The Last Jihad

The Last Jihad #1

by Joel C. Rosenberg

A gripping and prescient tale from New York Times best selling author Joel C. Rosenberg. "... The Last Jihad absolutely crackles with high energy and a chilling premise--what if the war on terror goes nuclear." -- Rush LimbaughJon 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 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.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Thriller, Christian, Suspense, Mystery, Historical Fiction

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Note: This is a different person than the fantasy author, Joel Rosenberg

Joel C. Rosenberg is the founder of The Joshua Fund and the New York Times best-selling author of THE LAST JIHAD (2002), THE LAST DAYS (2003), THE EZEKIEL OPTION (2005), THE COPPER SCROLL (2006), EPICENTER (2006) and DEAD HEAT (2008) with more than 1.5 million copies in print. THE EZEKIEL OPTION was named by the ECPA as the Gold Medallion winner of the "Best Novel of 2006." Joel, an evangelical Christian whose mother is Gentile and whose father is from an Orthodox Jewish background, previously worked with several U.S. and Israeli leaders, including Steve Forbes, former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has been interviewed on hundreds of radio and TV shows.
He and his wife have four sons and live near Washington, DC.

Reviews

[Paul Stout · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a bone to pick with 2,721 Goodreads.com readers, who gave this book an average rating of 4.01. How can that possibly be? The writing was terrible, the plot was the same as hundreds of other hackneyed plots and the characters were so stereotypically flat that it was laughable. It's essentially the story of what would have happened if Saddam Hussein had actually developed and deployed a nuclear weapon. Of course the book was first published in 2002, so I'll forgive the author for being totally wrong on his estimation of Iraq's capabilities (he was fooled like the rest of the world). So it's easy for me, with perfect hindsight, to knock the writer for taking 1 plus 1 and coming up with 50. But it seems like the writer was so keen on rushing the book to press (while there was still a huge anti-Saddam frenzy) that he forgot a couple of small details, such as a creative plot, characterization, and making the story believable with any sort of logic.

I must say, however, in defense of you wonderful Goodreads members, very rarely am I misled by you. If you say the book deserves a 4, it typically is excellent. And if you say it's a 2, I stay away from it.

In the end, it looks like Saddam led more than the weapons inspectors astray.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author’s Note

Inexplicably, New York Times author, Joel C. Rosenberg predicted 9/11. In fact, he wrote about being deep in the writing process of the rough draft on the morning of that fateful day. Needless to say, he was taken aback. He was mortified and did not know what to do, or-I’d imagine—if he should even proceed. After much introspection and prayer, Rosenberg consulted his editor, whom urged him to get back to work and assured him that with minimal alterations, his novel would pan out.

The changes do seem minimal. For instance, instead of setting the narrative in present day, The Last Jihad takes place a decade after the fact, and Rosenberg deftly integrates the horrific acts of terror on U.S. soil. As a result, a similar attack ensues, though instead of massacring hundreds of civilians, a separate terrorist cell attacks President MacPherson kamikaze-style, injuring and killing innocent bystanders in the process during his electoral celebration in Washington. That's the novel’s opening scene. I think doing so was wise and necessary.

Incidently, the publication was delayed until 2002, for obvious reasons.

The Last Jihad

Following that explosive beginning, Rosenberg’s debut novel felt very promising, both on an emotional and an engaging story level, and for the most part this is true, but his prose is somewhat stifling and too simplistic for my tastes. And really, shouldn’t a plot of this magnatude be complex? Those factors didn’t deter me. Despite my reservations, I remained hopeful as the pages kept turning and the unceasing action unfolded. Complicating matters, Rosenberg’s large cast made it hard at times to follow (particularly in the early stages,) given the lack of character development or distinguishing trademarks.

Maybe I’m overly critical, in light of his relative inexperience and all of that occurring mostly in the first quarter of the novel, but the reader should still have some clue as to who the character’s are without having to be told. Plot-wise alone, this would make an excellent film, but if I wanted washed-out characters, I’d pop in a Bruce Willis shoot ‘em up flick. Nothing against Bruce, I adore him, but fiction should give you full-fledged, believable characters.

Because of this, my head spun on numerous occasions, and I was tempted to give up. However, as I progressed further and further, I found myself marveling at the fact that Rosenberg had, in fact, taken some time and energy to acquaint himself with his characters, and imparted their sometimes subtle uniquenesses onto the page. In particular, he paints former Wall Street mogul turned White House advisor Jon Bennett, as well as his partner, Erin McCoy, and President MacPherson himself, with precision and a style all his own.

