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By the Rivers of Babylon
They were forced to meet by the rivers of Babylon...In Israel, two Concorde jets take off for a UN conference that will finally bring peace to the Middle East. Covered by F-14 fighters, accompanied by security men, the planes carry warriors, pacifists, lovers, enemies, dignatories - and a bomb planted by a terrorist mastermind. Suddenly they're forced to crash-land at an ancient desert site. Here, with only a handful of weapons, the men and women of the peace mission must make a desperate stand against an army of crack Palestinian commandos - while the Israeli authorities desperately attempt a rescue bid. A story of compulsive excitement, rich in personal drama and political tension that must rank as one of the greatest of our times.
460 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 1978
1325 people are currently reading
2467 people want to read
About the author
Nelson DeMille
260 books7,362 followersNelson Richard DeMille was an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include Plum Island, The Charm School, and The General's Daughter. DeMille also wrote under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, Ellen Kay and Brad Matthews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
October 19, 2025
Iraq, Iran, Palestine, the Middle East ... will the conflict ever end?
Built around the interminable Arab/Israeli conflict in the Middle East, the plot is simply enough told. Two Concorde jets, packed with a small army of politicians, diplomats, security agents and a typical administrative entourage take off from Lod Airport in Israel. Their destination is a UN peace conference that many believe will lead to a final and lasting peace in the Middle East. But there are also some so filled with hatred that they will do almost anything to sabotage the conference and ensure that the wish for peace becomes a house of cards collapsing in a hail of bullets and blood. In a cunning plan that stretches out years in the planning, a team of terrorists blow up one of the jets and skyjack the other forcing it to land in the desert along the Euphrates River.
BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON tells a thrilling tale of survival and the guerilla-like commando tactics of the heroic passengers of the Concorde as they struggle desperately against their attackers and attempt against all odds to reach the outside world with news of their plight in the Babylonian desert. In his first novel, DeMille makes grand statements about the nature of courage and heroism under fire, sacrifice, loyalty, altruism and love. He has crafted interesting characters such as Jacob Hausner, the security officer who cannot forgive himself for his careless oversight many years earlier that allowed the terrorists access to the Concorde's inner workings. We witness Miriam Bernstein, Golda Meir's young and beautiful hand-picked political protégé evolve away from her roots as a far left wing advocate of peace at almost any cost.
BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON is undoubtedly a page-turner but equally clearly it is an early work that simply doesn't measure up to his later thrillers and his ability to craft much, much deeper and more complex, multi-faceted characters such as John Corey and Kate Mayfield. Nor does the plot move along with the same speed and, by my measure, suffered from a certain repetitive sameness that would have been eliminated with some judicious editing to shorten the novel.
But that said, the techno-thriller world would be a poorer place without the benefit of BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
Built around the interminable Arab/Israeli conflict in the Middle East, the plot is simply enough told. Two Concorde jets, packed with a small army of politicians, diplomats, security agents and a typical administrative entourage take off from Lod Airport in Israel. Their destination is a UN peace conference that many believe will lead to a final and lasting peace in the Middle East. But there are also some so filled with hatred that they will do almost anything to sabotage the conference and ensure that the wish for peace becomes a house of cards collapsing in a hail of bullets and blood. In a cunning plan that stretches out years in the planning, a team of terrorists blow up one of the jets and skyjack the other forcing it to land in the desert along the Euphrates River.
BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON tells a thrilling tale of survival and the guerilla-like commando tactics of the heroic passengers of the Concorde as they struggle desperately against their attackers and attempt against all odds to reach the outside world with news of their plight in the Babylonian desert. In his first novel, DeMille makes grand statements about the nature of courage and heroism under fire, sacrifice, loyalty, altruism and love. He has crafted interesting characters such as Jacob Hausner, the security officer who cannot forgive himself for his careless oversight many years earlier that allowed the terrorists access to the Concorde's inner workings. We witness Miriam Bernstein, Golda Meir's young and beautiful hand-picked political protégé evolve away from her roots as a far left wing advocate of peace at almost any cost.
BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON is undoubtedly a page-turner but equally clearly it is an early work that simply doesn't measure up to his later thrillers and his ability to craft much, much deeper and more complex, multi-faceted characters such as John Corey and Kate Mayfield. Nor does the plot move along with the same speed and, by my measure, suffered from a certain repetitive sameness that would have been eliminated with some judicious editing to shorten the novel.
But that said, the techno-thriller world would be a poorer place without the benefit of BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
July 1, 2011
They've spelled the title wrong. It should be By the Rivers of Babble On. DeMille is a smart and thorough guy, but damn, this is boring! I'd rather sit and watch my bananas ripen.
January 7, 2014
This one was difficult to put down, yet at times was so intense I had to.
March 27, 2024
Returning to read some of Nelson DeMille’s early work, I came upon one of his first thrillers. In a story that is as poignant today and when it was penned, DeMille takes the reader on an adventure like no other, where bloodshed is common and terror a part of the game. Full of political nuances with Middle East peace at its core, this was an enthralling piece that had a little of everything. DeMille keeps the reader hooked until the very end.
With a potentially life-changing peace conference to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians set to take place at the U.N., there is a sense of calm. The Israeli delegation is prepared to travel on two Concorde jets, waiting at Lod Airport. With hope in their eyes and some trepidation keeping them grounded, the delegation takes off and prepares for the flight. When a bomb detonates in the tail of one jet, sending it crashing into the desert with no survivors, panic ensues in the second. A crash Lansing in the middle of nowhere is all the group can expect, as they prepare for whatever awaits them.
