King Pawn - Softcover

Nellooli, Raj

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14 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 148285029X ISBN 13: 9781482850291

Publisher: PartridgeIndia, 2015

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The college-dropout son of an American professor and a Syrian mother who fled her home country, Robert Frost has two primary enemies: the Us Army for unfairly dismissing him and the Syrian regime for destroying his mother's family during the 1982 Hama uprising. Worse still, his wife has left him, taking their two daughters with her. Frost becomes Iftikar, a mercenary, and accepts a high-paying mission to destabilize Syria and topple its regime. Unaware of the complexity of Syria and the treacherous plots of his mysterious employers, he hopes the money will help him win back his family. As he moves through Syria on a journey of mayhem, he finds himself in Palmyra, the oldest oasis on the Silk Road; the Byzantine citadel in Aleppo; the marijuana fields of Beqaa Valley; the world's largest restaurant in Damascus; the seafarers' island of Arwad; and Russia's only naval base in the Middle East, Tartous. Will Iftikar's actions pave the way to democracy in Syria or enthrone new masters? Set against the backdrop of the current Syrian war, this novel is an unsettling tale of the battles, shaped by immense political ambitions that destroy small people and their even smaller lives. It immortalizes the laments of the Syrian people through an intricate plot, convincing details, and many unforgettable characters.

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From the Author:

Why did I write against the backdrop of Syria?

After KING PAWN was published, I have been asked several times by journalists and others; "Why did you choose Syria for the story?" There are many reasons.

Living in Syria was a truly mixed experience. The peace and quiet of the first year before the struggle started gave me a rich picture of the Syrian culture, relationships and the unique social fabric. My close relationships with many people, Syrians and expatriates, provided rich and varied perspectives, often contradictory. I could see various sides of the problem.
There was abrupt breakdown of relationships and trust. Neighbors for decades and sometimes for generations, suddenly felt unsure. Could they trust the neighbours? Which side were they now on? They quickly moved into social isolation.

Perspectives changed. People started looking at the world from their ethnic or religious group perspectives and not as individuals. So the attitudes to "others" started getting pre-defined for them by their political or religious masters. People started closing their minds and soon the doors to their homes. And many of them were not happy about it. To quote from King Pawn; "The silent majority is not part of the history at that time. They lose out and become political or cannon fodder."Women, children and the old suffered and got marginalized most. All parties made their lives miserable. How could I not write? And about the sufferings that are common to the ever-increasing conflict zones of the world.

I had to write King Pawn against that backdrop.

About the Author:

Raj Nellooli has lived in and visited more than fifty countries during his international career of forty years. He has served as a banker and as a director for multinational banks, oil and gas corporations, and international NGOs. He has published several works of fiction and nonfiction in English and in Malayalam. He currently manages his strategic consultancy business.

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