There were also plenty of unpredictable and honest twists and turns, which kept me guessing and anxious the entire time, to the point that you think it’s going to subside. It almost has to, right? You tell yourself that he’s outdoing himself; that most author’s can’t surpass all that transpired. But I’m only now coming to realize that despite his subtleties, Rosenberg isn’t like most authors. The intensity and political intrigue escalated. You lie to yourself that you know who will deceive whom, which side will live or perish. In those moments, the aftermath and how those events will shape our ever-changing world don’t occur to you. It’s too much to process. You’re focused entirely on the present, on the unrelenting action. It’s too much, and yet it’s not. It’s just right.

I grew to like and even admire these three key players, and a few others, too. And before I’d finished it, my fondness for some had grown exponentially. I loathed many more. Yes, my furor ran that deep. When he’s writing his antagonists, Rosenberg has a way of getting under the reader’s skin, and not just because they’re terrorists. Nothing’s ever that simple. There are nuances here. There’s depth that I wasn’t expecting. Beneath that particular surface, although never explicitly stated, is the origin of most (maybe all) terrorists: they’re brainwashed from a very young age to wholeheartedly hate the United States. Hatred is drilled into their impressionable minds that we are somehow the enemy. They’re told to kill the infidels.

But was it enough? No, not really. But the ubiquitous tension between U.S. and Middle Eastern relations, alongside the novel’s profound nature (the theological prophecies blew me away,) make for a compelling, action-orientated political thriller. Strangely enough, I dreaded the final pages for three reasons: 1.) I didn’t then, and still don’t now, own the other books in the series; 2.) instinct warned me that it probably would end in a cliffhanger, and I was not wrong, and 3.) with so much overall goodness eclipsing the constructive criticisms here, I was afraid of there being too much of a good thing. I needn’t have worried, though, because Rosenberg made sure to write the best novel that he could. I think that’s what he did here. And one surefire way to bring your readers back for Book Two is, as we know, to end it with a significant cliffhanger; one which leaves you literally needing to know what happens next. How will it all end, you know? He pulled this off in spades. And as much as I was hoping for and simultaneously dreading a satisfying “conclusion,” there’s no way that I could have foreseen what happened. The implications it will have on his world are nothing short of catastrophic.

Despite having finishing The Last Jihad nearly two years ago, I am still kind of at a loss for words, and I am awed, and I need the other books.

Well done, Rosenberg. Four out of five stars.

Epicenter: Why The Current Rumblings In The Middle East Will Change Your Future:

An Excerpt

I wish I’d purchased a copy of Last Jihad, The when I had the chance. Boy, do I ever. Otherwise, there would be no need to resort to what I’m attempting now. I’m going to try to recall the details of those subsequent fifteen pages and, in turn, summarize them here. It’s a daunting task, but here goes. Join me, will you?

At this juncture, Joel Rosenberg, a former political consultant, is an even stronger nonfiction writer than fiction. I’m willing to look past that, as his debut was published in 2002, and Epicenter came out in 2006. He seriously honed his craft in those four years, and it shows. In that time, he grew and matured a lot, and with that came confidence.

Please note that the following isn’t to preach, and I sincerely hope not to sound condescending. Rather, these are the warnings of the author, whose use of Scripture helps support his claims. Heed the forewarnings, because these future events won’t just impact the Middle East, but will have lasting repercussions throughout the world in which we live. Additional side note: I’ve taken certain liberties in the text provided, and expanded upon them, in order to give a fuller understanding.

Israel is at the heart of Epicenter. Through his words, you can easily visualize an impoverished, unsafe, and financially unstable country. And then he does the unthinkable: Rosenberg describes its polar opposite. An Israel no longer held captive in a ceaseless war, a holy war. A country on the verge of destruction. For the time being, he warns, Israel will no longer be the scorn of countless jokes, hated as she is by practically everyone in the Middle East. He gives ample proof of -at that time-- untapped oil reserves, discovered of late in the Holy Land. I doubt that very many people ever imagined such riches existed. (Going back to my previous statement, I’d happily provide exact dates and locations of the petrol findings, as the excerpt showed photocopied newspaper clippings, with the essential details. But I cannot.)