With little idea of where they are or how to survive, the remaining Israelis will have to prepare for the worst, though there is high hope that their government will find and rescue them. When gunfire commences, it becomes apparent that this was a plot by the Palestinians and that an armed force is slinking closer to take them out. Working to battle against the armed men, the group tries their best to defend territory and personal dignity, all while the rescue mission seems less likely.
With no idea where their people have gone, the Israeli government holds panicked meetings and tries to make sense of what has happened. A strong-willed prime minister tries to herd cats and get answers for all, while knowing that failure to rescue his countrymen could be disastrous. With bloodshed high and willpower shaky, there will have to be some resolution to the stranded Israelis and a decision made how to handle the apparent Palestinian involvement in the attack. DeMille presents a stunning story that has all the elements for a great thriller.
I have long enjoyed the work of Nelson DeMille, though have become used to his sharp wit and well-placed innuendo. This book is nothing like that, choosing a deeper and more serious theme throughout, with only a few lighthearted moments. The narrative is well-paced, though there are times it appears too divided to get an impactful story. While some have criticised that it lacks direction, I can see where things are headed and why DeMille chose this approach. DeMillie tells the story from a number of perspectives to offer a keen insight into the sentiments of many, which enriches things. A number of characters offer flavour to the story and perspectives to enrich the reading experience. There are many, I will admit, but this was a necessity to get the full picture.
Plot points emerge and develop throughout the story, which helped me feel the sense of urgency and despair throughout the piece. I loved hw things developed well and kept me on the edge of my seat. While the Israeli plight theme is nothing new, the means by which this was explored left me quite entertained. DeMille’s early work surely does not compare to the later stories, though there is a sense of depth and real interest in showing the reader true themes. This is a great asset for the larger reading experience and that a dedicated and open-minded reader will discover.
Kudos, Mr. DeMille, for a great story from your early writing days!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
With a potentially life-changing peace conference to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians set to take place at the U.N., there is a sense of calm. The Israeli delegation is prepared to travel on two Concorde jets, waiting at Lod Airport. With hope in their eyes and some trepidation keeping them grounded, the delegation takes off and prepares for the flight. When a bomb detonates in the tail of one jet, sending it crashing into the desert with no survivors, panic ensues in the second. A crash Lansing in the middle of nowhere is all the group can expect, as they prepare for whatever awaits them.
With little idea of where they are or how to survive, the remaining Israelis will have to prepare for the worst, though there is high hope that their government will find and rescue them. When gunfire commences, it becomes apparent that this was a plot by the Palestinians and that an armed force is slinking closer to take them out. Working to battle against the armed men, the group tries their best to defend territory and personal dignity, all while the rescue mission seems less likely.
With no idea where their people have gone, the Israeli government holds panicked meetings and tries to make sense of what has happened. A strong-willed prime minister tries to herd cats and get answers for all, while knowing that failure to rescue his countrymen could be disastrous. With bloodshed high and willpower shaky, there will have to be some resolution to the stranded Israelis and a decision made how to handle the apparent Palestinian involvement in the attack. DeMille presents a stunning story that has all the elements for a great thriller.
I have long enjoyed the work of Nelson DeMille, though have become used to his sharp wit and well-placed innuendo. This book is nothing like that, choosing a deeper and more serious theme throughout, with only a few lighthearted moments. The narrative is well-paced, though there are times it appears too divided to get an impactful story. While some have criticised that it lacks direction, I can see where things are headed and why DeMille chose this approach. DeMillie tells the story from a number of perspectives to offer a keen insight into the sentiments of many, which enriches things. A number of characters offer flavour to the story and perspectives to enrich the reading experience. There are many, I will admit, but this was a necessity to get the full picture.
Plot points emerge and develop throughout the story, which helped me feel the sense of urgency and despair throughout the piece. I loved hw things developed well and kept me on the edge of my seat. While the Israeli plight theme is nothing new, the means by which this was explored left me quite entertained. DeMille’s early work surely does not compare to the later stories, though there is a sense of depth and real interest in showing the reader true themes. This is a great asset for the larger reading experience and that a dedicated and open-minded reader will discover.
Kudos, Mr. DeMille, for a great story from your early writing days!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
June 8, 2008
I really enjoyed this book, and I almost didn’t make it through the first 50 pages. I’m so glad I stuck with it. Premise: two Concordes take off from Israel full of diplomats and dignitaries on their way to the UN in NY to an unprecedented conference to finally bring peace to the Middle East for good…oblivious to the bombs planted in the tails during plane production.
My main gripes about the first 50 pages:
1. Had to make notes in order to keep the characters straight, I couldn’t keep my Chaims, Ephraims, and Moshes straight. Gave up after 16 characters, and then they started dying off, boiling down to the ones I needed to remember!
2. Felt like I had read the same book before, an airplane disaster book he wrote called “Mayday.” If the plane blows up at Mach 2.2 at 15,000 feet, everyone gets brain damage, yada-yada.
3. Felt formulaic like disaster movies from the 70s. DeMille was quick-cut editing every three paragraphs to another character and his situation. Characters felt flat and stereotypical once I began taking notes and assigning one-word adjectives to them (ultra-religious, cocky, sly, bleeding heart, nervous, etc.) Predictable!
