All of these novels should be required reading in high schools or before you go vote. These are great political thrillers. With some very great twist and on the edge of your seat moments. His predictions were right on with some incidents that actually came true after he wrote these books. What great insight! All of his series are a must read, must hear cds, but a must.

What can I say about this Joel Rosenberg's book that has not been said about any of his other books. But I must say that he has written may great books including this one. You must read the entire series from beginning to end. Do yourself a favor, read the books in order. I made the mistake of reading the last book first, it was a mistake but still, I am will read all of the books in order including the last book again.

This was a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat page-turner from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down and finished it in two days. Can't wait to read the others in the series. You won't go wrong reading this!!!! Full of political intrigue and interesting info.

The book was good and a nice sequel to The Last Jihad. The audio version was better than the Last Jihad, but not quite as good as the Copper Scroll. But overall a suspense filled book that will keep you engaged and anxious for each event as they unroll in this, "The Last Days".

Have Not started this one, but after reading the 3 previous works, I feel that this one will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Last Days (Political Thrillers Series #2)

This is a must read! Americans are in denial about what is happening in the world. We must have a world view in order to make good decisions for this country. Before you vote this year read this book!!!!!

Exactly what I expected ...hard to put down right to the end...The same thrilling writing I experienced in Joel's other books

This was an absolutely great book! I highly recommend it. It will give one insights into the participants in the Middle East crisis, both Israeli and Palestini. There is a great deal of the history of the region which explains why they feel the way they do. And on top of all this, there is a great plot!! What more could one ask for?

This is a wonderful series. I'm in book 3, "The Ezekiel Option", now and as always can't put it down. I recommend anything by Joel C. Rosenberg!

So I continue my love of this series with this book. I only gave this one 4 stars because there were times where Joel would explain certain things in the story and it would REALLY slow down. I understand why but still... OK OK OK, I would give 4.5 stars because this was a non-stop (pretty much) thrill ride from start to "finish".

Now about the fact/fiction debate. To me it's not a debate at all! There is evil in this world and it needs to be exterminated! Period! Joel paints an all too real story about the United States, her allies, and her enemies. Awesome read for anyone and just not for those of us who are on "this side".

If you, like me, are hungry for an intelligent, sophisticated, plausible political thriller that is almost TOO believable, but best of all is a journey made by an unbeliever in search of that elusive "thing" his believing friends share (forgive the run on sentence!) then this second novel by Joel C. Rosenberg is for you. There is a huge problem, though. It is near impossible to tear yourself away from it. The action and excitement is so rapid-paced, there is hardly a place to put your book mark and go to sleep at night! This novel takes up where "The Last Jihad," Mr. Rosenberg's first novel,leaves off. I'm happy to say, there are several to follow, each a continuation of the previous. You visit many countries, step inside the Situation Room with the President, listen in on his conversations with Israel's leadership as they deal with terrorists among us, ride along on covert ops the likes of which we can only imagine, and watch world events careen out of control in a manner that is so close to events we are living that you wonder just what Rosenberg knows that we don't! You won't be sorry you got hooked on these books, and you will ask the main character, Jon Barrett...."Why can't you make that step of faith? Get on with it!" It isn't preachy, it's just real...and it could help you make that last step yourself! Happy reading!

This is a great book, grags your attention and holds it to the end! Well written, great content, exciting.

The Last Days is a must read. A fast paced book that has you wanting more every page. You cannot put it down.

Rarely do you get a better sequel than this its brilliant. I love this genre of book and if you do too then try Soft Target by Conrad Jones its fantastic and will rock your concept of Islamic extremism to its core...both great try them !!!

Enjoyed this book a lot. Very suspenseful. A very good follow-up to The Last Jihad.

Current day political, suspense and a dose of religion book. Interesting series. I enjoyed it.

This will open your eyes, entertain you, and hopefully spur you onto a deeper relationship with our Savior!

This book is amazingly on-track with current affairs and technology. It is action-packed in a Clancey-esque style. Laced throughout the storyline is a blooming romance for those who like the softer side. The development of a spiritual comprehension and conversion in a man who lived only for money is subtle and invites readers to think about such matters. The only detractor I found was the author's detailing of modern weaponry, military forces and strategies. When the action is going at a fast pace, I don't like to be slowed down to understand the technicalities that make this book so authentic.