The result will be a significantly more stable economy, which was hard for me to fathom, yet the prophecies of Ezekiel 36-39 have panned out thus far. With the passing of time, they have proven increasingly acccurate, now more than ever.

As a matter of fact, Israel is now considered one of the safest places to reside (though there is none safer for Christians than Jordan,) and the fall of the Caliphate has a lot to do with that. ISIS remains a threat, admittedly, but they’re no longer the threat that they once were. Even more telling is the fact that Israel’s tourist trade is booming. In turn, their economy has become stronger. This truth is staggering.

And being the Holy Land, it’s perfectly natural that their theology would be similarly effected. That is precisely what’s happening now, and has been a growing trend for years. I do not believe this accounts for only Jews, either, but for Gentiles as well. Not only that, but there’s a difference between religion and spirituality, and I can’t help but wonder if those that lead a more “spiritual” lifestyle (less emphasis on religion) will be impacted as well. I believe that they will.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritu...

For a better understanding, Ezekiel 36-37 lays the foundation out nicely.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...

But in case you find the Bible challenging, or aren’t a person of faith, or simply don’t have the time to dedicate to studying them, I thought I’d present the prophecies here, in layman’s terms.

Ezekiel 37-39 tells us that in the end of days, Israel will be born anew. That their deserts will once again flourish. The Jewish people were once exiled from their rightful country, yet this prophecy speaks of them coming back home, not just from other Middle Eastern countries, but from all over the world. Moreover, they will rectify their ancient ruins. These things have already happened. Ezekiel’s fifteen hundred year-plus prophecy continues to unfold every day. God is keeping His promises.

Needless to say, I’m not deluding myself (or anyone) that these situations are simplistic, or that there isn’t more to them. There is. They’re incredibly complex and I wish I had the answers. Sadly, I do not. I can only speculate.

All this might not be relevant (not in the long run,) because the peace will not last. Ezekiel 38:2 says that Russia will attack the Holy Land, led by “an evil man.” He’ll be respected and feared by his fellow military men and women. He’ll also have political clout and he will erect a coalition. It’s important to note that Russia isn’t explicitly named as the antagonist. It’s only through biblical study that theologians have determined the culprit.

Ezekiel 39:2:

”And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Isreal.”

The Holy Land will have no known allies, as far as I know. Russia will form an alliance with Iran, Sudan, in addition to Libya and Algeria. And then there’s Turkey, with ties to parts of Causasus and Central Asia. Curiously, Iraq and Egypt seem unlikely to join Russia, despite both countries being openly hostile to Israel in the past.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasus

Syria and Lebanon aren’t mentioned, either, but the prophet repeatedly stresses that the primary battalion will traverse from the north, which is indicative of the latter arriving from, or at least traveling through, Lebennon and Syria.

Ezekiel 38:8:

”After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.”

Genesis 12:1-3:

”The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

This, too, has “come to pass,” and continually so. I say this not to gloat, but to prove my point, which is that this stuff is happening now and has been occurring for a long time. Prophecies aren’t fictitious. Historically, they are accurate; scarily accurate. I included the Genesis Scripture to show the origin of what I believe is ( correct me if I’m wrong,) the exile of the Jews.

According to Rosenberg, via his blog:

”…It could be reasonably argued that Israel is living more securely today than at any other time in its 63 years. The Israeli Defense Forces are widely considered the strongest and most effective ground fighting force in the Middle East. The Israeli Air Force is widely considered dominant in the skies. Israel has peace treaties with two major neighbors, Egypt and Jordan (though the future of the treaty with Egypt is increasingly in question). Yasser Arafat is gone. Saddam Hussein is gone. Osama bin Laden is gone. Palestinian suicide bombings are not a daily part of Israeli life since 2004. Rockets are occassionally fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians living in the south, but this is not nearly as bad as it was prior to Operation Cast Lead in January 2009. Moreover, Israel has just deployed a short-range rocket defense system called “Iron Dome” that is very effective. Meanwhile, Israel has submarines, ballistic missiles, and first rate intelligence services in her defense. Israel has also enjoyed decades of a close strategic partnership with the United States, has a strong and vibrant economy, and is widely believed to have defensive nuclear weapons, though the government maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the subject, neither confirming nor denying the existence of those weapons.”

This isn’t all, either. For additional insight, see Ezekiel 38-39:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...

