Michael Dobbs is famous for The House of Cards, which has an international audience. A British and American TV series marks its acceptance as a definitive political novel. This is a red-blooded thriller: A Harry Jones1 novel.
Jones has the usual attributes of a British action man hero – copyright: Ian Fleming. Rich, insanely courageous, bright, a maverick and usually on the side of the Gods. Dobbs is a brilliant writer and this novel is focused on the dire consequences of slaughtering tribes-people in unconsidered parts of the world. In this case Waziristan, a mountainous region of Pakistan.
Dobbs is equivocal about the justice of the terrorists that invade the House of Lords. They capture the Queen and senior political figures with the promise that they will all be killed. He understands their motivation and the historical context of the likely destruction of the British establishment. Obviously the *Good Guys* win but this novel puts political thriller writing into a different league.
Try this:
”Mercy? Is that what you have shown my people? You still don’t understand, do you? We never wanted this war with you, we didn’t start it, but it has been forced on us year after year until our villages are destroyed and those we love murdered before our eyes.” Despite the words, his voice was remarkably controlled. “And now you talk to me about mercy. We are way beyond that, I’m afraid. It is no longer the quality of mercy that matters but the quality of death, and the fuss it will cost. That, I think, has been your strategy in my country for many years, so now we follow it.” pp 309-10
This is a thrilling thriller and is warmly recommended
Addendum: These events happened after the novel was written:
This attack, “11 August 2009: U.S. drone strike in Ladha village, South Waziristan, kills 10.”7 but obviously the US couldn’t monitor the actual slaughter by literally counting the dead and injured. Injuries in remote villages lack paramedic support systems, hospitals or pain alleviation. How many died from their injuries? Likewise, “30 September 2009: U.S. drones fire missiles at a Taliban compound and vehicle killing 8 in Novak, North Waziristan.”.8 Ten days later Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize: an ironic moment.
Source: List of drone strikes in Pakistan – Wikipedia There are hundreds listed and this was picked at random from the years of the Obama presidency.
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