Simon Buckman

“Syrian Sunset, essential reading.” in 2011 Obama declared that if the Assad regime used chemical weapons in Syria 'A line would have been crossed.' Less than a year later Assad, with Putin & Russia arming & supporting, he murdered thousands of his own people mass bombings & Sarin nerve gas. The west did nothing. Stunned into impotence we sat back whilst this ghastly situation escalated, genocidal acts & horrific atrocities carried out before 'our eyes.' These events and the West's lack of response directly paved the way for Putin to invade Ukraine and the desperately fragile situation we find ourselves in in 2023. Howard Kaplans' novel, closely & accurately based on these events is gripping, informative, compassionate without being sentimental and at times darkly funny too. Quite a feat to pull off. All whilst being very readable. Anyone wanting to understand the events in Syria & how those affect us today, will be very well served by reading this book.