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The Siege of Tel Aviv
THIS IS THE BOOK THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO READ. This book was previously withdrawn from its original publisher and is now being released in an author's edition. Same book, new publisher. Stephen King calls Hesh Kestin’s The Siege of Tel Aviv “scarier than anything Stephen King ever wrote.” Iran leads five armies in a brutal victory over Israel, which ceases to exist. Within hours, its leaders are rounded up and murdered, the IDF is routed, and the country's six million Jews concentrated in Tel Aviv, which becomes a starving ghetto. While the US and the West sit by, Israel's enemies prepare to kill off the entire population. On the eve of genocide, Tel Aviv makes one last attempt to save itself, as an Israeli businessman, a gangster, and a cross-dressing fighter pilot put together a daring plan to counterattack. Will it succeed? The Siege of Tel Aviv is as as bizarrely funny as it is fast-paced. In the words of Stephen “An irrepressible sense of humor runs through it. It’s not satire I’m talking about―it’s stuff like the cross-dressing pilot (my favorite character) and any number of deliciously absurd situations (the pink jets). It’s the inevitable result of an eye that sees the funny side, even in horror. So few writers have that. This novel will cause talk and controversy. Most of all, it will be read.”
- GenresFictionMiddle East
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2019
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May 9, 2019Until I'm able to write something substantive of my own, I'll point you to Mark Horowitz's insightful piece: https://bit.ly/2ViRMIP.
May 7, 2019
Since its founding on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel has fought three wars whose outcome arguably was existential: the War of Independence (1948–1949), the Six Day War (1967), and the Yom Kippur War (1973).
In The Siege of Tel Aviv, Hesh Kestin imagines a point in the near future where Iran leads Arab armies in a genocidal war against Israel…and wins. So quick and total is the Persian-Arab victory over Israel that six million Jews flee to the only major Israeli city still under Jewish control, Tel Aviv, making it a ghetto. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the U.N. watch and wait, not wanting to interrupt the flow of oil from the Middle East.
But the Israelis take a page from the fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto and begin to fight back, led by the unlikely duo of an Israeli capitalist and a Russian Jewish mobster. Other memorable characters in the story include a cross-dressing ace pilot in the Israel Air Force, a Bedouin Israeli Defense Force scout and a Christian Arab barber who remain loyal to Israel, three joy-riding Marine F/A-18 pilots who save the day at crucial moment, and a six-ship flotilla of “Amazing Grace”-singing Christian fundamentalists on a humanitarian mission to feed the besieged city.
The Siege of Tel Aviv is a page-turner whose premise is frighteningly plausible. The problem is that the book’s happy ending isn’t. In the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War, which Israel nearly lost, Israel realized that its victory in the Six Day War had falsely led it to conclude that the Arabs would never fight it again because of its humiliating loss. In Hebrew, this false conclusion is known as the kontzeptziya.
What worries me about The Siege of Tel Aviv is that Israel’s comeback is too easy, the instance of a new kontzeptziya, that Israel’s will-to-live is sufficient to overcome overwhelming odds against it. Given its victories in 1949, 1967, and 1973, I can understand the basis for this. Israel has survived; it will survive. The problem with this novel’s execution of that will to survive is that the victory is just too easy. SPOILER ALERT: One doesn’t just liberate the entire Kuwaiti Air Force or steal hundreds of Jordanian tanks as quickly and painlessly as the rejuvenated IDF does.
Moreover, it seems to me that there are a number of false notes in Kestin’s portrayal of Christian fundamentalists and the Southern Republican U.S. president. Neither talk nor think the way Kestin portrays them. At least not the Christians, and as a Christian minister, I speak with some experience here.
So, a three-star review from me. The book was enjoyable as I read it, but after I read it, the too-easy victory and character false notes sounded too loudly to ignore. That said, Steve King—to whom the book is dedicated—likes it, saying it is “scarier than anything [he] ever wrote.” So, weigh that in the balance with my review.
A final note: The first edition of this book was published by Dzanc Books, who had published a previous novel by Kestin. Activists accused the book of being Islamophobic, so under pressure, Dzanc pulped it. Kestin then released it in a self-published second edition, which is what I reviewed. Is the book Islamophobic? I didn’t think so, and neither does Commentary magazine. You’ll have to read the book to make up your own mind.