The author seems to have finger on the pulse of world events. An excellent read. So many things in the book have happened that it's premise is hard to ignore

I love all the Joel Rosenberg books! Great reading, interesting, thought-provoking, and suspenseful. Makes you wonder...

wonderful book. It is like you are there with the characters. Face paced. hard to put down.

Wow!!! couldn't put this one down, better than the Last Jihad. This guy is able to weave non-fiction and ficton and devise wonderful plots leading to awesome endings.

I will read everything he publishes. Great writer.

I ordered and read the first book in the series, the Last Jihad, and had to wait an agonizing week to get this book, The Last Days. I was smart and actually ordered all the other along with it so I could quickly go from cliffhanger ending to cliffhanger ending!

I could not put the book down! I finished it in less than 2 days (and thats quick for a busy stay at home mom)! The way Joel Rosenberg writes this book, you get entangled into the events and the lives of the characters. It's a very smartly written book and i highly recommend it to anyone...ESPECIALLY if you are a Christian or a student of Biblical prophecy. EVEN IF YOU AREN"T this book will be highly entertaining and it's well worth the time to read it!

Everything good you've read and heard about this novel is true. Forget trying to get anything else done until you finish it! Great story line!

Joel Rosenberg takes his depth of knowledge of the bible, and in particular books Isiah, Daniel and Revelation, and lays out a very plausible sequence of events that you may ultimately read in the news headlines someday. Gripping.

I started reading Rosenberg's Ezekiah Code first, so I am reading in reverse order. But, I have really enjoy both of these books. Last Days is an action packed work of fiction with a realistic background of history, politics and religion. I highly recommend it.

I have now read five books by Joel Rosenberg and loved every one of them. He is more current than the nightly news broadcasts. Perhaps the politicians in Washington should follow his lead!!

My family enjoyed the plot lines and the Biblical connections that came about from time to time. I originally bought all of Joel's books (5) on audio cds so we could listen to during drive times in the car. I wanted my family to hear some background and achieve another level of understanding with regards to Iraq, Iran, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, the European Union, Israel, and the prophetic possibilties in the Holy Scriptures we call the Bible. We want them to understand why things are happening/playing out the way they are, and why which parties are involved.

Joel's books do this, giving you ideas of possible scenarios with regards to actual Biblical Prophecy. HOWEVER, as soon as we finish each audiobook, we will throw them away. Why? Brother Joel obviously is using the flawed undertaking that in order to reach the "lost" in the world (i.e. non-Believers), we need to put a little sin into something Biblical in order to make it palatible. Sadly, he ignores the Bible's direct explanations that a little leaven leavens the whole loaf. For years we've watched people fall out of the God of Israel's Holiness and play fake Christianity because they were "brought into the fold" by mixed modes of worldy/secular verions of Christianity. People are brought into the fold with a little leaven, and they live their "faith" out with leaven continually existing in various areas of their lives, having no problem with the sins, having no desire to be set-apart/kadosh/holy. Everybody's a Christian, just as long as they profess to be.... The violent content is a bit too discriptive at times for entertainment, though not unthinkable. FREQUENT use of the "hell" swear-word-fashion is quite uncomfortable. Finally, taking the use of "God" as slang term and in emphasis mode for emotive moments that obviously don't involve talking TO or ABOUT God Himself, is unnerving. "Hell" and "God" are used in completely unBiblical manners. Sometimes you'll "hear" both a professing Believer as WELL AS a non-Believer using these terms. Neither is acceptable in books written by Believers. I was quite embarased when it began happening over and over, and so was my family when we heard these books on audio cds. Un-charateristic for a Godly-man, such as Brother Joel professes to be.

Don't buy...violence and swearing/slang/blasphemy are frequent or inappropriate.

this book is as good as all the rest in that series from that Author,
I recommend it.

I loved the fast ride of The Last Jihad. Problem with The Last Days is that it's a longer book... well, that in itself isn't the problem. I suspect the The Last days is a good 50% longer than The Last Jihad, but the problem is the extra space is filled up with more of the good but boring political detail. To be sure, there are some phenomenal moments that read like I was watching events on the big screen, but I wish the weight of the content matched that of the excellent "Last Jihad"... we shall see shortly what "The Ezekiel Option" brings us.

