A power-hungry vice president uses a tragic terror attack to launch a 21st century crusade in this provocative political thriller. On May 1, 2001, a group of radical Islamic terrorists crash a Boeing 737 into the Mall of America. The attack kills three thousand Americans and throws the entire nation into panic. But amid the shock and tragedy, Vice President Robert Hornsby sees opportunity. … Hornsby sees opportunity. This is his chance to enforce his fanatical values on the country he loves.
With the aid of an ineffectual president, a reluctant secretary of defense, and a preening faith leader with more than a few secrets, Hornsby declares war on terror–and anyone who stands in his way. But as media scrutiny intensifies, Hornby’s one-man campaign against evil begins to unravel. And the entire nation careens toward another deadly tragedy.
The American Crusade paints a grim picture of twenty first-century America, with surprising echoes of the thirteenth-century’s doomed Fourth Crusade. By sampling the contemporaneous French text, On the Conquest of Constantinople, author Mark Spivak reminds us of that ever-vital adage: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
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In terms of political thrillers, The American Crusade is a pretty good one. Mark Spivak does quite the job of crafting a what will come next thriller with terrific characters and a steady pacing to keep those pages turning. I think I enjoyed figuring out who the characters represented almost as much as the thrill of the story. Admittedly, I don’t read many political thrillers, but every once in awhile one grabs my attention. This is one such book, and I have to say that I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys the genre. The book is well-written, the story is gritty and gripping, and it is most certainly well worth the read.
May 2001. Islamic terrorists crash a Boeing 737 into the Mall of America, killing three thousand people. With the nation in fear for their lives, Vice President Robert Hornsby has the opportunity to stamp his fervent beliefs on his country and become the most powerful vice president in American history. But can Hornsby succeed in his war on terror, under the glare of the media, or will his plan collapse around him?
With its stark similarities to 9/11, Mark Spivak takes a grim look at America’s recent past, revealing the thoughts, opinions and fears around a terrifying attack on the American people. Given the premise, I expected this book to be a fascinating and thrilling read, but after an interesting start, I found the constant inclusion of long, boring speeches (mainly by the President) totally ruined my enjoyment.
Spivak is certainly a talented writer, but any book that produces a desire in the reader to skip over long passages, cannot hope to hold that reader’s attention for long. And while the message of the book is a thought-provoking and serious one, reaching the end left me feeling nothing but relief.
No doubt some folk will find this a fascinating read, but any book, even one with a serious and vital topic at its heart, still has to draw the reader in. And this one didn’t.
Neither politics nor thrillers are necessarily my favorite genre and when I began to read my first thought was “oh no, not another 9/11”. But I didn’t have the same thoughts by the time I’d finished the book. Being extremely cynical myself, I loved the spoofs, the obvious fun-making of politicians in this book. I spent time trying to figure out who was “whom” because while all of the names are fictitious, most mimic a prominent figure in our past or previous government. The same is true of events. While somewhat masked, most could be likened to some well-known trauma in our past. While I have said I was cynical there were also hidden plots that I so hoped were not based on anything true. I don’t want to be fooled too much and Spivak’s book did leave you wondering what might be fiction and what might not. An enjoyable read.
This book was so frighteningly real, almost like I was there (while reading). The story was excellent and paralleled what we remember as 9/11 and everything related to it…the political figures, places, situations…only the names were changed however the characters are easily identifiable for who they really are (were?). The historical accuracy was uncanny being read from the standpoint of someone that was actually there in the Gulf during this time of crisis; Osama Bin Laden, the Clintons and the entire cast of shady characters as well as those trying to do the right thing based on inaccurate intelligence. All in all, a page-turner. This is a political thriller at its best. I received a complimentary copy of this book and this review is my unsolicited, honest opinion.