Book Reviewed
Hesh Kestin, The Siege of Tel Aviv, 2nd ed. (Shoeshine Press, 2019).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
In The Siege of Tel Aviv, Hesh Kestin imagines a point in the near future where Iran leads Arab armies in a genocidal war against Israel…and wins. So quick and total is the Persian-Arab victory over Israel that six million Jews flee to the only major Israeli city still under Jewish control, Tel Aviv, making it a ghetto. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the U.N. watch and wait, not wanting to interrupt the flow of oil from the Middle East.
But the Israelis take a page from the fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto and begin to fight back, led by the unlikely duo of an Israeli capitalist and a Russian Jewish mobster. Other memorable characters in the story include a cross-dressing ace pilot in the Israel Air Force, a Bedouin Israeli Defense Force scout and a Christian Arab barber who remain loyal to Israel, three joy-riding Marine F/A-18 pilots who save the day at crucial moment, and a six-ship flotilla of “Amazing Grace”-singing Christian fundamentalists on a humanitarian mission to feed the besieged city.
The Siege of Tel Aviv is a page-turner whose premise is frighteningly plausible. The problem is that the book’s happy ending isn’t. In the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War, which Israel nearly lost, Israel realized that its victory in the Six Day War had falsely led it to conclude that the Arabs would never fight it again because of its humiliating loss. In Hebrew, this false conclusion is known as the kontzeptziya.
What worries me about The Siege of Tel Aviv is that Israel’s comeback is too easy, the instance of a new kontzeptziya, that Israel’s will-to-live is sufficient to overcome overwhelming odds against it. Given its victories in 1949, 1967, and 1973, I can understand the basis for this. Israel has survived; it will survive. The problem with this novel’s execution of that will to survive is that the victory is just too easy. SPOILER ALERT: One doesn’t just liberate the entire Kuwaiti Air Force or steal hundreds of Jordanian tanks as quickly and painlessly as the rejuvenated IDF does.
Moreover, it seems to me that there are a number of false notes in Kestin’s portrayal of Christian fundamentalists and the Southern Republican U.S. president. Neither talk nor think the way Kestin portrays them. At least not the Christians, and as a Christian minister, I speak with some experience here.
So, a three-star review from me. The book was enjoyable as I read it, but after I read it, the too-easy victory and character false notes sounded too loudly to ignore. That said, Steve King—to whom the book is dedicated—likes it, saying it is “scarier than anything [he] ever wrote.” So, weigh that in the balance with my review.
A final note: The first edition of this book was published by Dzanc Books, who had published a previous novel by Kestin. Activists accused the book of being Islamophobic, so under pressure, Dzanc pulped it. Kestin then released it in a self-published second edition, which is what I reviewed. Is the book Islamophobic? I didn’t think so, and neither does Commentary magazine. You’ll have to read the book to make up your own mind.
Book Reviewed
Hesh Kestin, The Siege of Tel Aviv, 2nd ed. (Shoeshine Press, 2019).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
April 5, 2019
How would Israel retaliate if the surrounding Arab Nations and Iran attacked preemptively and forced all of the population into a fourteen sq mile area around Tel Aviv? After the war is over, what are the chances that the World will take the word of attackers and blame Israel for the whole thing?
This is the speculation of Kestin, some of which is right out of a "Marvel" movie, but others are rather reasonable. Enjoyable and moves along like boxes on a Federal Express conveyor belt.
This is the speculation of Kestin, some of which is right out of a "Marvel" movie, but others are rather reasonable. Enjoyable and moves along like boxes on a Federal Express conveyor belt.
June 6, 2019
All too realistic and cynical
The author uses historical knowledge and logic to depict a very possible outcome of another Jewish-Arab (and Iranian) war. The outcome is also very, very possible in this modern world where "1984" is used as a blueprint instead of a warning. A must read.
The author uses historical knowledge and logic to depict a very possible outcome of another Jewish-Arab (and Iranian) war. The outcome is also very, very possible in this modern world where "1984" is used as a blueprint instead of a warning. A must read.
May 5, 2019
Reads like an epic film with a billion-dollar budget - but way better. It's packed with intense detail, giving you what feels like a lesson in politics, conflict, and even geography and certain cultures - but my favorite aspect is the myriad of characters that come to life on the pages. Bravo.
December 24, 2024
In fairness, 4.25.
There's a sardonic tone to Kestin's prose that could potentially be off-putting. Instead, however, the sometimes funny, fast-paced writing enhances the alarming, occasionally terrifying plot as it plays out.