This is a sequel to 'The Last Jihad'. I recommend both books, but they should be read in order and this is the second one.

Rosenberg again wrote a fast paced thriller with an interesting plot and lots of twists. The story also contains a very creative plan for Middle East peace that makes the story very unique. Although the resources may not actually be present to make it happen like they are in the book, one can at least appreciate some of the ideas presented.

One area that he could use some improvement is in research to make the details more accurate. The author obviously isn't familiar with firearms as he talks about a .357 magnum having a safety and reloading it with a clip. As a revolver, this type of pistol doesn't have a safety. Additionally, revolvers don't use clips. One other mistake was in describing a fire in a building, he talked about it providing enough light to see by. When a building is on fire, it is not light inside. It is extremely dark as the smoke prevents one from seeing much of anything.

As this was written two years ago, it also contains some items that have occurred differently than are in the story. That is no fault of the author. The reader just needs to realize when the book was written that Rosenberg was portraying future events. For example, both Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden are dead at the beginning of this book. As we all know, Saddam is in prison and Bin Laden is hiding like the coward that he is.

In addition to a great story line, Rosenberg makes some great points that readers would do well to ponder. In one place, he has the former head of Mossad telling the 'hero' of the story, Jon Bennett, that 'the problem with you Americans is that you don't believe in evil'. He goes on to explain that he believes that 'evil forces make evil men do evil things'. He explains that this awareness of evil missing from the American perspective causes problems for us. He said that because of this, the people at the FBI and CIA, 'and definitely the guys at State - don't properly anticipate horrible, catastrophic events because you don't really believe in the presence of evil ...' He goes on to cite some specific events to support this contention.

After his lesson from the Israeli, Bennett realizes that he is right. He realized that in regard to suicide bombers and other terrorists 'weren't misguided or misunderstood. They were controlled by evil. Pure evil. And evil couldn't be negotiated with. It could only be hunted down, captured, or destroyed.' There are some lessons in this novel that would be helpful for many in our nation to learn.

Bennett is certainly an unlikely and really unrealistic hero. The investment banker turned into an action hero with no training could use some work. Regardless of that and other minor imperfections, Rosenberg has again written a terrific novel. I look forward to his next one.

Rosenberg quickly moves along this novel about attempting to find peace between Israel and the Palestinians. There are lot's of moments where the good guys are fighting the terrorists that seem just startling real. Almost as though the reader was accompanying Oliver North on secret missions. The chief character is Jon Bennett,a Wall street strategist recruited to be a senior advisor to the President. Bennett just seems to me not to be a believable hero. At least not to the degree he is in this book. The plot,while in general, quite exciting seems to bog down with the details of the peace plan. Still, plenty of excitement!!

Well, I too, dislike inaccuracy, and Rosenberg should do much better research... The Navy has no sergeants. The Seahawk (or the Blackhawk, at that) has no "yoke"... etc., etc., etc. So at that level, he gets one star... On the other hand: FINALLY A BOOK YOU COULD LET A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD READ!!! (Well, assuming you warn the 13-year-old in advance about the inaccuracies). No unnecessary sex scenes, no anti-military trash ... I wonder, how could the editors let this slip by?...

I wholeheartedly agree with the review of Scott Gaines below. It's very difficult to stay 'in the book' when you are slapped into the now with such glaring technical errors. If weapons and tactics are going to play a large role in a novel it doesn't take much to do at least some basic research. Rosenberg profusely thanks (name dropping?) a lot of helpful folks at the beginning of the book but I noticed none of them had any experience at the 'blood and guts' level he wants us to think is being experienced by major players in peril.

Rosenberg comes across as patronizing his fiction fans. He must have thought that his experience writing non-fiction automatically translates to good fiction. Readers of Clancy, Coonts, Dale Brown, et al will sneer at Rosenberg's naïveté in this realm. Only two stars because I found myself rushing to get through it so I would have time left to read a good book.

When I read a thriller I expect certain things. Paramount is accuracy. While the first book, The Last Jihad, seemed to have very little in the way of technical errors, The Last Days just abound with them, and they detract from the story, such as it is.

