War Against Islam [Paperback]

George P. Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2008

This novel is a fictional depiction of the rise of a right-wing Presidential candidate who wins the 2008 election, takes measures to reduce American dependence on Middle Eastern oil and then wages unfettered war on Islamic nations. The story weaves imagination and reality. There are many references to current and historical events. The principal characters resemble actual politicians and world leaders. Astute readers will be able to make the necessary connections, if they so wish. Nonetheless, the fictional equivalents are probably more extreme than similar figures in the real world. Accomplished authors of political thrillers, as well as television shows such as 24, usually venture to the brink then retract. This book goes beyond the precipice, that's what makes it unique.

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (April 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 143820227X
• ISBN-13: 978-1438202273
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,293,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars So bad on so MANY levels, June 2, 2008

By 

Irish Lace (St. Louis Missouri) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: War Against Islam (Paperback)

The author's husband, Tom Clancy Fan (poor Tom Clancy will have a coronary if he catches wind of his work being compared to this dreck) has said this repeatedly: "They can preview a fifth of the book themselves at Google Books (link below) and make their own judgement on the work."

So I did. Oh. My. Gawd.

I usually have no use for people who review books they haven't read, but having taken TCF's advise I can only thank him for the suggestion. This book is painful to read; one fifth of it was too much. Amateurish to an embarrassing degree. Upon arriving at Google Books to see what I could learn, I clicked on the first available excerpt and began to read. The first thing I came across was this:

"Gentlemen, welcome to one of the few exclusive mile-high country clubs in the world" boomed the now second term Colorado Governor, having been successfully re-elected a couple of years ago. "Ah hate mixing business with pleasure, so I suggest we first have a few rounds of golf; am good you know! Then we shall retreat to ma exclusive room in the club yonder. While we're playing golf, your security personnel are welcome to check the room for audio-visual listening devises, if it makes you feel safer about our private conversation later."

This is really awful, starting with the poor punctuation and sentence structure and ending with "audio-visual listening devices". Huh?

As the dialog begins, it appears the author is attempting to write in what is presumably supposed to be an American Southern drawl ("Ah" is used for "I", although the next use of the personal pronoun is offered as "I". The "Am" for "I'm" is interesting, although if consistency is attempted(which in this book it absolutely is NOT) it would presumably be "Ahm". My personal favorite is the use of "shall" and "yonder" in the same sentence.

The first problem, of course, is that the author apparently doesn't know how to write in this dialect(her husband mentioned elsewhere that the spelling used is British rather than American English which may explain a world of issues except why a "satire" about America would be written with British English, but I digress.)

The second problem is that the character's dialect changes back and forth. He even uses the word "whilst". Definitely NOT a good ol' boy.

The capstone problem with this dialect is, of course, that people in Colorado don't speak with a southern drawl. Oops.

This book first needed a proofreader. The punctuation, capitalization, grammar and sentence structure are that bad; not only frequently incorrect, but also inconsistent. Then it needed an editor. I mean it REALLY needed an editor. I could write more quotes, but the gentle reader can find them for him or herself on Google books. Don't look for them by buying this mess unless you have $20 bucks to pound down a rat hole.

Of course, the single biggest problem with the book is revealed in the Prologue. The main character is a one-dimensional, vile, disgusting bigot and there isn't anything funny about him or the premise of the book. Nuclear war...giggle, giggle. Ick.

No, wait, I do have to say that when I got to the part about the governor's children being taught by "a vetted nun from the Mormon church" I fell off the chair. This author knows next to nothing about the United States, its culture, its Constitution or the good people of Colorado. And she also knows nothing about writing.

You have been warned. So have I. Won't buy it or read any more of it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Review based on reading 1/5 of the book, June 1, 2008

By 

Ryan Scott Foster (Adrian, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War Against Islam (Paperback)

I read the first part of the book on google books. I wanted to judge for myself if it was the trash that people are claiming it is. I know a lot of people like the Colorado Governor portrayed in this book. I wish I didn't but there you have it. The author should have put this book in a drawer somewhere and sat on it for a year, then come back and reviewed it with a fresh eye. I'm not saying the author lacks talent, far from that, I just think the book feels rushed to me. The editor should be shot. The premise sounds interesting but the sloppy editorial work and high price of the book are big negatives. The tom clancy fan or whoever that's jumping all over everybody promoting this book reminds me of those people at the turn of the century that went around promoting quack cures. If I was the author I'd be mortified by someone doing that with one of my books. Maybe I'm being generous by giving it 3 stars, but I like Mystery Science Theatre 3000 too, and that is absolute trash. PILATE: A Brutal Bible Tale was connected in a forum with this book which is depressing. People will publish anything to raise some eyebrows.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting idea, but, May 18, 2008

By 

J. Collins (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War Against Islam (Paperback)

This book really needs an editor.

Some of the basic ideas, while seeming far-fetched, are entirely plausible. Other are completely delusional. I wonder if the author came up with these ideas while at a college frat party after losing a beer drinking contest.

Read Tom Kratzman's Caliphate for a much more plausible scenario.