All of which implores the question: are we living in the End Times? Will the rest of the prophecy unfold in our lifetime? Modern history seems to suggest an affirmative. And again, I am not preaching. I’m just reiterating what Rosenberg wrote about, and continually writes about, both on his blog and his other fiction and nonfiction works. Furthermore, Epicenter is about so much more than “The War Of Gog And Magog.” Rather, it appears to incorporate the Middle East collectively. They all have their parts to play.

If you are interested in the former, I’d recommend his revised edition, aptly entitled, 2.0. It’s the version I’ll go with, when I finally read it in its entirety.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.co...

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: Several years after the 9/11 attacks, President-Elect MacPherson is celebrating his recent victory...when the unthinkable happens: a suicidal terrorist drives a plane into the motorcade. With the entire nation in an uproar, Erin McCoy and Jon Bennett, two personal friends of the Chief Executive, are employed to ensure the security of the leader of our country. Between threats from Saddam Hussein, double agents within the United States government, and the nationwide panic that ensues, Bennett and McCoy are in for the ride of their lives.
First in a series of five novels.

My Review: What a rush! A great premise, excellent writing, plenty of action and suspense, and an ending that will leave you breathlessly waiting for the next installment! However, I did have one issue: This is supposed to be the first in a Christian end times series, right? Well, some discerning readers may take issue with the usage of profanity and a gag involving homosexuality. That right there prevents me from giving this a perfect score. Other than that, this book is excellent; if Mr. Rosenberg cleaned up his act with the later books in the series--and it seems like he did--then, the next installments should be even better.

Content Concerns:

Sex: A brief "PG"-level gag involving homosexuality. 4/5
Nudity: The gag mentioned above involves two women being in the shower together, though no graphic terms are used. 4/5
Language: The d-word is used about three times each; the h-word, about five times. God's name is misused once or twice, and name-calling, as well as euphemisms ("freaking") are present as well. 3/5
Violence: Though not all that graphic, violence is pretty much in every chapter. People are hurt or killed in terrorist attacks; characters shoot at other and/or get shot at; and, there are discussions of using missiles and other military weaponry. 2/5
Drugs: Alcoholic beverages are mentioned. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The whole book centers around terrorists attacking people and heroes trying to thwart their plans. If that's too much for you...don't read it. 1/5
Other: Another gag involves flatulence. 4/5

EDIT: Here is my review of the entire series:

http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/0...

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot remember who recommended this to me, but I'm fairly certain I was told to read it because it's not the kind of book I normally check out.

I knew right away that it might not be my kind of book after seeing the rave reviews by both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on the back cover. Hmmmm. In spite of their warning, I forged ahead.

The Last Jihad takes place in 2011 - ten years after the the World Trade Center attacks and enough time later for the current president to have persuaded the American people that he's just about vanquished every foe. With a 70% approval rating and the economy stronger than ever, the War on Terror is declared won.

During his victory tour in his hometown of Denver, Colorado (described with annoying detail. O.K. I believe you. You've been to Denver), his motorcade is attacked by a kamikaze pilot.

This attack is coordinated by none other than Saddam Hussein, who the author unfortunately didn't realize would be an obsolete bad guy when he wrote this in 2001. It was hard to muster up the anxiety about a nuclear attack on Israel, and the United State's own necessary response because the villains were who they were. I know I could have replaced Saddam with an actual living bad guy, but with its cheesy dialogue and a cast of confusing characters - it required too much effort.

I passed the book to my husband, who reads many a political/espionage thriller, when I was done, thinking he might enjoy it. He returned it to the library after reading only a few short chapters. He told me, "If this is what you think the books I read are like, then you must think I'm some sort of idiot."

I stand corrected.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Rosenberg writes an interesting political thriller that portrays Middle Eastern nations, with the exception of Israel, as evil and the United States as the good.In Mr. Rosenberg's view, radical Muslims are to blame for the problems in the Middle East. Any student how history will know that, the often bloody, Western intervention in the Middle East is largely responsible. Radical Muslims only make up a small percentage of Islam, with the vast majority wishing to live in peace and free of Western control. The title, "The Last Jihad" is an example of anti-Islam sensationalism. Only a very small sect of Muslims acknowledges a Sixth Pillar of Islam, Jihad. Jihad means "struggle" and commonly view a spiritual struggle not a external struggle. I do not know Mr. Rosenberg for writing this book, perhaps it was out of ignorance or to rally support for Neo-Conservative policy of foreign interventionism, either way the book's portrayal of Middle Eastern problems is wrong and misinformed. Despite all of this, if you are looking for an entertainment book to read before falling asleep and not a modern classic then you really can't go wrong here.

[booklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cross between Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum (the Bourne series) The Last Jihad is a speculative political thriller and as such not the kind of book I usually read, but I found myself really enjoying it!

Written in 2002, The Last Jihad envisioned a world where Saddam Hussein had not only acquired the wherewithal to produce fully functional ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) but was launching one against the United States. A fascinating and terrifying scenario then, it is no less relevant now six years later though the Butcher of Baghdad is dead.

With the Russian Bear reasserting his claims on eastern territories and poor Poland again scrambling desperately for protective allies, it's hard to say which timeperiod today's chessboard is more reminiscent of: pre-World War II or the Cold War era. But either way, although some things have changed, more have remained the same. Nuclear warfare remains a very real, ultimate and dangerous possibility.

This is a fast-paced, well-written book. It is dated, obviously, but still it deals with timeless issues: warfare, leadership, loyalty, greed, good verses evil, weapons of mass destruction, religion, etc. In fiction, we are able to look at how, when, where and why nuclear weapons might be used and examine some of the moral, social, and political issues inherent in their use while still reaching -- even entertaining -- an average audience. This book allowed me to hearken back to my own days in Strategic Air Command, when I sat in a nuclear Command Post and contemplated participating in unleashing nuclear holocaust. It was a fearsome proposition then; it's no less so today.

Mr. Rosenberg is clearly a Hawk--although I cannot imagine too many people wanting to read this book who wouldn't at least consider themselves in the peregrine family. And although I appreciate many things about his writing style, storyline, and especially some of his character's succinct assessments about particular wars, there was one observation I appreciated above all the rest--appreciated and found highly ironic.

In the story, there was a character, Dr. Mordechai who predicted Saddam Hussein's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait within three days of its actual occurrence. When asked if he had any inside information, he said, no, he didn't need any. Everything a person needed to know in terms of basic intelligence, and fact-finding was available in the newspapers. It wasn't about having the information, but knowing how to analyse it and draw the right conclusions. The difference between Dr. M and the U.S. government was that Dr. M believed Saddam both capable of and prone to acts of unspeakable evil. Dr. M believed that evil forces make men do evil things. The U.S. government did not. So even though the government had more and better information, it did not believe Saddam would act as he had consistently acted in the past and was consequently surprised by the Iraqi invasion of 5 August. Dr. M, an Israeli, said his country was born out of the ashes of evil, the Nazi Holocaust. Until the United States wakes up to the reality of evil and its power, many innocents will suffer.

[Karen Margosian · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the rave reviews, I decided it had to be my next read. Fast paced and kept my interest. Would recommend to those who love thrillers. Amazing that it was written before 9/11, as noted by other reviewers.

[Apokripos · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Strike
(A Book Review of Joel Rosenberg’s The Last Jihad)

Do you still remember where and what were you doing on the fateful day of September 11, 2001?

On that historic Tuesday morning, Joel C. Rosenberg was putting the finishing touches on what will be his first novel. Written some nine months before 9/11, it opens with a chilling and ominous scene where radical Islamic terrorists hijack a jet plane on a kamikaze attack mission into an American city. But what really brought The Last Jihad to international attention and catapulted it to bestseller lists was how it disturbingly and accurately predicted America’s war with Saddam Hussein over terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

Set ten years after the tragic event of the September 11, 2001 attack, popular American President James McPherson has successfully rooted out terrorist cells in the Middle East and North Africa. Osama bin Laden is dead for good, but Sadam Hussein continues to plot against the West. Then the day comes when no one and nothing has prepared them (and the reader as well) to what happens next: coordinated and simultaneous attacks throughout London, Paris, Riyadh and several sites in the United States and an assassination attempt that gravely wounded the U.S. President.

The reader then follows the crisis and action through the eyes of Jon Bennett, A Wall Street strategist who once worked closely with the McPherson. Now it’s up to Bennett, along with his partner Erin McCoy, on a covert mission as they pool together their cunning to accomplish an international business deal with significant political ramifications where everyone’s hope rests. It’s a race against time as Israeli agents foil a plan by Sadam’s regime to carry out a nuclear attack on Israel and as the Prime Minister seeks to pressure the United States to “go nuclear” on Iraq, threatening that if the U.S. doesn’t do it, then Israel will.