There are plot gimmicks that are cheats. In one instance the author gets his hero into a life or death situation with no way out. Then, shades of "Dallas", Bennet, the hero wakens to find it was all a dream. Later in the book when Mr. Rosenberg had evidently figured out how to extricate everybody, the same sequence is used, but with a happier ending.

Technical errors are glaring. In what is a favorite of writers who don't do their research, Mr. Rosenberg has his hero taking off the safety on a .357 magnum pistol. A revolver? With a safety! As a side note, that little push lever is what you use to swing out the cylinder on a revolver in order to reload it. Later we have "clips" being used to reload this same revolver. For the record, even with a semi-automatic pistol, the item that holds the ammunition is called a magazine. A clip is used for rifles, and not pistols. This shows poor research.

In another scene we have one of the characters taking the "safety" off of a Glock semi-auto pistol. The Glock pistol, in all of its iterations, does not have a safety. That little lever is what is used to take apart the pistol for cleaning. The only Glock that uses anything else has a lever that switches it from semi-auto to full automatic fire, but no safety. Again poor research.

One scene has the main characters being rescued by Seahawk helicopters from the Gaza Strip area and taken to the USS Reagan off the coast of Israel. Bennet, the main character, hopes they won't fall into the Atlantic Ocean when they land on the carrier. The ATLANTIC ocean??? That must be some Seahawk to make it from Israel to the Atlantic. Just poor research.

There is an ongoing plot device that uses continuous rainstorms blanketing the entire area from the Straits of Gibraltar to Israel. These storms of course interfere with rescue attempts and flight operations, but only for the good guys. Evidently the bad guys can launch aircraft in any weather and simply fly around it. This is reminiscent of the old Star Trek episodes when Scotty couldn't beam them up due to "ion" storms or somesuch.

The entire operation, and I won't give it away in case you decide to punish yourself and actually buy this trash, is run by the president of the US. From Washington D.C. We have FBI agents calling the president to get approval on basic tasks. While micro-management does happen, this book thrives on it. No one, from the FBI director to any military leaders to anyone else can make any decision, no matter how trivial, without the direct intervention of the president. I suppose this was supposed to make the McPherson presidential character appear to be in charge, but what happens is it makes everyone else appear to be incompetent, and the president doubly so since he appointed the leader.

Unless you're a glutton for poorly researched novels, don't bother with this one. Don't waste your money.

The book was very slow, only really keeping my attention the last few chapters. The description sounded like it would be action packed, but just moved very slow. Should have put as much effort into the entire book as he did the final chapters.

A thoroughly engrossing political, military, and terrorist novel about what would happen in the Middle East in the event
of the murder of Arafat, by one of his own henchmen. The ensuing power struggle, and civil war for leadership of the terrorist organization, not unlike a Mafia power struggle, leaves you stunned, and gasping for breath.( In my opinion, I would have let them kill each other off, then we be done with them, once and for all!)
A Peace Plan between Isreal, and Palastine to drill for oil, making citizens of both parties wealthy? Sorry, it wouldn't happen. Terrorist are too hate driven to allow any peace plan to work. Arafat has been offered land more than once, and he refused it, because his, and most of militant Islam's whole purpose isn't to get their own land, but the deaths, and destruction of Isrealis, Christians, and everyone else they consider "Infidels".
The book gives you insight into the Isreali Palastinian(Philistine) problems, and is a lot of fun to read! Better in many ways than the first book "The Last Jihad".

The Last Days is the sequel to The Last Jihad. In the previous volume, an alternate timeline unfolds where Saddam Hussein has bought nuclear weapons from Russia and other sources. When his various plots against the US and Israel have been frustrated, he unveiled his nuclear tipped ICBM, which was hidden within a children's hospital building. As the Iraqis prep the missile for firing on New York City, the US President reluctantly authorized use of tactical nukes against Baghdad to prevent the missile launch. The center of the city disappeared in fire and smoke.

In this novel, Jon Bennett returns to the Holy Land with a US diplomatic team headed by Tucker Paine, the Secretary of State. As they arrive at the Palestinian Authority compound, Yasser Arafat is rolled out in a wheelchair to meet them. The man pushing the chair is the head of Arafat's security, but he detonates an explosive vest that kills Arafat and others around him, including Tucker Paine.