Written in 2019, the book opens with Israel blithely involved in regional peace negotiations with its Muslim neighbors, when suddenly, led by Iran, the armies of all five Arab countries that have been part of the discussions viciously attack. The multi-pronged, surprise assault rapidly annihilates the Israeli government and decimates the IDF. Unable to defend themselves, the country's six million Jews are forced into a giant ghetto created in the Tel Aviv area where they are slowly and systematically being starved to death as the Muslim victors consider how to more rapidly kill off the remaining Jewish population.
As genocide looms, a group of desperate, intrepid Israelis band together to fight back. The odds against the rag-tag crew--led by a businessman, a gangster and an ace pilot with a penchant for cross-dressing--are terrible, but the leaders of the counterattack devise a plan rich in brass and chutzpah.
Had I read the book before October 7, 2023 I'd likely have found it troubling but enjoyable. Reading it as the one year anniversary of the Hamas invasion of Israel loomed, it was difficult not to be staggered by how prescient it was, and how even more horrifying the actual invasion could have been.
Did I enjoy the book? Absolutely yes. But from time to time I had to stop, take a deep breath and remind myself that this was just fiction.
There's a sardonic tone to Kestin's prose that could potentially be off-putting. Instead, however, the sometimes funny, fast-paced writing enhances the alarming, occasionally terrifying plot as it plays out.
Written in 2019, the book opens with Israel blithely involved in regional peace negotiations with its Muslim neighbors, when suddenly, led by Iran, the armies of all five Arab countries that have been part of the discussions viciously attack. The multi-pronged, surprise assault rapidly annihilates the Israeli government and decimates the IDF. Unable to defend themselves, the country's six million Jews are forced into a giant ghetto created in the Tel Aviv area where they are slowly and systematically being starved to death as the Muslim victors consider how to more rapidly kill off the remaining Jewish population.
As genocide looms, a group of desperate, intrepid Israelis band together to fight back. The odds against the rag-tag crew--led by a businessman, a gangster and an ace pilot with a penchant for cross-dressing--are terrible, but the leaders of the counterattack devise a plan rich in brass and chutzpah.
Had I read the book before October 7, 2023 I'd likely have found it troubling but enjoyable. Reading it as the one year anniversary of the Hamas invasion of Israel loomed, it was difficult not to be staggered by how prescient it was, and how even more horrifying the actual invasion could have been.
Did I enjoy the book? Absolutely yes. But from time to time I had to stop, take a deep breath and remind myself that this was just fiction.
July 8, 2019
I almost always prefer non-fiction to fiction, and this book is a good example why. There are just too many leaps of faith and oversimplification of events/actions for my liking - everything from the Arab/Iran alliance to the wiping out of Israel’s leadership to the thought process of the American President. (Not to mention that the US no longer gets any of its oil from the Middle East thanks to shale.) Overall, it is ok and speaks to Jewish (and Israeli) survival. But why I recommend reading it is because of the ridiculous reaction against the book, causing the publisher to drop it. Sure, Iran and the Arab countries don’t come across all that well - but neither does the Israeli prime minister, the Russians, and most of all the American President. It’s bullying and censorship and should not be tolerated.
June 5, 2019
It’s briskly written and often fun, and the end is satisfying, but a big part of this posits a lot of terrible violence (the successful invasion of Israel) that’s simply not amusing to read, if only because it’s possible (or not impossible) enough in the real world that it’s hard to read as entertainment. Basically sometimes the author’s satiric tone doesn’t suit what he’s describing, which is too terrible for joking (or the joking would have to be better, to be justified—I liked the book but it’s not Dr Strangelove.)
April 12, 2020
Intrigued but the controversy surrounding it. Not disappointed. Unsure how I fell about it.
April 10, 2022
I guess I had to read this as the war in Ukraine unfolds. Many words can describe this book. Outrageous. Cynical. Duplicitous. Funny. Flawed. Entertaining. Tom Clancy meets Carl Hiaasen.
If you can get past a cross dressing Israeli pilot and minor errors in military terminology and some implausible military maneuvers than this book just shocks with its plot- the destruction of Israel by Iran. It’s like a Twitter feed/thread with 133 chapters in 267 pages. It’s one genocide after another. And you can’t call it a Holocaust either because that word has been taken.
Certainly an interesting and entertaining read with some creative and innovative solutions to problems. Thought provoking too as America navigates the Ukraine War. When does a humanitarian disaster or genocide become an American strategic national interest? Is it when the price of gas reaches $10 per gallon that we sadly lament the end of the state of Israel? Indifference, greed, and personal hubris all portrayed as realpolitik in the White House of this book.
