Review

of

Jihad: World War in 2036

by

MacDonald Reid

ISBN: 1-58500-867-0

In the arcane realm of the techno-thriller there are but a few leading lights. The names of Tom Clancy, Larry Bond and Dale Brown are familiar to aficionados of this genre. Let me introduce a new one: MacDonald Reid.

Reid's first novel, JIHAD: World War in 2036, follows the tried and true formula established by Clancy and Bond in their epic, Red Storm Rising. It's big (over five hundred and fifty pages), has many maps and a plethora of characters. The action shifts rapidly and dramatically. Its military situations and tactics are realistic, and its technological innovations are superb. 

However, it's not the formula that makes JIHAD a ripping yarn, it's the writing. MacDonald Reid is a gifted storyteller.

Jihad is the story of war in the Middle East and North Africa. It is a brutal yet poignant story. Reid's major characters are strongly presented. First Sergeant Al Murphy is the archetypal John Wayne ... bold and fearless, yet fatherly. General Tavid Hammedyanni is so slimy that you will cheer when he gets his due. Major David Weissman is a citizen-soldier, forced by circumstance into greatness. Commander Tafid Kamsanni is converted by battle and death from zealot to patriot. The words of Lt. Commander Muriel MacDonald will captivate and inspire every American, while her death will cause you to weep with Commander Dominic Russi. And then there is Rachel....

However, Jihad is also a story of hope. Although there is an inkling of problems in the future (a hint of a sequel?), Jihad ends on an upbeat note. New ideas and new concepts emerge from the horrors of holocaust. A new era dawns, bearing with it the promises of peace and prosperity for all Mankind.

Even if you're not "into" techno-thrillers, I recommend JIHAD: World War in 2036 by MacDonald Reid. If you are, you'll love it.