Immediately after the explosion, someone starts firing on the diplomatic convey from across the road. Others start firing from the PA building. Bennett keeps his head down, but it soon becomes obvious that they have to get out of the compound and back to Israeli territory. He climbs behind the wheel of the armored limo, gets everybody left alive back inside, and drives furiously out of the compound and down the road, with Palestinian vehicles chasing him.

Bennett and the other survivors are cut off from the Israelis, but find shelter is a top secret safehouse in an old gutted-out hotel in the Gaza Strip. From there, they contact other US forces in the area and plan an escape. However, severe weather has grounded all aircraft in the area, precluding any rescue until the storm abates.

This story continues the mission to unite the Palestinians and Israelis in a venture to develop trillions of dollars worth of gas and oil into a joint treasure. The death of Yasser Arafat was intended as a setback to this plan, but the self-immolation of the Palestinians militants after his death convinces Palestinian moderates to try another approach. The Palestinian Council selects Ibrahim Sa'id as prime minister. Since Ibrahim is the partner with Dmitri Galishnikov in the Palestinian Petroleum Group that is promoting the gas and oil venture, this is good news to the US. Unfortunately, Ibrahim is also hidden away in the Gaza safehouse with Bennett's party and surrounded by hostile mobs.

Meanwhile, the terrorist organization that has been trying to kill Bennett, and has successfully assassinated Arafat, is searching for the whereabouts of Bennett's party. Contacts throughout the Mediterranean have been alerted to watch for them. Airplanes and boats have been obtained and some special arrangements have been made with Libya. When Bennett and company are found, they are going to find themselves in a small war.

Highly recommended for Rosenberg fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of desperate ventures to defeat evil men in order to solve world problems.

Paul Bedard, U.S. News & World Report (November 3, 2003) "Washington Whispers: Modern Nostradamus -- It's getting a little weird being Joel Rosenberg, the New York Times bestseller of terrorism thrillers and speechwriter in Steve Forbes's 2000 presidential campaign. First, he wrote The Last Jihad about a terrorist's kamikaze attack on a U.S. city and the subsequent hunt for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. That was well before 9/11. Now he has written The Last Days, which opens with a Palestinian attack on a U.S. convoy, just like what happened a few weeks back. And look out, Yasser Arafat: Rosenberg offs you on Page 28. 'People,' said Rosenberg, 'are starting to think these books are ripped from tomorrow's headlines.'"

The Last Days by Joel C. Rosenberg is a rip-roaring, heart-pounding, page-turning, high-octane geopolitical adventure. Anyone out of shape should have oxygen nearby; the action never stops from the first sentence to the last. How's this for starters? The year is 2010. The U.S. secretary of state goes to visit an aging, yet still-potent, Yasser Arafat in the Gaza Strip in order to unveil a bold, out-of-the-box peace plan "that could offer unprecedented riches for every Muslim, Christian, and Jew in Israel and Palestine." His reward: Arafat's chief of security suicide-bombs the meeting, killing the secretary, Arafat and scores of others. The surviving American delegation finds itself under attack. This is no isolated assault. Soon all the Palestinian territories are engulfed in civil war; Israel is hit by waves of suicide attacks; and terrorists are about to launch numerous, murderous assaults on U.S. territory.

So many complications would seem to block any path to peace. Enter presidential envoy extraordinaire Jon Bennett, assisted by Bondesque beauty-with-bountiful-brains Erin McCoy. Together they work to bring about ultrasecret negotiations between the Israeli prime minister and the new Palestinian prime minister for the mother of all peace agreements. Upping the ante, Bennett's mother is suddenly discovered missing from her Florida apartment, apparently kidnapped by terrorists.

Rosenberg's first novel, The Last Jihad, was a national bestseller. Critics wondered if he was a one-book wonder. The Last Days decisively answers that--there will be many more of Rosenberg's riveting reads. (review appeared in FORBES magazine, December 9, 2003)

Tom Clancy rocks.

There, I just had to get that off my chest. And now you know my secret --- that even though I could be called a snob when it comes to fiction, I have a soft spot for fast-paced global political thrillers in which Americans are always the good guys. It's my own form of escapism.

