil for peace" plan off the ground, a shocking act of violence throws the region into turmoil. Jonathan's mission appears to be dead on arrival. Furthermore, he and his comrades find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war with no obvious means of escape. Rosenberg's staccato writing style is very effective. "The Last Days" is packed with crisp dialogue, fierce battles, fanatical terrorists, and lots of high tech gizmos and weaponry. Although the characters are rather one-dimensional and the plot is only occasionally realistic, the exciting story barrels along so quickly that the reader gets caught up in the adrenaline rush. In addition, Rosenberg's insights on the geopolitical situation in the Middle East add a valuable dimension to this well-researched book. "The Last Days" will certainly satisfy fans of fast-paced action-adventure novels with a political twist.
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Summary: Fiction That is Almost Real
Review: This absolutely outstanding story provides very engrossing and titillating reading. The author brings to his writing tremendous geopolitical insights and an extraordinary mastery of details. The reader's interest will be piqued and held by a story line that focuses upon issues that are regularly in today's news. I actually found myself distracted from the current day-to-day news from the Middle East while reading this, as the story line began to generate an almost substitute sense of reality. In fact, even after completing this exciting story I found myself struggling to mentally distinguish between the real news of the day and the fictitious events portrayed in the book, so strong was the sense of reality that overwhelmed me. This was a strange yet powerful effect created by the author. This is a "must read" for anyone with even a passing interest in Middle East affairs. All other connoisseurs of action novels will enjoy reading The Last Days as well.
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