"Damascus Countdown" by Joel C. Rosenberg

When I saw the opportunity to participate in the early review of Joel C. Rosenberg's newest novel, Damascus Count I was was elated and grabbed at the opportunity.  Rosenberg is one of today's more exciting authors because he writes exciting stories based on timely matters and he is right on target with events.  It is almost as though he can see through the glass into what is about to happen.  So let's look at this newest book of his that is due for release March 2013.

ISBN: 978-1-4143-1970-4
Hardcover - $26.99
Pages: 480

About the book:  All eyes are on the Middle East. Israel has successfully launched a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads—and causing The Twelfth Imam to order a full-scale retaliation. US President William Jackson threatens to support a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression.

Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted information indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing missile strikes on Iran but also from the increasingly hostile and suspicious governments of multiple countries, David and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before disaster strikes.

My thoughts:  Damascus is known as probably the oldest continuously settled or occupied city in existence.  But is the clock ticking down? Are we now counting down the moments or days before the demise of Damascus or the world's demise?  In Damascus Countdown, Joel C. Rosenberg take us deep into Syria and Iran and among the heads of state both politically, militarily, and spiritually.  The Twelth Imam is foretold to be the "Messiah" of the Islamic faith and the one who will lead them into world dominion.

Just like the morning news reports of today, this story unfolds with tension over nuclear arms in Syria and Iran and those armaments being pointed at Israel. Joel Rosenberg is a recognized authority on the Middle East and also on Biblical understanding of that area.

In Damascus Countdown Mr. Rosenberg takes us through passages in Isaiah that point to the fate of Syria and Iran.  We see the story unfolding with a CIA deep cover operative and team leader, David Shirazi, alias Reza Tabrizi, who is also Iranian by birth.  The book begins with a bang and each page you turn brings scenes of intrigue, of explosive events, of political adversaries on both sides of the ocean, and of spiritual emboldenment by converts from Islam to Christianity.

If you're expecting a sweet little romance, this is not the book for you.  If you're expecting a feel-good story - even with a bit of adventure, this is not the book for you.  This book is long at 480 pages.  It is dramatic. It is intense.  It gives long interpretive discourses of Scripture.  But it is not boring. It is not dry.  It is not a "tear-jerker."  This book will capture your attention and hold it until you turn page 479.

In Rosenberg's fiction you will discover finely tuned and developed characters.  You will visualize the scenes he so aptly describes and almost feel the intensity the characters feel. And you will discover individuals who have willingly and joyfully counted the cost, and counted it very small indeed, to convert to Christianity.

Read an Excerpt!

About the author:  Joel C. Rosenberg is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels—The Last Jihad, The Last Days, The Ezekiel Option, The Copper Scroll, Dead Heat, The Twelfth Imam, and The Tehran Initiative—and five nonfiction books, Epicenter, Inside the Revolution, Implosion,Israel at War, and The Invested Life, with nearly 3 million copies sold. The Ezekiel Option received the Gold Medallion award as the "Best Novel of 2006" from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Joel is the producer of two documentary films based on his nonfiction books. He is also the founder of The Joshua Fund, a nonprofit educational and charitable organization to mobilize Christians to "bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus" with food, clothing, medical supplies, and other humanitarian relief.

As a communications advisor, Joel has worked with a number of U.S. and Israeli leaders, including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, Natan Sharansky, and Benjamin Netanyahu. As an author, he has been interviewed on hundreds of radio and TV programs, including ABC's Nightline, CNN Headline News, FOX News Channel, The History Channel, MSNBC, The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Sean Hannity Show, and The Glenn Beck Show. He has been profiled by the New York Times, the Washington Times, the Jerusalem Post, and World magazine. He has addressed audiences all over the world, including those in Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, and the Philippines. He has also spoken at the White House, the Pentagon, and to members of Congress.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Blog Network on behalf of the publisher and author in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. i received no compensation for this review.