That's why when I read that Joel C. Rosenberg's latest book was "Clancyesque" it was a good omen in my eyes. Indeed, THE LAST DAYS, the bestselling sequel to the bestselling THE LAST JIHAD, is a breathless geopolitical roller coaster ride. It follows on the heels of THE LAST JIHAD's war on terrorism plotline to focus on the potential for peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors.

The cast of characters is familiar to readers of THE LAST JIHAD and Jon Bennett, Wall Street strategist come senior White House advisor, takes the lead as the architect of a plan for peace between Israel and Palestine. Its basis? Vast oil reserves found in the region stand to make every Palestinian and Israeli man, woman and child wealthy beyond their dreams if they can just learn to work together.

Assassinations and attempted assassinations ensue. A Palestinian civil war breaks out and several shadowy groups with their own interests do their best to wreak havoc with attacks on sensitive locals such as the Dome of the Rock and Washington D.C. Admittedly, for reasons I'll talk about in a moment, I wanted to put this book down. But I couldn't. I was hooked and had to know what would happen next. Perhaps my biggest endorsement of the book would be the fact that I stayed up until 3AM to finish it.

One of the ways Rosenberg creates the narrative vortex that sucks you in is by warping the timeline and populating his story with real people in imaginary places. As the story opens the war in Iraq has just ended. Saddam Hussein is dead. His sons are dead. And the year is 2010. Huh? Didn't most of this just happen a few months ago? You don't even realize that it's 2010 until later on in the story. By then you're also scratching your head at the appearances of Abu Mazen as prime minister of Palestine. In the real world Mazen relinquished the role several months ago in 2003. And while the president in 2010 is the imagined James MacPherson, references to the real President George W. Bush, officials in his current administration and their policies also add to a sense of reality that is slightly askew. I'll warn you: for a few days after reading THE LAST DAYS the stuff of the nightly news will seem so seven years ago.

The reason I wanted to put the book down stems from what I perceived as Rosenberg's conservative political agenda. As a sometimes-conservative evangelical Christian with Jewish roots, I share a lot of the affections of the author. I like democracy. I like Israel. At the same time, I'm generally critical of those who use fiction to make a point that could be made more honestly in a nonfiction arena.

The tip-off to me that this might be the case with THE LAST DAYS is its cellophane-thin characters, the most offending of whom is Jon Bennett's bodyguard and romantic foil Erin McCoy, an "Uzi-toting, Arabic-speaking CIA supermodel." Please. The characters are at their strongest when they're engaged in action --- running through rat-infested sewers or trying to escape the Rock of Gibraltar --- which, thankfully, is the bulk of the book.

Dialogue is a weakness. When the characters start talking about the issues or where extended attention is given to their inner thoughts, everyone is the straw man for Rosenberg's ideas and perspective. In contrast Tom Clancy, conservative though he may be, has a habit of creating rich characters with minds of their own. Neither author writes what I would consider life-changing fiction, but Clancy is the more honest storyteller. Having said this, I think Rosenberg is consciously trying to represent perspectives other than his own --- this is admirable --- and shares with Clancy the ability to keep the reader engaged.

THE LAST DAYS benefits greatly from the author's intimate knowledge of the Middle East and his understanding of the competing interests in the region and the Washington D.C. political machine. His vision of the potential for peace in the near future in the Holy Land is intriguing. And while I think that the thin substance of the story is better suited for a two-hour movie (one I would go see), the larger time investment required to read this book won't detour many from burning the midnight oil to see what happens next.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel

The Last Jihad was so heart-pounding and sensational, I couldn't wait to pick up The Last Days. I had a little fear that the story wouldn't or couldn't live up to the first one, but I was not disappointed by Rosenberg's latest effort.

Clearly, this man is a qualified expert when it comes to assessing the geopolitical nature of the Middle East. He also is a classic Washington insider and a expert on military affairs. That being said, this book is tight and concise and avoids boring the reader with technical or policy minutiae. It is a heart-pounding thriller of the first rate.

One of the problems readers often have with fiction is that at times the scenarios are unrealistic. But, what critics of Rosenberg and others must understand is that this is fiction, a work of art. Moreover, I would argue that the Last Days is not terribly out of this world. He properly describes the Middle East as the powder keg it is and he drops the matches that ignite this historic region into near world war.