Then the story took an unexpected left turn!.. exactly the same time as the plane, when the hijacked passengers decided to fight back last minute and land the plane not precisely where the hijacker demanded. The setting is fantastic – between the Tigris and Euphrates, on the archaeological ruins of Babylon, near modern Baghdad. We’re talking ancient Mesopotamia.
The question becomes: Can a group of 50 very intelligent and resourceful, untrained PEACEMAKERS with a few professional warriors and a few weapons defeat a group of 150 well-trained, heavily armed, “baby Tigers” (the war orphans raised in the Islamic training camps) led by an insane terrorist. The choice of site is ingenious, considering the primitive, low-tech weapons, tactics, ruses, and strategies the diplomats fashion to defend themselves, once they begin searching their memory banks for every detail of every historic battle they could remember. I delighted in all the creative uses they devised for common things found on a plane.
Besides a military history lesson, you know we’re in for an exploration of what it means to be someone who worships God, Allah, or Pazuzu throughout the ages. Fascinating stuff about the history of Judaism and the different “sub-groups” of Jews, such as the remote tribe who still have not left Babylon, or the “fifth wave” descendants who came to Israel with their money and education before WWII and the Holocaust.
Definitely one of DeMille’s best. Gosh, what a page-turner. We lost electricity the night I finished it by flashlight.
My main gripes about the first 50 pages:
1. Had to make notes in order to keep the characters straight, I couldn’t keep my Chaims, Ephraims, and Moshes straight. Gave up after 16 characters, and then they started dying off, boiling down to the ones I needed to remember!
2. Felt like I had read the same book before, an airplane disaster book he wrote called “Mayday.” If the plane blows up at Mach 2.2 at 15,000 feet, everyone gets brain damage, yada-yada.
3. Felt formulaic like disaster movies from the 70s. DeMille was quick-cut editing every three paragraphs to another character and his situation. Characters felt flat and stereotypical once I began taking notes and assigning one-word adjectives to them (ultra-religious, cocky, sly, bleeding heart, nervous, etc.) Predictable!
Then the story took an unexpected left turn!.. exactly the same time as the plane, when the hijacked passengers decided to fight back last minute and land the plane not precisely where the hijacker demanded. The setting is fantastic – between the Tigris and Euphrates, on the archaeological ruins of Babylon, near modern Baghdad. We’re talking ancient Mesopotamia.
The question becomes: Can a group of 50 very intelligent and resourceful, untrained PEACEMAKERS with a few professional warriors and a few weapons defeat a group of 150 well-trained, heavily armed, “baby Tigers” (the war orphans raised in the Islamic training camps) led by an insane terrorist. The choice of site is ingenious, considering the primitive, low-tech weapons, tactics, ruses, and strategies the diplomats fashion to defend themselves, once they begin searching their memory banks for every detail of every historic battle they could remember. I delighted in all the creative uses they devised for common things found on a plane.
Besides a military history lesson, you know we’re in for an exploration of what it means to be someone who worships God, Allah, or Pazuzu throughout the ages. Fascinating stuff about the history of Judaism and the different “sub-groups” of Jews, such as the remote tribe who still have not left Babylon, or the “fifth wave” descendants who came to Israel with their money and education before WWII and the Holocaust.
Definitely one of DeMille’s best. Gosh, what a page-turner. We lost electricity the night I finished it by flashlight.
June 10, 2023
2.5 stars. An early DeMille and it shows. It probably could be 100pp shorter. Premise was good: Israeli/Arab peace negotiations to occur in NYC when a Concorde carrying part of the delegation is forced down by a Palestinian terrorist group in the ancient area of Babylon. A predominately non-military group has to defend themselves against this radical group until they can be rescued but no one knows when that will be. Can they hold out and who will survive? The uneven pace of the novel and an irrelevant love triangle (at least to me) marred the reading for me. I felt it could have been tighter and still plenty suspenseful.
November 24, 2018
Here's the start of a big career, poorly executed in almost every way. Standards clearly were different 40 years ago.
Biggest issue: using an omniscient point of view. There are 47 characters in this book; we share their thoughts and viewpoint randomly for a paragraph or two and then switch. I didn't care about any of them; I still don't know if this book had characters I was supposed to care about.
The author is also a big fan of tell vs. show: there's almost no scene the author can't make mundane by skimming through in all-tell mode.
Next biggest issue: structure. The book begins with a prologue. Clever, evil terrorists have built a bomb into two Concordes destined for Israel. The bomb is part of the planes' structure so undetectable. Exciting, no?
The prologue is followed by 60 pages of getting the planes ready to fly. It's a device to introduce the characters, who will be on the planes, Israelis headed for NY for a serious peace conference with their Arab neighbors. Really, 60 pages of getting ready. 'Are you looking forward to NY?' 'Boy, I sure am. Did they stock the galley with that red wine I like?' 'I don't know, I'll check.' This would be suspenseful at one-fourth the length, if the author hadn't told us both planes are rigged to explode. I assumed this mish-mash of characters playing bit parts were all doomed so I didn't pay a lot of attention.
