The Fist of God: A Novel

There is a reason why so many other reviewers rave about this book. Just like his earlier works, from "The Day of the Jackal"' to "The Devil's Alternative", he keeps the reader turning the pages. Even though we know going in that Iraq loses in the end, it is an incredibly compelling story. It may be Forsyth's best read ever. F. Forsyth is a master of suspense novels, taking factual bases and turning them into riveting stories. This is as great as any of his earlier works. The plot twists are stunning.His research is the equal of Tom Clancy's. His writing style is so much tighter, and there does not seem to be a single wasted word. If you have an early morning meeting, or something else that must be done, DO NOT start this book.

I don't normally read spy thrillers of this type, and this was the first of Forsyth's books I've read, but I loved it! I grabbed this book from my husband one day when I was bored, and was drawn in immediately by the tense prose and gripping plotline. I won't give a synopsis, you can get that above. But I will say I read this almost straight through from start to finish.No one seems to know how much of this novel is really true, and in the end, that doesn't matter, because it's writen so well that it might as well be true. The plot is crafted around a war that really happened, and the author spoke with those who had taken part in the war, giving his work an authenticity hard to match. If you're looking for an intelligent novel of this genre, then this one is hard to beat. Don't hesitate!

I've been reading a few of Forsyth novel such as 'The days of the Jackal', Odessa File and Dogs of war. But this one has to be my favourite. Being a former military man myself, it really interest me how accurate and knowledgable the author was on the military intricate strategy in mass desert warfare which are made up of alot of separate operations which have the same objective...to make sure the fist of god was never operational. There was really no hard concrete evidence it exist, but there was also no hard concrete evidence that it didn't. As the saying goes 'Absence of evidence, is not evident of absence. I watch and observed the gulf war event with great interest and as much as possible with out prejudice and bias to any side. This book does bring the other (fictionally ?)missing puzzel which make up the bigger picture of how the conflict was negotiated with extreme prejucide. On the books, the character build up of the key people in the novel was most impressive, giving the reader an almost sympathetic attachement with the character along the journey of the story. The author's ability to tie in all the individual character to one plot in the end, produces an adrenalin climax and a good closure. Highly recommended to those who missed the actions, you know who you are.

Frederick Forsyth has for a long time been the hand that has penned some of the greatest espionage thrillers ever written. But with the Fist of God, he definitely defines himself as the master of his craft. He weaves fact with his own fiction so deftly that you never know whether the Gulf War might actually have been the way it was in his book. The escapades of Mike Martin will keep you turning the pages right until the end, a brilliant climax of the best literary tension blended with credible action. A definite read for all Forsyth fans.