There is a drawback to the Last Days in that it can't really decide which era it wishes to be in--2003 or 2010. Seven years from now, pop culture, technology, and politics will look much different and it seems that Rosenberg likes to launch into this unknown future, but leave the 2003 time warp. I also thougth the book was weak on guaging public and press opinion. It seemed as though the notoriously liberal American media and notoriously fickle American public gave President MacPherson a blank check to reshape the world. But, those are minor quibbles that any reader will find with any piece of great fiction.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is Rosenberg's subtle Christian message, that approaches Jesus first from the logical viewpoint of a Israeli security chief (check the sources!), and then from the emotional need. Rosenberg doesn't preach a sermon, it is displayed in the everyday lives of its Christian characters.

The Last Days, like the Last Jihad, is a heart-pounding thrill ride into a very possible future scenario. Rosenberg's plots not only will make this book a must-have, it will set the gears of your mind thinking of "what-ifs" and "who knows?".

Clearly, this talented journalist and storyteller will educated and inform you about the complicated world in which we live. Make this one of your brand-new reads this year.

I read "The Last Days" right after reading "The Last Jihad". "TLD" picks up where "Jihad" leaves off, 3 weeks later. It is as action packed as its predecessor from start to finish. If you're into political intrigue and action, these two books are pretty good. My only concerns with "TLD" were that it takes place in 2010,giving the Bush administration a second term (most likely, anyway). The problem with setting it so far in the future is that you are stuck with a 2003 perspective. For example, references to things like Britney Spears (I'd like to imagine a world without a Britney Spears career in 2010, thank you very much) rob the writer and reader of any foresight. Siting a list of historical examples constrains the writer to only those examples up to 2003, seven years before the action in the book takes place. How many of us site historical examples only up until 1996? The Christian perspective is kicked up a notch in this book as compared to the last one, which is fine because it doesn't preach in a heavy handed way, yet still gets the message across.

"The Last Days" is an excellent adventure read and I look forward to Mr. Rosenberg's next effort.

As was true in The Last Jihad, The Last Days, its sequel, is filled with exciting, suspenseful non-stop action. The plot is based on Jon Bennett's attempt to implement the Arab-Israeli peace plan, of which he is the chief architect. While reading this book I felt like I was on a treadmill that was out of control -- going faster and faster the longer I stayed on. While character development isn't Rosenberg's strong suit and some of his dialogue is at times a bit corny, these deficiencies are mostly overcome by his ability to create a very suspenseful and realistic plot -- a plot that is all too plausible and one that I hope we only have to deal with in fiction. Once you start The Last Days be prepared to change your plans for the next few days because you won't want to put this book down.

Jon Bennett and his bodyguard Erin McCoy attend a historical
summit that is also attended by the U.S. Secretary of State and Yasser Arafat. The Palestinian security becomes a suicide bomber
killing the Secretary of State as well as Arafat. A civil war
breaks out among various faction who want to replace Arafat.Our
hero Bennett and McCoy and their delegation have to find a way out of the west bank.You have two villains,a Russian Gogolov and an Iranian,Jibril who are the masterminds behind all of the plans
of evil.The evil planners have decided to dispatch suicide bomber
squads to the United States.Bennett and McCoy finally escape but
face an attack from terrorist forces bent on their demise.There
is never a dull moment in this book.You will definitely find this
book hard to put down.I hope Joel C. Rosenberg writes more books.
His first two have been outstanding.

It seems like people are always referring to this guy as a new Tom Clancy. I don't understand it. Clancy has his literary faults, but is a MUCH better writer than this guy, and it's pretty simple to break down why. Rosenberg's characters are paper-thin, and the plot, dialogue etc. is all pretty amateurish. I will say it keeps you reading, but only because you know it's a quick read and the pain won't last long.

I did read Last Jihad, and I thought it had all the same problems, and I think part of the reason is all the political assertion. I've always found Tom Clancy (and I am--or was--a big Clancy fan, read almost all his books) to be hard to figure out ideologically, and to me this is a positive--I don't want to feel like someone is trying to propagandize if I'm reading a dang novel. Clancy just gives you a story that seems very real (and super-entertaining). With all the shots Rosenberg has a tendency to drop in, and the leaps of imagination that seem extremely close-aligned with a certain political frame of mind, it reminds me of loudmouth, dopey pundits. So not only is it a poorly written piece of junk, but, like many pundits, makes me want to yell "shut up, quit yer bellyaching, go back to the Beltway" repeatedly. You wouldn't want Bill O'Reilly at your kid's soccer game, would ya? Or Michael Moore at the dinner table??

