Review of Endgame

[Shem Murundu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Endgame" by William Reed.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Nathaniel Jameson, better known as Nat, the deputy ambassador of the USA to the UK, is fed up with the senseless killing of innocent people by extremist terrorist groups. One day, Nat wakes up with an outrageous idea about how he, with the support of his boss (Ambassador James Preston), the vice president, and the president of America, can infiltrate al-Qaeda in order to dismantle the terrorist organization from the inside. Although he’s hesitant about sharing this idea with his wife (Sonja) and his boss because he might sound nuts, Nat feels compelled to pursue the idea, and he eventually speaks about it to the two. As any spouse might react to such a suggestion that involves risking not only their partner’s life but also other high-profile officials' lives, Sonja is reluctant to let his husband follow through with it. However, all the doubts and hesitation that both Nat and Sonja have about pursuing this idea are erased when they, together with their two kids – Tanya and Gregory – visit the zoo and survive a devastating terrorist attack. Preston forwards Nat's idea to the president and his deputy who, to Nat's surprise, approve of it and offer him their full support. The tension in the air is further heightened by new reports that a giant nuclear warhead in Russia has gone missing and is, probably, in the hands of terrorists. This makes the need to get to the terrorists even more urgent. Will Nat's master plan succeed? Will he survive? Grab a copy of Endgame by William Reed to find out how it all goes down.

The major theme covered by the book is terrorism/counter-terrorism, but there are also some elements of romance in the book. The book has a steady pace, and the characters are well-developed. I found the story so engaging. The main goal having been made clear early in the book, I found myself immersed in the story, following anxiously to see how Nat's plan would be executed. I was fascinated by the plot of the book.

I loved the book's relevance. The book addresses a real-life longstanding problem that plagues the world and has affected millions of people around the globe. I especially liked the author's suggestion of how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be solved amicably and to the satisfaction of both sides of the conflict. Reed did a great job highlighting the hypocrisy of the extremists, led by bin Laden and his successors. There were also some humorous parts that I liked. Examples of those were the part when Nat was describing his idea to Preston and the vice president for the first time: their reactions were funny; and the part where Greg teased Anthony Burville about being too fat to call himself 'little cheese.'

The book was also educational, especially the part where Nat and his friends discussed the histories of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and al-Qaeda in general. That was such a good history lesson. I was also delighted by Nat's relationship with Sonja. The way they supported each other was admirable, not forgetting their great parenting skills. Length-wise, some of the chapters were too short. This was the only aspect of the book that I thought was negative.

I rate Endgame 5 out of 5 because the editing errors were minor, the content of the book was great, and the negative aspect of it was not weighty enough to warrant the deduction of a star. The book was professionally edited. I recommend this book to lovers of action thrillers - those that center around the topic of terrorism – and fans of historical fiction. People interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will also enjoy this book. The book is well-suited for people of all religions. Heavy language was occasionally used and, therefore, the reader should be well-advised.

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Endgame
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[Stephen Christopher 1]

I've been considering reading this book and wasn't sure if it was for me. Your review has piqued my interest though, so I think I'll give it a go, thanks so much.

[Shem Murundu]

I've been considering reading this book and wasn't sure if it was for me. Your review has piqued my interest though, so I think I'll give it a go, thanks so much.

It's an interesting read, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[Omneya Shakeep]

I have been debating on giving this book a try, but more than one review mentioned the author was a bit biased in his ideas and did not approach the facts in the book neutrally. So, I thought about skipping it. What do you think, Blackstenius?
I enjoyed reading your review, and now I'm debating whether I should read it again or not, thanks to you.

[Shem Murundu]

I have been debating on giving this book a try, but more than one review mentioned the author was a bit biased in his ideas and did not approach the facts in the book neutrally. So, I thought about skipping it. What do you think, Blackstenius?
I enjoyed reading your review, and now I'm debating whether I should read it again or not, thanks to you. ☺️

Thank you Shakeep.
I think it's worth a try. To me the author didn't appear biased, he was with facts always.

[Sara Nóbrega Bartolomeu]

I thought this one would be too heavy for me but your review makes it sound excellent! I might give it a try after all