A Great Novel
Honestly, this is more like a guide to the causes of the Gulf War than a sensational international war/political thriller. The one stop source to know why Saddam Hussein staked a claim on Kuwait, why did he think he could afford to fight America, where was all the action during the war, what was in America’s mind, nuclear threat.... In short everything. Forsyth is British, and thus included the significance of Britain in the war; something sidelined in the CNN-led hype during and after the war. After all, the protagonist is a British Secret Service soldier with roots in Iraq. No point in telling you the story. Enjoy the thriller without expectations.
The Downside
As Sensiva points out in his review, there are too many details that cannot be ignored. Especially all those information nuggets Forsyth provides on the war, the mobilization f troops, armament and supplies, Saddam Hussien’s inner council, the US-Israel-Iraq triangle of political games etc.
Follow my advice.
Chewing the cud: Read the novel and return back to it every now and then to savour those delicious bits of info. The story will never be a boring one even on second and third readings. It will give you a valuable insight into the Arab mind and the current political/terrorizing climate. Finally, Forsyth trashes CNN. He gives a highly believable account on why the Patriots and Scuds are equally dud missiles. Very amusing. Worth a read.