Next big issue: realism. Did you know you could land a supersonic, delta-winged Concorde in the desert, on an unused rocky road? Neither did the Concorde's makers, I'm pretty sure. In fact, the Concorde needs more perfect runway than other planes. The terrorists, who fly in a Lear, force the Concorde to fly really low and land near Babylon. They escape surveillance, even though there's an AWACs hanging around at 20,000 feet. (I'm pretty sure an AWACs can see a kid flying a kite in the next country.) The Concorde pilot has to comply because the bomb is radio controlled, even though I don't think a radio-receiver bomb inside the aluminum skinned airplane could receive a signal from outside. Meanwhile, the terrorists jam all the radio frequencies (broad-spectrum jammer) so the Concorde can't call anybody and report where they are. Ha! That's not how jammers work--they don't block THE SENDING of signals, they overload the signal so the receiver hears nothing but hum or static. To find the missing Concorde, just home-in on the annoying hum-static. Nobody thought of this.
Finally, somebody does something clever. The pilot lands the Concorde, but not on the exact spot the terrorists want (where 160 well-armed and well-trained Palestinian soldiers are waiting). They skip another mile down the road to the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon. Everybody out of the plane! We have to defend ourselves! Security forces on board have a dozen pistols, all .22 caliber, (well, if you had to shoot somebody, you wouldn't want to hurt them) one Uzi--okay, and one American M-14 with starlight (night-vision) scope. Most three-hour, daytime flights between major cities carry a night-time sniper's rifle, right? I mean, what if the sun goes dark and you're being attacked by ninjas? Putting the M-14 on the plane is the author's way of saying (a) he just learned about starlight scopes and he thinks they're really cool, and (b) he needed something to give the ministers, secretaries, and human-rights philosophers a chance against the heavily armed gang headed for them. This, like many other things in this book, neatly anticipates what will be needed in the next chapter. Rather like the way the TV Batman always had the right gadget in his bat-utility belt.
The first attack is repelled, thanks to the accurate sniper fire and the general surprise. Day comes. Now the remaining 140 soldiers can see what they're dealing with. They have AK-47s; they can fire thousands of bullets while the M-14 fires a dozen. They can attack where the M-14 isn't, as the hilltop is four- or five-hundred meters wide. The defenders are just a bunch of office workers, for gosh sakes!
No, the maniacal bad guy has a different idea. He's going to declare a truce until dark. Maybe the idea of seeing what they're shooting at is too much for his seasoned soldiers. More likely, the author sees the bad guy couldn't possibly lose if he attacks immediately, so he fixes it.
This is awesome! Now the plane passengers are taking off their high-heels, loosening up their neckties, and putting their briefcases aside. In twelve hours they transform the 40-acre hilltop into a WW I-style redoubt with trenches, sandbags, breastworks, man-traps, fall-back positions. Ever shovel dirt? I have. I could accomplish what any of the Concorde passengers achieved, only it would take me six months, not one day, and I would need a shovel, a pick, a wheel barrow, and a lot of water. They didn't have tools on the Concorde, of course, but they had all day, so they MADE tools out of the skin and frame of the airplane. No explanation as to how you could make very-well-attached aluminum sheets and braces into tools without having metal-working tools, but perhaps the Concorde has pre-punched outlines for shovels, spades, picks, etc. Just give a quick kick and you have your implement!
They repel the next attack in the dark, because the attackers can't cope with all the walls and holes and traps that have sprung up during the day, as well as shielded fire-positions from which the brave defenders are plinking occasional shots from their .22s. You'd think shooting the defenders with the 140 AK-47s would do the trick, but you'd be wrong.
Anyway, more ridiculous stuff happens, one guy only works on getting the stand-alone generator going (they're going to use it a late chapter and the author knows this) and two in-charge guys decide they're going to have a quick trial and murder (execute) a secretary and a Knesset Minister because they fell asleep on guard duty, then decide to delay their tribunal. This is worth mentioning only because the author brings it up again and again, as though it's such a crisis of civilization that these two civilians aren't going to be immediately executed. Huh. I thought the army guy was there to protect civilians; I thought it was nice of the civilians to pitch in on the defense.
More ridiculous stuff happens, then a guy in Tel Aviv has a crazy idea they should look for the Concorde in Babylon, for no reason other than the author knows that's where the plane is. The cavalry is sent, the defenders are heroic, the army guy who swears in mid-book he's not getting out of this alive goes to extraordinary lengths to prove the author correct, and the bad guys get put down.
Shockingly, this is not the worst thriller I have every read. In fact, the worst is James Patterson's first novel, which had the title changed ten years into his career so the publisher could rob a new set of readers. Second-worst might be Vince Flynn's first novel, self-published, about how a bunch of likeable patriots make the government behave by murdering Congressmen who won't knuckle under.
Babylon gets two stars because it is non-stop action (400 pages of battle) and because the flaws are so endemic as to be amusing. I kind of wanted the bad guy to win.
Biggest issue: using an omniscient point of view. There are 47 characters in this book; we share their thoughts and viewpoint randomly for a paragraph or two and then switch. I didn't care about any of them; I still don't know if this book had characters I was supposed to care about.
The author is also a big fan of tell vs. show: there's almost no scene the author can't make mundane by skimming through in all-tell mode.
Next biggest issue: structure. The book begins with a prologue. Clever, evil terrorists have built a bomb into two Concordes destined for Israel. The bomb is part of the planes' structure so undetectable. Exciting, no?