The year is 2010. Osama Bin-Laden and Saddam Hussein are dead. Al Qaeda and the Taliban have been neutralized. However, the war on terror is far from over in Joel Rosenberg's new political thriller, "The Last Days," a sequel to the author's successful debut novel, "The Last Jihad." Most of the characters who survived the carnage in the earlier book are back, including Jonathan Bennett and Erin McCoy. Bennett is a tremendously successful Wall Street strategist who gave up the good life to join the staff of his old friend, James MacPherson, the President of the United States. Erin McCoy, a gorgeous CIA operations officer, is Bennett's partner. Bennett and McCoy care romantically for one another, but they never seem to have the time or energy to act on their mutual attraction.

President MacPherson has dispatched Jon Bennett to the Middle East to convince the Israelis and Palestinians to sign a peace treaty. It seems that there are tremendous oil and natural gas reserves off the coast of Israel and Gaza. The United States is willing to help turn these reserves into a multi-billion dollar enterprise if the warring factions decide that it is in their best interests to stop the violence.

Before Bennett can get his "oil for peace" plan off the ground, a shocking act of violence throws the region into turmoil. Jonathan's mission appears to be dead on arrival. Furthermore, he and his comrades find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war with no obvious means of escape.

Rosenberg's staccato writing style is very effective. "The Last Days" is packed with crisp dialogue, fierce battles, fanatical terrorists, and lots of high tech gizmos and weaponry. Although the characters are rather one-dimensional and the plot is only occasionally realistic, the exciting story barrels along so quickly that the reader gets caught up in the adrenaline rush. In addition, Rosenberg's insights on the geopolitical situation in the Middle East add a valuable dimension to this well-researched book. "The Last Days" will certainly satisfy fans of fast-paced action-adventure novels with a political twist.

Certainly an engaging read, filled with the right buzz words, and enough detail to convince the reader that Rosenberg knows his stuff. The story, nonetheless, requires just a bit too much of a leap away from reality to be credible, and the number of "coincidences" conveniently used to "make things move along" so that things could proceed really detracted from the quality of this book. Even the fundamental premise regarding the central character just doesn't cut it--one week, the guy is an investment banker, rolling in the dough, and the next week, he is negotiating peace in the middle east with a president and a prime minister, rolling in the dust and dodging bullets. Come on!! Get real. Not as good as The Last Jihad, and hopefully, not as good as Rosenberg's next hurrah.

On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Rosenberg's first novel, "The Last Jihad." Fast-paced and timely, the book kept me hooked till the last page.

Once again, Rosenberg starts off with a bang. This time, Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy are under intense fire in Palestine. The casualties mount as they try to escape a brewing civil war. Even as violence escalates, the opportunity for a widesweeping peace agreeement arrives from an unexpected source. As the title suggests, "The Last Days" provides a story that many Christians could enjoy, while also showing some understanding toward the Palestinian situation. With a plot that could fit nicely into an apocalyptic thriller, Rosenberg takes us on a rollercoaster through the Middle East and its conflicts.

He also cheats us at a few points. He leads us through an extended dream sequence, convincing us that it's reality until another chapter. Then, he adds a minor plot thread that is useless to the story and nothing more than an improbable wild goose chase. He does not need this to keep the tension ratcheted. I should've suspected such tactics when I noted that every single chapter starts with a one-line paragraph; this smacks of a writer who doesn't trust his own pacing.

These issues aside, I enjoyed the book. Unfortunately, they left me feeling ambivalent by the end. Perhaps in a third novel, Rosenberg will trust his own storytelling and leave the tricks aside.

A sequel to The Last Jihad, this book lives up to the interest of it's predecessor in many respects but gets fairly tedious in laying out the Plan for Peace in the Middle East. Getting to the Peace talks alive and getting out of them alive are really what this book is about. And while the story is about that it bounces along in fine fashion as Jon Bennett, the President's "point man" for the Peace Process and Erin McCoy, his CIA protector and love interest endure more perils than Pauline ever imagined. Those that liked the first book will enjoy this one, for the most part.