Typical that this book was criticized for being Islamophobic and not published by the Michigan based publisher of his two previous books.
If you can get past a cross dressing Israeli pilot and minor errors in military terminology and some implausible military maneuvers than this book just shocks with its plot- the destruction of Israel by Iran. It’s like a Twitter feed/thread with 133 chapters in 267 pages. It’s one genocide after another. And you can’t call it a Holocaust either because that word has been taken.
Certainly an interesting and entertaining read with some creative and innovative solutions to problems. Thought provoking too as America navigates the Ukraine War. When does a humanitarian disaster or genocide become an American strategic national interest? Is it when the price of gas reaches $10 per gallon that we sadly lament the end of the state of Israel? Indifference, greed, and personal hubris all portrayed as realpolitik in the White House of this book.
Typical that this book was criticized for being Islamophobic and not published by the Michigan based publisher of his two previous books.
June 7, 2019
A fast-reading novel that proves to be an intelligent and witty satire of the modern Middle East. An Iranian-Arab invasion of Israel nearly leads to the destruction of the Jewish State while an ambivalent West, lead by a kook of a US President, is content to sit back and watch. The Israeli resistance is lead by some great characters: a cross-dressing pilot, a Russian mobster, a Tech Titan and a Bedouin. The short chapters make the book hard to put down as the action proceeds at a frenetic pace. A thought-provoking and exciting read overall.
May 17, 2019
Very good Clancy-style military thriller, marred by American characters especially the President who is ridiculous even by Trumpian standards.
June 7, 2019
If Truth be Told
Strange as this fiction my be, with the bizarre unfolding of events in the middle east, this could very well become a reality with several twists. Fascinating reading. Damn those Americans to whom money and personal gain dominate every decision.
Strange as this fiction my be, with the bizarre unfolding of events in the middle east, this could very well become a reality with several twists. Fascinating reading. Damn those Americans to whom money and personal gain dominate every decision.
May 19, 2019
This book offers an all too real potential future scenario.
August 12, 2019
Very entertaining, speculative, shocking, and funny all at the same time.
June 30, 2019
Excellent!
This imaginary tale of the resolution to the problems of the Middle East is extremely plausible, and a great read. Pulling no punches, Hesh Kestin creates a near-future scenario of a victory over Israel by the massed ranks of its Muslim neighbours, and a determined response by the citizens of Israel. First-class compulsive page-turner! And a thought-provoking acid comment on the state of the world's current international condition.
This imaginary tale of the resolution to the problems of the Middle East is extremely plausible, and a great read. Pulling no punches, Hesh Kestin creates a near-future scenario of a victory over Israel by the massed ranks of its Muslim neighbours, and a determined response by the citizens of Israel. First-class compulsive page-turner! And a thought-provoking acid comment on the state of the world's current international condition.
May 9, 2019
First class international thriller
More than a bit improbable but nonetheless a fun yarn. I don’t understand the uproar over its publication. Highly recommended
More than a bit improbable but nonetheless a fun yarn. I don’t understand the uproar over its publication. Highly recommended
April 17, 2019
Book manages to educate as it tells the story through the eyes of its participants, and the action never flags. Highly recommended.
July 14, 2019
The Yiddishe Tom Clancy! Folks, it doesn't get more politically incorrect than this. So I loved it. Arab Nations gang up on Israel. Israel wins. Eventually.
June 10, 2019
I came to know of this book via Barbara Kay's opinion piece concerning the political pressure being exerted by the political right...with cries of "islamaphobia". The author's indie publisher bailed as a result of pressure applied, the author then self published with a sample on his web page and the full text available at a reasonable price on Amazon for Kindle version. I enjoyed the book, I found much more in the book that reflects current realities, and little to take exception to. Recommended to all.
September 16, 2019
More satire than geopolitical thriller. I bought the book at first to support the author in the ban the book shut down culture. It turns out to be a good read. It is quite tongue-in-cheek and very satirical on current events and the demonization of Israel and “the Jews”. The scenario he portrays is quite realistic and frightening. From there it gets comic and entertaining, but enough said without spoilers.
October 9, 2021
I read banned books.
June 30, 2025
I appear to be the first person to review this book (which was published in 2019) since Israel's 12-day war with Iran in June 2025. Due to these recent events, I view this overlooked book with an awed curiosity.