The prologue is followed by 60 pages of getting the planes ready to fly. It's a device to introduce the characters, who will be on the planes, Israelis headed for NY for a serious peace conference with their Arab neighbors. Really, 60 pages of getting ready. 'Are you looking forward to NY?' 'Boy, I sure am. Did they stock the galley with that red wine I like?' 'I don't know, I'll check.' This would be suspenseful at one-fourth the length, if the author hadn't told us both planes are rigged to explode. I assumed this mish-mash of characters playing bit parts were all doomed so I didn't pay a lot of attention.
Next big issue: realism. Did you know you could land a supersonic, delta-winged Concorde in the desert, on an unused rocky road? Neither did the Concorde's makers, I'm pretty sure. In fact, the Concorde needs more perfect runway than other planes. The terrorists, who fly in a Lear, force the Concorde to fly really low and land near Babylon. They escape surveillance, even though there's an AWACs hanging around at 20,000 feet. (I'm pretty sure an AWACs can see a kid flying a kite in the next country.) The Concorde pilot has to comply because the bomb is radio controlled, even though I don't think a radio-receiver bomb inside the aluminum skinned airplane could receive a signal from outside. Meanwhile, the terrorists jam all the radio frequencies (broad-spectrum jammer) so the Concorde can't call anybody and report where they are. Ha! That's not how jammers work--they don't block THE SENDING of signals, they overload the signal so the receiver hears nothing but hum or static. To find the missing Concorde, just home-in on the annoying hum-static. Nobody thought of this.
Finally, somebody does something clever. The pilot lands the Concorde, but not on the exact spot the terrorists want (where 160 well-armed and well-trained Palestinian soldiers are waiting). They skip another mile down the road to the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon. Everybody out of the plane! We have to defend ourselves! Security forces on board have a dozen pistols, all .22 caliber, (well, if you had to shoot somebody, you wouldn't want to hurt them) one Uzi--okay, and one American M-14 with starlight (night-vision) scope. Most three-hour, daytime flights between major cities carry a night-time sniper's rifle, right? I mean, what if the sun goes dark and you're being attacked by ninjas? Putting the M-14 on the plane is the author's way of saying (a) he just learned about starlight scopes and he thinks they're really cool, and (b) he needed something to give the ministers, secretaries, and human-rights philosophers a chance against the heavily armed gang headed for them. This, like many other things in this book, neatly anticipates what will be needed in the next chapter. Rather like the way the TV Batman always had the right gadget in his bat-utility belt.
The first attack is repelled, thanks to the accurate sniper fire and the general surprise. Day comes. Now the remaining 140 soldiers can see what they're dealing with. They have AK-47s; they can fire thousands of bullets while the M-14 fires a dozen. They can attack where the M-14 isn't, as the hilltop is four- or five-hundred meters wide. The defenders are just a bunch of office workers, for gosh sakes!
No, the maniacal bad guy has a different idea. He's going to declare a truce until dark. Maybe the idea of seeing what they're shooting at is too much for his seasoned soldiers. More likely, the author sees the bad guy couldn't possibly lose if he attacks immediately, so he fixes it.
This is awesome! Now the plane passengers are taking off their high-heels, loosening up their neckties, and putting their briefcases aside. In twelve hours they transform the 40-acre hilltop into a WW I-style redoubt with trenches, sandbags, breastworks, man-traps, fall-back positions. Ever shovel dirt? I have. I could accomplish what any of the Concorde passengers achieved, only it would take me six months, not one day, and I would need a shovel, a pick, a wheel barrow, and a lot of water. They didn't have tools on the Concorde, of course, but they had all day, so they MADE tools out of the skin and frame of the airplane. No explanation as to how you could make very-well-attached aluminum sheets and braces into tools without having metal-working tools, but perhaps the Concorde has pre-punched outlines for shovels, spades, picks, etc. Just give a quick kick and you have your implement!
They repel the next attack in the dark, because the attackers can't cope with all the walls and holes and traps that have sprung up during the day, as well as shielded fire-positions from which the brave defenders are plinking occasional shots from their .22s. You'd think shooting the defenders with the 140 AK-47s would do the trick, but you'd be wrong.
Anyway, more ridiculous stuff happens, one guy only works on getting the stand-alone generator going (they're going to use it a late chapter and the author knows this) and two in-charge guys decide they're going to have a quick trial and murder (execute) a secretary and a Knesset Minister because they fell asleep on guard duty, then decide to delay their tribunal. This is worth mentioning only because the author brings it up again and again, as though it's such a crisis of civilization that these two civilians aren't going to be immediately executed. Huh. I thought the army guy was there to protect civilians; I thought it was nice of the civilians to pitch in on the defense.
More ridiculous stuff happens, then a guy in Tel Aviv has a crazy idea they should look for the Concorde in Babylon, for no reason other than the author knows that's where the plane is. The cavalry is sent, the defenders are heroic, the army guy who swears in mid-book he's not getting out of this alive goes to extraordinary lengths to prove the author correct, and the bad guys get put down.
Shockingly, this is not the worst thriller I have every read. In fact, the worst is James Patterson's first novel, which had the title changed ten years into his career so the publisher could rob a new set of readers. Second-worst might be Vince Flynn's first novel, self-published, about how a bunch of likeable patriots make the government behave by murdering Congressmen who won't knuckle under.