The Last Jihad involves many separate strands advancing on parallel tracks that eventually converge in neat coordination. Rosenberg unfolds gripping scenes with ever-increasing tension, culminating in climax that is more complex than predictable. His realistic depiction of the interplay between the Secret Service, FBI and CIA gave the novel that energy and grittiness reminiscent of Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum spy/action flicks. My only beef with this narrative juggling act eventually comes in midway point when the story slows down and moves away from dramatic scenes of action, specially in the part where the advisers engage in a heated debate as intelligence reports point out that Iraq is planning a nuclear attack that made the characters come off as talking heads as they decide on a first strike.

Rosenberg’s novel comes at a time when geopolitical issues are raging in the world, particularly in the Middle East. Everyone is asking one thing: What is coming? His insights in this book are eye-opening, motivating us to look at our lives and be certain of our destination when the end comes.

The world has not quite recovered from the events unleashed by Bin Laden’s deadly adventurism. Two wars have followed since then, and almost ten years later, the issues and causes on which they were launched remain unsolved. One provocation in one part of the world has been echoed by another, threatening an escalation of violence whose complexity has far outstripped our capacity for comprehension.

The Last Jihad is the first installment in a five book series that explores the current rumblings in the Middle East and how will it impact the world. One thing’s for sure, I’m looking forward to the next novel.


_________________________
Published by Tyndale House Publishers
(Trade Paperback, 2006 9/11 Anniversary Edition)
312 pages
Stared: September 7, 2010
Finished: September 13, 2010


[See this book review on my blog Dark Chest of Wonders and for many others.]

[brandon 🫶 · Rating 2 out of 5]

snooze fest

[Trekscribbler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll get this out of the way first: the single greatest distraction to THE LAST JIHAD is the fact that, in large sections of the prose, it is written just a touch too cinematically. You can read whole sections and see passages heavily influenced by the films of the Tom Clancy novels, the James Bond adventures, and even Fox Television's stellar action suspense series '24.' That's not to say that it's a bad thing ... I just found it occasionally distracting.
However, THE LAST JIHAD deals with a real world scenario, real world characters, and real dangerous potential exploring an incredible "what if?" scenario in the Middle East. The prose is crisp and clean and reads like bullets off the page (I read it in three sittings), and the author quickly establishes premises that all support the main flow of the plot.

While a couple of characters do come of two-dimensional, it's one adventurous tale that ends demanding a follow-up, and here's one enthusiastic reader looking forward to "THE REALLY LAST JIHAD."

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very, very good. A page turner for sure! Definitely action packed. I wasn't sure about it for the first few chapters, because it seemed to be all over the place and moved at such a faster pace than I'm generally used to, but I quickly got pulled into story and enjoyed it. It follows escalation and tension between the US, Israel and the middle east, after the President of the United States is almost killed in a terrorist attack. The terrorists then attack US allies, and basically declare war on the US.

This was an interesting writing style for me. Multiple story lines go back and forth often, and sometimes very quickly. I've not ever read a book that has so much going on at once and so many different story lines coming into play at various times, but it was so well done, that I really enjoyed it. There was only a bit of gore in a few scenes, which I appreciated.

It did bother me that there was so much cussing. It's a Christian fiction book, and I would personally agree that I can see that. But the cussing could have been left out and it still would have had a "real world" feel. I did very much enjoy the book but am not sure if I'll move on with the series or not.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is kind of hard to explain. The first draft to the publisher or editor was complete before September 11th. Because of the subject material, after 9/11, they put this book on hold for almost a year. Once it felt more appropriate, they modified some of the plot to be post 9/11 by almost 10 years.

The reason that is important is because it was released before the U.S. invaded Iraq as a preemptive strike. So, in this book, Saddam is still alive and leading Iraq. Since the invasion of Iraq, we have learned that Iraq's nuclear ambitions were not as advanced as we thought but, despite what the media has reported and/or chosen to ignore, Iraq was attempting to develop WMD's and had the materials and such.

The reason for the explanation above is that this book takes place in a world that couldn't have existed. If you can as a reader in 2008 accept the premise that we have terrorist problems with Iraq in 2010 because of Saddam, then this book is one of the most exciting books I've read in years. It is a page turner. I ended up reading it in 3 nights, staying up entirely to late every time. I would recommend it to anyone. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I won't re-read it ever. I can't wait to read the follow up books to this one.

Holy F! I just noticed that today is Sept. 11. Kind of appropriate for this review.

[Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

An earlier title before "Dead Heat" by the same author; written right after 9-11, but before we invaded Iraq. I won't go into details other than to say it's a well-written book; he writes in a simliar vein as Clancy (which kept my attention) with many little twists and character changes. As his other book, this one pretty well reflects what is going on in the middle east, with plausible scenarios. And given the current world situation, this guy's crystal ball is a lot more clarified than most of us. Read it; realize the stakes, and remember many who would do the free world harm have no qualms about killing someone who extends a peaceful handshake. Mr. Rosenberg's book takes you on a journey within the mind of the defenders, those who are thrown into the chaos of decisions which NO man should have to make, and those who would attack and destroy. It's too close to reality in some cases... not that you can do anything about it.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exciting book!!! I didn't want to put it down & get anything done... but I did. I'm excited that it is just the first in a series of 5 books. Yeah!

Jon Bennett worked as a Wall Street analyst and was working on a deal that would make him into a billionaire. But, the world changed the instant the president, Jon's friend, was attacked in an assassination attempt. And then the president asked Jon to become one of his close advisors. Jon doesn't realize how completely his life changed on that fateful day.

This political thriller is intense! The author actually wrote this book slightly in the future, though this "future" is now in our past. We follow alongside those trying to keep the president safe... and those trying to destroy him and the free world. The non-stop action keeps the pages turning!

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could give this one more stars, because I like the premise and thought it would be like a Clancy or Ludlum political espionage thriller.

It tried to be, but the writing was not up to the challenge. The characters were not realistic, the dialogue was painfully bad. There was a lot of unnecessary descriptions and background that did nothing to add to the story. I found myself wishing he would get back to the suspenseful part.

He did pretty good at crafting an idea that had you wondering what was going to happen, and I appreciated that there was no foul language in the book.

This is first in a series, and I may try the next one to see if it is better and because I want to know what happens next.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I give this book Minus Stars? Or maybe add a shelf for crappola?

I can't even begin to count the ways I hated this book. It’s sophomoric, wordy & poorly researched i.e. S.A.C hasn't existed since 1992. Offutt AFB is there but not SAC. Trivia? Not if you want to sell a loopy post-9/11 plot to the reader. Rosenberg LOVES military lingo adding lots of it in every sentence. Short bursts of acronyms for a long period of time feels like an alphabet soup food fight.

Dick Hill is a talented narrator but even his substantial skill can't put lipstick on this one.

Sorry for the rant but this one really ticked me off

[Gopal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got these out of our local library on a whim, the title was intriguing and the geo-political implications were looking better on the book blurb.

Once I started with the book, it almost became a chore to finish it. The characters are not well etched and as I write this review I have already forgotten what the book was all about.

The book opens explosively with a kamikaze plane attack on the POTUS motorcade but it sort of writes itself down from there with conveniently forgotten characters and not too much of a redeeming plot.

Sorry to say so but the series lost its ability to hold interest to me after this one.

A forgettable read.

[Perri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book, but I couldn't really get into it. I kept losing track of the many characters, and it seemed dated with Saddam Hussein. I enjoyed some of the break neck action sequences.

[Phil · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible! Trying to make sense of this disjointed political and evangelistic novel bored me to death. It is hard to even put a genre tag on this story. Needless to say, I didn't like the book and felt it was written as an advertisement for conservative pundits to sell.

[Doug · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall like a B movie on a rainy dreary Sunday afternoon.
You read several favorable reviews on this one and others in the series.
The price was less than what I usually spend, so what the heck.
I really wanted to like this. I tried to overlook basic development, until I couldn’t.
It’s a shame really. The concept was intriguing, the players feasible, the suspense was dead balls on.

But there was a flawed execution in the character development of Jon Bennett.
An adept stroke of aligning this kid global capitalist who doesn’t give a tinker’s damn
about humanity to be the CiC’s boy mastermind to bring peace and wealth to the Middle East.
Really?
Bennet’s little more than a selfish, self centered sack of crap that you find in any financial house. But in the last ten minutes, totally untrained and inexperienced with weapons or tactics goes armed with an Uzi, head to head with four of the deadliest terrorists on the planet - in the dark.
Really?
Oh yes, all the while texting back and forth on his blackberry to his CIA lady partner in the gun battle.

Nope, I couldn’t make this up.
But I can drop another star off.