I want to be clear: This is not a masterpiece of prose, character, or plotting. The chapters are choppy, driving pace but ruining immersion in the story. The characters are often ridiculous caricatures. None of that matters, however, because this book is one of the most interesting books anyone will ever read. A thought-exercise on a what-if scenario: what-if Israel's Muslims neighbors gained the upper hand and succeeded in destroying the Jewish state of Israel?
If you think this premise ranges from far-fetched to pure propaganda, you're wrong, although we can never know just how close Israel was to facing the end. My own thoughts are: the end was closer than most think. Israel's neighbors have used violent exterminationist rhetoric since the very beginning, even before Israel became an independent state. I will bring the receipts:
- Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini (who met with Hitler inconjunction with their shared interest in the genocide of the Jews): "It is the duty of Muhammadans in general and Arabs in particular to… drive all Jews from Arab and Muhammadan countries.", and "Kill the Jews wherever you find them. This pleases God, history, and religion.”
- Azzam Pasha (Secretary-General of the Arab League): “It will be a war of annihilation. It will be a momentous massacre in history that will be talked about like the massacres of the Mongols or the Crusades.”
- Hassan al-Banna (founder of the Muslim Brotherhood): "If the Jewish state becomes a fact, and this is realized by the Arab peoples, they will drive the Jews who live in their midst into the sea."
- Gamal Abdel Nasser (president of Egypt): “We shall not enter Palestine with its soil covered in sand, we shall enter it with its soil saturated in blood.” and “Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel.”
- Yasser Arafat (leader of the PLO): "This agreement I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed between our prophet Muhammad and Quraysh." (referring to the Oslo Accords and hinting it was a temporary step before Arabs would massacre the Jews, which is what happened to the Qureishi tribe in the time of Muhammas)
- Hamas Charter (quoting hadith verbatim): “The Day of Judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews and kill them, when the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!”
- Hassan Nasrallah (leader of Hezbollah): “If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.”
- Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran): “Israel must be wiped off the face of the map.”
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran): “This barbaric, wolf-like & infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.”
There are many more such instances, and it would be take a audacious amount of twist to deny that full extermination was/is not their goal, especially in light of the Hamas death squads that invaded Israel on 10/7/23.
In this novel, it is explored what might happen if, true to their word, the enemies of Israel were able to surprise attack and crush the state of Israel. The genocidal actions of the Muslims is only half of the chilling portrait. The other half is the reaction of the rest of the civilized world to the realization that another 6 million Jews are about to be exterminated: ranging from cynical realpolitik, to indifference, to barely controlled glee.
As a result, Israelis make one last-ditch stand to fight back and, in a series of events that flash by, are able to turn the tables on their enemies.
In light of recent events, the author clearly got things backwards... In June 2025 Israel has taken its safety in its own hands and in a stunning display, turned the tables on its enemies, after 10/7 preemptively striking Hezbollah, Syria and Iran before they could strike themselves. But the impetus that drove them to that action is 100% the determination to never let a scenario such as the one depicted in "The Siege of Tel Aviv" to ever have a chance to occur.
I want to be clear: This is not a masterpiece of prose, character, or plotting. The chapters are choppy, driving pace but ruining immersion in the story. The characters are often ridiculous caricatures. None of that matters, however, because this book is one of the most interesting books anyone will ever read. A thought-exercise on a what-if scenario: what-if Israel's Muslims neighbors gained the upper hand and succeeded in destroying the Jewish state of Israel?
If you think this premise ranges from far-fetched to pure propaganda, you're wrong, although we can never know just how close Israel was to facing the end. My own thoughts are: the end was closer than most think. Israel's neighbors have used violent exterminationist rhetoric since the very beginning, even before Israel became an independent state. I will bring the receipts:
- Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini (who met with Hitler inconjunction with their shared interest in the genocide of the Jews): "It is the duty of Muhammadans in general and Arabs in particular to… drive all Jews from Arab and Muhammadan countries.", and "Kill the Jews wherever you find them. This pleases God, history, and religion.”
- Azzam Pasha (Secretary-General of the Arab League): “It will be a war of annihilation. It will be a momentous massacre in history that will be talked about like the massacres of the Mongols or the Crusades.”
- Hassan al-Banna (founder of the Muslim Brotherhood): "If the Jewish state becomes a fact, and this is realized by the Arab peoples, they will drive the Jews who live in their midst into the sea."
- Gamal Abdel Nasser (president of Egypt): “We shall not enter Palestine with its soil covered in sand, we shall enter it with its soil saturated in blood.” and “Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel.”