Babylon gets two stars because it is non-stop action (400 pages of battle) and because the flaws are so endemic as to be amusing. I kind of wanted the bad guy to win.
February 24, 2021
I must say that I am a DeMille fan, but this book was not a good read. Not even mediocre, it was painfully bad. I feel I wasted my time reading this book. This is the only DeMille book that I have not liked, I have read most of his books and have enjoyed them, I will still look forward to reading any new books from DeMille.
February 5, 2013
This novel is much too long. The only redeeming factors are the very beginning and the very end. 3 of 10 stars.
July 24, 2016
By the Rivers of Babylon is just what I’ve come to expect from a Nelson DeMille novel: suspenseful, action-packed, and nuanced with shades of politics and character complexities. That it was written over thirty years ago doesn’t make it any less compelling, and in fact, despite any changes in the Middle East since then, By the Rivers of Babylon still provides an insightful glimpse into the hearts and souls of the people residing in that part of the world. DeMille is especially adept at highlighting the conflicts between peace and safety, the importance of history and faith, and the damage war’s displacement has had on Jews and Arabs alike.
April 18, 2013
A pretty good internationl thriller.
June 20, 2015
A bit dated, but I'm old enough to remember when peace in the Middle East was a possibility, not just a dream. Loved it!!
October 18, 2018
I loved it. A real nail biter. Look forward to more by DeMille.
February 16, 2016
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Peace in the Middle East is almost assured and two concordes fly to New York with delegates for final negotiations. Terrorists try to derail the peace conference by planting bombs on board and taking the passengers hostage. After one plane is destroyed, killing all on board, the second plane is forced to land near Babylon. At the last minute, the hostages manage to escape to the top of a small hill from which they attempt to defend against the terrorists through several days of sorties, knowing that the military probably doesn't know where they are and therefore can't swoop in and rescue them.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
Long before there was Clancy, there was DeMille. This book takes the international realm and stands it on its ear -- there is (excruciating) details of the relations between the characters on both sides of the peace conference who are forced to work together to fight the terrorists. In addition, the battle tactics are first-rate, the writing is almost perfect, and the story is superb as the "hostages" fight in small groups with every weapon they have -- gas bombs from the plane's fuel tanks, sounds from a war movie blasted over speakers to simulate larger weaponry, etc.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There are a LOT of characters at the start of this book and it is hard to keep track of them all. Up until the end, there are too many small sub-plots -- some are good, and necessary to flesh out the experience, but not all of them. There are fewer characters by the end though and it helps speed up the plotting. However, the ending is a little over-the-top, resembling a scene from a Die Hard movie more than keeping with the slightly more realistic tone of the rest of the book. As well, there is a meeting between the hostage-leaders and the terrorist-leader that is absolutely surreal. The likelihood of both parties treating it like a military battle with truces, etc., is virtually nil but it was at least interesting to read.
.
BOTTOM-LINE:
DeMille is the master of the game
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.
Peace in the Middle East is almost assured and two concordes fly to New York with delegates for final negotiations. Terrorists try to derail the peace conference by planting bombs on board and taking the passengers hostage. After one plane is destroyed, killing all on board, the second plane is forced to land near Babylon. At the last minute, the hostages manage to escape to the top of a small hill from which they attempt to defend against the terrorists through several days of sorties, knowing that the military probably doesn't know where they are and therefore can't swoop in and rescue them.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
Long before there was Clancy, there was DeMille. This book takes the international realm and stands it on its ear -- there is (excruciating) details of the relations between the characters on both sides of the peace conference who are forced to work together to fight the terrorists. In addition, the battle tactics are first-rate, the writing is almost perfect, and the story is superb as the "hostages" fight in small groups with every weapon they have -- gas bombs from the plane's fuel tanks, sounds from a war movie blasted over speakers to simulate larger weaponry, etc.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There are a LOT of characters at the start of this book and it is hard to keep track of them all. Up until the end, there are too many small sub-plots -- some are good, and necessary to flesh out the experience, but not all of them. There are fewer characters by the end though and it helps speed up the plotting. However, the ending is a little over-the-top, resembling a scene from a Die Hard movie more than keeping with the slightly more realistic tone of the rest of the book. As well, there is a meeting between the hostage-leaders and the terrorist-leader that is absolutely surreal. The likelihood of both parties treating it like a military battle with truces, etc., is virtually nil but it was at least interesting to read.
.
BOTTOM-LINE:
DeMille is the master of the game
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.
September 9, 2016
In 586 B.C. the Babylonian Empire overthrew Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple. The resultant desecration of the temple and the capture of the citizens into slavery in Babylon are among the most significant milestones in the history of the Jewish people and the entire Middle East. After Babylon was overthrown by Persian King Cyrus, 50,000 slaves were freed to return to Jerusalem and to re-build the temple.
This story is a fictional account of modern day mid-east intrigue that begins with 2 supersonic Concords take off loaded with passengers representing Israel and Palestinian political leaders with their staffs, headed for a mid-east peace conference at the U.N. Militants who want to disrupt the peace conference succeed in shooting down one of the planes and, through a series of ingenious piloting decisions, the second manages to crash land in the area that is the ruins of that ancient city of Babylon.
Readers who have an understanding of this mid-east history will especially appreciate this fictional tale because many of the characters are developed with reverence for the history of the landing site/battleground.
An enjoyable read, especially for those who appreciate mid-eastern history.
