Review by dnair12 -- East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick

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dnair12
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Review by dnair12 -- East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick

Post by dnair12 »

[Following is a volunteer review of "East Wind, 2nd edition" by Jack Winnick.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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East Wind by Jack Winnick is a fast paced spy thriller about a nuclear threat to the USA. Uri, a well known Mossad field agent, and Lara, a skilled FBI cyber analyst, form a unique alliance to foil that threat after receiving a grave message from a Middle Eastern source and a 5 day deadline. Lara embarks on the tedious task of gathering intelligence from millions of web pages while gaining important cultural and political insight from Uri. Together they must succeed with the help of an unexpected ally and all the resources of American intelligence services.

The story is well written and gives background information on the mindset of a terrorist and the process that goes into becoming one. The culture of Middle Eastern countries is explained in detail to highlight how the youth are manipulated into believing lies and deceitful stories told by those in power. "Walid was only 16, but .......make a difference in the Shia communities worldwide" (Ch. 3). Thus begins the story of Walid, a teenage kid from Pakistan, who is sent to the USA on a deadly mission.

The author artfully brings together characters from different parts of the world and connects historical facts along the way to give his story an added layer of realism. His reference to the "East Wind" and it's symbolism is precise. How the winds that cause devastation in the desert lands of the Middle East work to save the USA is a testimony to the true spirit of America. The name represents not only the literal winds but also signifies the relationship of the East to the West.

What I like most is that despite the focus on Muslim terrorists the story shows that anyone can be misguided -- either with religious convictions, like with Hossein, or simple greed, as demonstrated by the Mexican sailors, and also by human folly, as shown by Jim Turner. Each of these characters depicts a flaw that forces the reader to redefine the term terrorism.

I would rate the book 3 out of 4 mainly because there is some repetition regarding Sheikh Nasrallah and other religious leaders that hinders the pace of the story. The author goes into lengthy explanations of each leader's background and rise to power during main events of the story that make it difficult to distinguish between past and present. I do not rate it 2 because the book is very engaging and exciting, especially the bond between Uri and Lara. The story is bound to please readers who enjoy fiction, spy and action thrillers and also some who tend to prefer non-fiction as it makes a strong connection to history, geography and science.

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East Wind, 2nd edition
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