[Nancy]

One of the best books I have ever read!!! The author takes you on a geopolitical roller coaster ride from the first page. His knowledge of the behind the scene workings of the political, intelligence, military, Biblical and all other players involved in national and world crises makes the storyline believable.

The author is from a Russian Jewish family and a devout Christian. He weaves his Christian faith and his knowledge of Jewish prophecies into the theme of his books. The narrative of this book is so believable, it's as if you are reading the front page of today's newspaper. I could not put this book down, I was totally wrapped up in the lives of the characters and the scenarios they were living out.

I am now reading my fourth Joel C Rosenberg book and each of them has been so fast moving, so believable I have gobbled them up - reading into the wee hours of the morning; wanting to see how the plot is resolved.

Prepare to be pulled into the story line the minute you read the first two or three pages. Prepare for the ride of your life.!

[Sally Schueler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of several political thrillers for Joel Rosenberg and I'm looking forward to the rest of this series and seeing how he ties in possible Middle East scenarios with his extensive knowledge in Biblical Prophecy. I felt that the characters and some of the storyline could have been more fully developed but it didn’t bother me so much that I didn’t enjoy the read and there are 4 more books in this series so I expect to see the characters grow. Even though this book was written in 2001, the conflict describing the Iraqi leaders’ desire to annihilate the US and Israel with weapons of mass destruction resonates today (even though Saddam is long gone). Especially now with ISIS on the scene in Iraq, the timing for picking this up is still pretty good. I’m looking forward to see how the Wall Street guru turned White House aide, Jon Bennett and CIA agent Erin McCoy fare in political thriller #2, “The Last Days” after the gripping end to “The Last Jihad.”

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some excellent action, starting with the opening sequence where a rogue Gulfstream IV is shot down, but the explosion trashes the President's limo, the ending shootout in the former top Mossad agent's house in Jerusalem with the four horseman of the apocalypse Arab hitmen, and the roughly simultaneous sniper sequence prior to the memorial service for the secret service agents killed in the opening scene. However, there were some parts that could have been better, with some of the denouement coming from less than likely places and failure to fully utilize the main character's expertise: the ability to synthesize patterns in obscure details. But, the basic premise of the book, threats to Israel's existence from a nuclear-capable Iraq, led by a dying Saddam Hussein was well done.

[J.T. IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Tom Clancy, you’ll be a fan of Joel Rosenberg. Instead of fighting the USSR and communism, the fight is against Islamic Terrorists in the modern day. The preface is especially intriguing if you have the time to read it. The protagonist Jon Bennett and his sidekick Erin McCoy are attempting to pull off a billion dollar deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians; what could go wrong, right? Considering the whole world is against them, to include someone close to them, it is a race against time and terror. There is a great twist at the end of this book and the series as well. Overall if you are a fan of action and in particular of military action set in the real modern world, I would highly recommend this one to you. – JT Cope IV

[Geri H · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a 3rd generation Marine this book made me stop and reflect on previous battle situations.

It is amazing to me how a group of people can have so little a regard for human life. Their religious belief teaches them otherwise but I guess hatred will always win over the one's spiritual beliefs.

FABULOUS book and can hardly wait to start the next one in the series.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting premise made for a good book club discussion, but this first book in a series by Rosenberg featured too many characters, too many places, too much action and too little character development to make it onto my favorites list.

[Brian Ulczynski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to get through a book quickly for once. Fast paced plot development and a vacation will tend to allow one to quickly complete a book. I believe this is Rosenberg's first novel, written before 9/11 and published shortly after. He has some eerie parallels, especially given the events that occurred shortly after he wrote the book. Now days, it is relatively "ancient" history - hard to believe 9/11 was over 20 years ago, yet still relevant too. There were a couple of segments that reminded me of the Iraq War (which hadn't yet occurred) and also the current Russian/Ukraine war. I'm sure I'll continue through the rest of his books where were lost on my bookshelf for a while.

[Ana Lopez · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’ed at 29%, page 90.
I just wasn’t connecting to any of the characters and I also didn’t like how the book was written.
I will not say that this is a bad book because I’ve seen people like it, it just was not for me and that’s okay.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several years after 9/11, Saddam Hussein is out to have the Last Jihad on the rest of the world, especially Israel.

When several terrorist attacks happen around the world, it is a race against time to save the world or does it implode?

The first several and last several chapters are the action clinchers for me. The middle kind of dragged. Good cliffhanger yet finale to this novel.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really admire this author and all the research and insight that goes into his books.