This story is a fictional account of modern day mid-east intrigue that begins with 2 supersonic Concords take off loaded with passengers representing Israel and Palestinian political leaders with their staffs, headed for a mid-east peace conference at the U.N. Militants who want to disrupt the peace conference succeed in shooting down one of the planes and, through a series of ingenious piloting decisions, the second manages to crash land in the area that is the ruins of that ancient city of Babylon.
Readers who have an understanding of this mid-east history will especially appreciate this fictional tale because many of the characters are developed with reverence for the history of the landing site/battleground.
An enjoyable read, especially for those who appreciate mid-eastern history.
March 30, 2018
A tensely entertaining tale! Even though it was written my DeMille, it felt more like a Tom Clancy novel. By the Rivers of Babylon is one of DeMille's earlier works, and you can certainly tell, with the writing style and the time-period.
2 Concorde aircraft take off from Israel heading for a UN conference that will bring peace to the Middle East. But one of the planes ends up bursting into flames while airborne, and the second aircraft is forced to crash-land at an ancient desert site. It turns out an explosive device was planted on both aircraft by a terrorist mastermind. Armed with very few weapons, the survivors of the aircraft make a desperate stand against an army of Palestinian commandos, who are converging on the crash-site, while the Israeli authorities attempt to rescue the survivors.
Tended to drag in some places, and there were a lot of characters. But a great book, great action sequences, and great setting!
2 Concorde aircraft take off from Israel heading for a UN conference that will bring peace to the Middle East. But one of the planes ends up bursting into flames while airborne, and the second aircraft is forced to crash-land at an ancient desert site. It turns out an explosive device was planted on both aircraft by a terrorist mastermind. Armed with very few weapons, the survivors of the aircraft make a desperate stand against an army of Palestinian commandos, who are converging on the crash-site, while the Israeli authorities attempt to rescue the survivors.
Tended to drag in some places, and there were a lot of characters. But a great book, great action sequences, and great setting!
June 13, 2017
Two Concorde jets are flown into Israel to carry Israeli officials to a peace conference in New York. Security is tight but everything checks out and the planes take off with a contingent of F-14 fighters. But it is not enough and almost before anyone knows it, the planes have been kidnapped and forced to crash-land in the desert.
While this would not usually be a book for me, and it started slowly with a whole lot of detail I was not interested in, I was quickly drawn in and had a hard time putting this down. The excitement never stopped and I was swept along. A very riveting story that will keep you from putting it down.
While this would not usually be a book for me, and it started slowly with a whole lot of detail I was not interested in, I was quickly drawn in and had a hard time putting this down. The excitement never stopped and I was swept along. A very riveting story that will keep you from putting it down.
September 29, 2017
For 1978 I am sure this was somewhat groundbreaking but I don't know that it holds up. It was slow, boring, too many characters, not enough action, and too much postulating and thinking and not enough actual drama. Too bad... but nice to see that Demille has certainly improved as an author and has developed a strong personality in his writing.
November 28, 2023
1970's style novel with a bunch of people in a plane forced to land and fight against terrorists. It should seem timely, but instead seems almost quaint.
March 23, 2023
1/10, DNF at ~66%.
This book sucks. Don’t read it. I was so excited for this book after my dad gave me a bunch of DeMille books a few weeks ago and I thought the setting of this one sounded really interesting. I still think the setting is interesting but the characters are the worst. I was trying to hate finish this book but I couldn’t. The main guy is the biggest asshole and so petty, but so is everyone else. He also just straight up smacks someone cause they said something “mean” to him and has her fall onto burning metal. Then the next page she sleeps with him? Wtf? Who acts like that? Then they are saying they love each other after spending the first half of the book hating each other. None of the other characters are in any way like able either. The main guy also is acting like the smartest tactician but has unarmed outpost that are massacred as an early warning system? Like good job dude, theres 6 of your people cut to pieces but when confronted he drops his command and acts like he is the one wronged. He also makes the others shave, wasting their low water supplies? As well as he casually drinks not one but TWO others drink rations because he is so cool and can just do what he wants.
Also this book literally says that while the Israelis are civilized, the muslim characters are not and equates them to savages. Because everyone knows the Israelis are the good guys and everyone else in the ME is bad.
Long story short, don’t read this book. I did like the prose however, simple but effective.
This book sucks. Don’t read it. I was so excited for this book after my dad gave me a bunch of DeMille books a few weeks ago and I thought the setting of this one sounded really interesting. I still think the setting is interesting but the characters are the worst. I was trying to hate finish this book but I couldn’t. The main guy is the biggest asshole and so petty, but so is everyone else. He also just straight up smacks someone cause they said something “mean” to him and has her fall onto burning metal. Then the next page she sleeps with him? Wtf? Who acts like that? Then they are saying they love each other after spending the first half of the book hating each other. None of the other characters are in any way like able either. The main guy also is acting like the smartest tactician but has unarmed outpost that are massacred as an early warning system? Like good job dude, theres 6 of your people cut to pieces but when confronted he drops his command and acts like he is the one wronged. He also makes the others shave, wasting their low water supplies? As well as he casually drinks not one but TWO others drink rations because he is so cool and can just do what he wants.
Also this book literally says that while the Israelis are civilized, the muslim characters are not and equates them to savages. Because everyone knows the Israelis are the good guys and everyone else in the ME is bad.
