Rating: 
Summary: International intrigue, lots of action in post-Gulf War Iraq
Review: This was our first exposure to Jeff Archer, who's skill with complex international plot development reminds one a little of Tom Clancy without the high tech stuff. The main theme is that shortly after Clinton replaces Bush, Saddam Hussein pays $100M to a mob-related group to steal the American Declaration of Independence. A Yale professor (and our hero) Scott Bradley, gets his desire for a field assignment with the CIA to get it back. Thereafter, most of the action is in Iraq, and before it's over Bradley teams up with an Israeli female spook (and falls in love while he's at it!), as well as some other American diehards from the CIA, who build a complex plan to steal back the precious parchment and avoid Hussein's planned humiliation of a Fourth of July burning on national TV. Does he succeed in time?We suspect Archer stayed up nights scheming his double and triple crosses -- we totally lost track of the real document long before the whole story unfolded. Much of the horror of Suddam's regime is spelled out in gory detail, and not all the good guys escape horrid fates. Meanwhile, some decent Iraqi people risk their lives to help the American's cause. Modest suspense, a few characters we wanted to win, good against evil, and even some humor along the way kept us entertained throughout. Archer's writing may not captivate everyone, but we were impressed enough to try another of his stories some day. This one trips the meter at "good but not great"!
Rating: 
Summary: ALMOST ATHRILLER
Review: Why would Saddam Hussein be willing to part with a cool hundred million dollars? Archer, in this post-gulf war thriller argues that after the war saddam is so thirsty for revenge that he, together with his loyal countrymen can pay $100000000 to have the American declaration of indepedence document at their laps that they may burn it in the front of world media on fourth of july. Anyway the plot is somehow absurd,the characters as usual not fully developed but the salvaging factor is archer's storytelling abilities.its fair
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