- Yasser Arafat (leader of the PLO): "This agreement I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed between our prophet Muhammad and Quraysh." (referring to the Oslo Accords and hinting it was a temporary step before Arabs would massacre the Jews, which is what happened to the Qureishi tribe in the time of Muhammas)
- Hamas Charter (quoting hadith verbatim): “The Day of Judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews and kill them, when the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!”
- Hassan Nasrallah (leader of Hezbollah): “If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.”
- Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran): “Israel must be wiped off the face of the map.”
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran): “This barbaric, wolf-like & infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.”
There are many more such instances, and it would be take a audacious amount of twist to deny that full extermination was/is not their goal, especially in light of the Hamas death squads that invaded Israel on 10/7/23.
In this novel, it is explored what might happen if, true to their word, the enemies of Israel were able to surprise attack and crush the state of Israel. The genocidal actions of the Muslims is only half of the chilling portrait. The other half is the reaction of the rest of the civilized world to the realization that another 6 million Jews are about to be exterminated: ranging from cynical realpolitik, to indifference, to barely controlled glee.
As a result, Israelis make one last-ditch stand to fight back and, in a series of events that flash by, are able to turn the tables on their enemies.
In light of recent events, the author clearly got things backwards... In June 2025 Israel has taken its safety in its own hands and in a stunning display, turned the tables on its enemies, after 10/7 preemptively striking Hezbollah, Syria and Iran before they could strike themselves. But the impetus that drove them to that action is 100% the determination to never let a scenario such as the one depicted in "The Siege of Tel Aviv" to ever have a chance to occur.
June 11, 2019
This book badly falls short of its hype. I don't know why it was dropped by its original publisher, but it might simply be an issue of quality.
The plot was predictable, the characters were one-dimensional, and the jingoism was overdone for my tastes. It reminded me of the few Tom Clancy novels I read. I wouldn't even say that it foretells how a real-life confrontation between Israel and its neighbours might play out - the portrayal of American and European indifference and anti-Semitic prejudice seems downright insulting to me.
The plot was predictable, the characters were one-dimensional, and the jingoism was overdone for my tastes. It reminded me of the few Tom Clancy novels I read. I wouldn't even say that it foretells how a real-life confrontation between Israel and its neighbours might play out - the portrayal of American and European indifference and anti-Semitic prejudice seems downright insulting to me.
November 21, 2020
A fun, action-packed read - I enjoyed it. Sometimes crosses over from plucky to kitschy. Some aspects were realistic (world indifference and arab hatred towards Israel), but some less so (1. likelihood of a coordinated and undetected surprise attack from arab armies - these countries are currently at best basket-case banana republics who cannot finance effective fighting forces; 2. likelihood of the initial disintegration of IDF capabilities - I assume that foreign intelligence is pervasive, bases are rigorously defended and many jets are always up in the air). Could have been longer.
September 5, 2022
I found this fictional recreation of a future Yom Kippur-like war in which the evil invading Iranians & Arabs are almost victorious, only to be defeated by the inventive machinations of an interim Israeli government( the former government having been wiped out) led by a successful industrialist & an Israeli gangster(now reformed), to be ludicrous, buffoonish, & only mildly entertaining. The representation of an equally cartoonish US President & his advisers did not add to this disappointing novel.
December 24, 2019
Riveting
I hesitated to read this book as the idea of an Israel overrun and destroyed by the Muslims is painful to even think about. But I'm glad I did. An exciting page Turner never lets up.
I hesitated to read this book as the idea of an Israel overrun and destroyed by the Muslims is painful to even think about. But I'm glad I did. An exciting page Turner never lets up.
December 11, 2021
Great military and political scenario
Creates a plausible crisis situation and weaves an exciting plot for our unlikely heroes to kick the arrogant, evil asses of the Persian Arab coalition.
Creates a plausible crisis situation and weaves an exciting plot for our unlikely heroes to kick the arrogant, evil asses of the Persian Arab coalition.
February 24, 2023
An entertaining and fast-paced story about an unthinkable war against the Jewish state.
The thing that puzzles me is that the original publisher withdrew the book.
There was nothing in it that was anti-Arab or anti-Islam. Indeed, at least one of the heroes is an Arab!
The thing that puzzles me is that the original publisher withdrew the book.
There was nothing in it that was anti-Arab or anti-Islam. Indeed, at least one of the heroes is an Arab!
November 27, 2019
I came in hoping for more of the military: strategy, tactics, courage, etc. On that I was disappointed. All the same, some fun stuff that made for a decent read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews