The Last Jihad is the opening installment of Joel Rosenberg’s series of novels set in the United States, Israel and around the Middle East. This book went to press before the war in Iraq began, so the story is set in a world where Saddam Hussein is still President of Iraq, although Osama bin Laden is dead, and al-Quaida has been completely decimated, as have many terrorist camps across the Middle East and North Africa. The War on Terror appears to over, having been won by James “Mac” McPherson, an American president whose success has made him very popular with the American people.
An attempt on McPherson’s life is discovered to be part of a series of terror attacks carried out simultaneously around the globe, targeting the leaders of the United States and its allies. Israeli agents uncover and thwart a plan to carry out a nuclear attack against Israel. All of the attacks are traced back to Saddam Hussein’s regime. The Israeli prime minister seeks to pressure the United States to “go nuclear” on Iraq, threatening that if the U.S. doesn’t do it, Israel will.
Jon Bennett, a close friend of President McPherson, is brought into the picture. Bennett is a Wall Street whiz kid working on a huge oil and natural gas deal which is set to bring great wealth to both the Israelis and Palestinians. Before entering politics, McPherson and Bennett had worked closely together on Wall Street. Now Bennett has been brought into his former boss’ inner circle as a senior economic advisor. And he and his partner, Erin McCoy, are now being asked to promote the Israeli/Palestinian oil and gas deal as a U.S. public policy move.
Rosenberg is a Jewish-born believer in Jesus Christ, and while The Last Jihad does exhibit some faith-based subplots, the central theme of this story is the terrorist threat against the United States and Israel. The Last Jihad was originally released by Forge Books, a secular publsher, in late 2002 followed by The Last Days. Tyndale House, a Christian publisher, released the third book (The Ezekiel Option) in 2005. The following year, Tyndale House released the next installment, The Copper Scroll) while also reissuing both The Last Jihad and The Last Days. Rosenberg concluded the series earlier this year with Dead Heat, released through Tyndale House.
Joel Rosenberg has crafted a gripping political thriller in the tradition of Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum. The Last Jihad would make an excellent movie. A screenwriter could just replace Iraq and Saddam Hussein with Iran and Mahmoud Ahmadiniejad, and this story could fit into the post-Saddam world. The Last Jihad is an excellent read, and I am looking forward to reading The Last Days.
Other books you might enjoy:
(Fiction)
Treason: Book One of Don Browns’s Navy Justice Series
Hostage: Book Two of Don Brown’s Navy Justice Series
(Non fiction)
What Every Christian Should Know About the Jewish People by Sheryl Young
Also of interest:
Author Spotlight: Kathy Tyers, Christian Sci-Fi Writer