Long story short, don’t read this book. I did like the prose however, simple but effective.
November 18, 2019
Not quite deserving of a four rating, but better than a three. Some parts of the story are implausible, but overall an entertaining read. Character development on the terrorist side of things, seemed a little lacking. Really still not sure why the lead bad guy chose the ruins of Babylon as the site for holding hostages. I found DeMille's description of the battles between the terrorists and the Concorde survivors to be edge of the seat reading. Interesting that this book came out in 1978--way before 9-11. At the time Iraq was probably not the focus of many Americans.
July 26, 2017
I've liked everything I've ever read that was written by Nelson DeMille -- this book is no exception. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good adventure with more than cardboard characters -- true, lots of blood and guts, but a fascinating background and multi-layered plot. I give it an A.
August 9, 2017
Entertaining airplane read... nothing special.
March 2, 2025
Well written. Horrifying how one crazed man with power can destroy so much.
May 6, 2020
Historic Suspense
Although the story slowed at times, it was one filled with history, suspense, love, hate, bravery, and some hope that peace will eventually come to Israel.
Although the story slowed at times, it was one filled with history, suspense, love, hate, bravery, and some hope that peace will eventually come to Israel.
June 7, 2013
Peace mission Concorde hijacked to Babylon. An Arab-Israeli peace mission to New York is plotted against by Ahmed Rish, an ex-pat Palestinian who sabotages two Concordes bound for El Al during their construction in France. Hidden shaped charges are employed to hijack the Concordes once airborne and one of the birds is destroyed in midair to prove the point. The hijacked Concorde is led to Babylon by Rish in an accompanying Lear, where the bird crash lands upon a plateau that becomes the Israeli defensive fortress. While a mix of military, intel and politicians debate the near future actions of the Israelis, Rish demands surrender or face death from assault by his 150-man armed company. Jacob Hausner, security chief for El Al and among the marooned Israelis, takes command of the plane and begins preparing defensive positions around the plateau while aircrew members vainly try to repair the APU and radio for help. After repulsing the first assault, Gen Dobkin sneaks away to find help and, against all odds, finds a telephone in the midst of the Ashbals and calls Tel Aviv to inform them of his plight. The Israelis, led by Teddy Laskov, launch an Entebbe-type rescue mission and recover a majority of the Israelis after all chances for escape are exhausted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2014
Recommended, and a definite must for any DeMille fan. His first hardback novel, and his first big breakthrough. Originally published in 1978, it could have been written yesterday, which is one point the novel makes - not much changes in Babylon over the millennia when it comes to Israel.
After their Concorde is forced down in the deserts of Babylon, a small group of Israeli diplomats, their aides, security force, and a El Al civilian flight crew attempt to fend off Palestinian guerrillas intending to capture them as hostages in order to disrupt upcoming peace talks.
A good, solid, engaging, and suspenseful adventure with considerable paramilitary small-arms action and technical battle strategy. Think 'The Flight of the Phoenix' on military and international intrigue steroids.
After their Concorde is forced down in the deserts of Babylon, a small group of Israeli diplomats, their aides, security force, and a El Al civilian flight crew attempt to fend off Palestinian guerrillas intending to capture them as hostages in order to disrupt upcoming peace talks.
A good, solid, engaging, and suspenseful adventure with considerable paramilitary small-arms action and technical battle strategy. Think 'The Flight of the Phoenix' on military and international intrigue steroids.
July 14, 2015
By the Rivers of Babylon was Nelson DeMille's first hardcover novel and was written in 1978. Often ~40 year old thriller novels are laughably out of date or simply no longer relevant to the world as it sits today giving a poor reading experience, not so with Rivers of Babylon. It is as relevant today as it was in 1978.
The plot principally revolves around lead up to & the (successful) Palestinian terrorist plot to hijack a Israeli plane filled with diplomats; and the aftermath including their fight for survival.
Plenty of atmosphere, development and tension. Definitely worth picking up if you see it in a secondhand book store and enjoy a good action novel.
The plot principally revolves around lead up to & the (successful) Palestinian terrorist plot to hijack a Israeli plane filled with diplomats; and the aftermath including their fight for survival.
Plenty of atmosphere, development and tension. Definitely worth picking up if you see it in a secondhand book store and enjoy a good action novel.
November 6, 2015
A plane-full of Israeli Jews on their way to a peace conference in NYC is diverted by terrorists to land at the site of ancient Babylon. The ingenuity with which the hostages developed defenses was pretty incredible (but then, it is a novel) and the fight sequences were so breathtakingly tense that I flew through them. My only problem with the book was that I really, really didn't like the main character, who was a total a-hole. I did like the quoting of the Ravensbruck Prayer, which I had not heard before. The book would be ripe for a book club because there are so many moral dilemmas that face the defenders. Much to think about. What would I do?
November 28, 2023
This is a hard book to review in 2020. When it was new (first published July 7th 1978) it would have been a unique look at modern terrorism. An inspiring tale about the resilience of the human spirit and an deep thought about Mid-East peace.
42 years later it is an action adventure story that holds up.
I probably read it in the early 90's and would have said I remembered it but truthfully I didn't. And as an action story it is amazing and compelling.
I loved it.
42 years later it is an action adventure story that holds up.
I probably read it in the early 90's and would have said I remembered it but truthfully I didn't. And as an action story it is amazing and compelling.
I loved it.
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