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Howard Kaplan

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The Damascus Cover (The Jerusalem Spy Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Howard Kaplan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 1,376 ratings

Book 1 of 2: The Jerusalem Spy Series

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A spy walks the dangerous line between love and survival.

LA Times Bestselling Spy Thriller. Now a Major Motion Picture.
"Kaplan is up there with the best." - Clive Cussler

"In the best tradition of the new espionage novel. Kaplan's grasp of history and scene creates a genuine reality. He seems to know every back alley of Damascus and Cyprus." - Los Angeles Times
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a last ditch effort to revive his career, washed out agent Ari Ben-Sion accepts a mission he never would have 30 years ago ─ to smuggle a group of Jewish children out of the Damascus ghetto.

Or so he thinks.

In Damascus, a beautiful American photographer, Kim, seems to be falling in love with Ari. But, she is asking too many questions.

His communication equipment disappears. His contact never shows up. The operation is only hours away and everything seems awry.

Realizing that he's caught up in a bigger and more dangerous game, Ari is desperate to succeed... and he's willing to risk everything... even his life.

The Damascus Cover is a gripping thriller with enough twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued until the explosive ending.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Readers Are Saying:

★★★★★ "This is a beautifully written book about the middle east, its longstanding history of enmity and rivalry, about love, and about brutality."

★★★★★ "Like Le Carre's spies, Ari, the aging Israeli spy, is far less than perfect, but the good in the man outweighs his failings."

★★★★★ "The descriptions of Damascus make you feel that you are walking the streets and alleyways of Syria as you breathlessly hope that Ari's mission will succeed."

★★★★★ "This is a timeless thriller which leaves the reader glued to its pages..."
_______________________________________________________________________

More Titles by Howard Kaplan:

Bullets of Palestine
To Destroy Jerusalem
The Spy's Gamble

The Syrian Sunset

Editorial Reviews

Review

Los Angeles Times
"In the best tradition of the new espionage novel. Kaplan's grasp of history and scene creates a genuine reality. He seems to know every back alley of Damascus and Cyprus."

Chattanooga Times
"Stunning...A novel that adds a new dimension to modern spy stories."

American Library Association (starred review)
"A mission inside Syria, a last love affair, and the unfolding of a plot within a plot are handled by the author with skill and a sure sense of the dramatic."

BBC News
"The plotting is beautiful."

Hartford Courant
"A fine, taut, tense spy story full of furious action."

Chicago Daily News
"Exceedingly rich in color about the Syrian capital."

Tallalhassee Democrat
"Shocking, haunting."

St Louis Post-Dispatch
"It's suspense all the way through."

From the Author

Film adaptation currently on Tubi.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00MJ47WII
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Howard Kaplan; 2nd edition (August 7, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 7, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 620 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #577,288 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #43 in Middle Eastern Literature (Kindle Store)
- #1,437 in Political Thrillers & Suspense
- #1,568 in Historical Thrillers (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 1,376 ratings

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Howard Kaplan

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HOWARD KAPLAN, a native of Los Angeles, has lived in Israel and traveled extensively through Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. At the age of 21, he was sent on a mission into the Soviet Union to smuggle a dissident's manuscript on microfilm to London. His first trip was a success. On his second trip, he transferred a manuscript to the Dutch Ambassador inside his Moscow embassy. A week later, he was arrested in Khartiv in the Ukraine and interrogated for two days there and then two days in Moscow, before being expelled from the USSR. The KGB had picked him up for meeting dissidents and did not know about the manuscript transfers. He holds a BA in Middle East History from UC Berkeley and an MA in Philosophy of Education from UCLA. He is the author of five novels.

DAMASCUS COVER is now a major motion picture starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Sir John Hurt and Olivia Thirlby.

Visit Howard's website: http://www.howardkaplanbooks.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/HowardKaplanauthor/

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4 out of 5

1,376 global ratings

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Cynthia Hanson

a still timely capably penned espionage thriller

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2014

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Though penned in the late seventies, Damascus Cover is current from the first scene which is...hard...yet could have been ripped from today's middle east headlines.  It's a fast tense read, the plot is winding, the theme's timeless and the writing is heavy on locale giving Damascus an evocative sense of time place and culture.  The central character is...by necessity & nature...distant yet he strikes us as sympathetic. His introduction is a love scene on the beach...a steamy one at that.  We know his character is incognito and he comes off as...wistful...till we learn he's being lured away by a comely woman in his line of work  from making an important connection and it will...cost him. In his second scene, we find out who he really is...sort of.  A career spy who moves through missions without regrets.  He's a capable spy who claims four countries and has mastered their languages and  we're told he appears wealthy worldly socially smooth...bondlike. But we also learn that his REAL life including his long distance marriage is on the skids...
Damascus Cover was a best seller in it's day and is enjoying a new audience as it becomes an action flick with Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the lead role. Any film with a "complicated" character is lucky to get jonny and I see this as a win/win for the novel and it's star. Having read the book, I'm looking forward to this film. I will say, Rhys Meyers, in his thirties, has put himself up against expectations... his character is supposed to be...fifty, with all the world weariness that "fifty" implies. So, once again, Rhys Meyers may have to win the book's fan's over. But he seems to THRIVE on that mission...

2 people found this helpful

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Peter Michaels

Well constructed and written - a good read!

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2015

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Found this in the 99 cent specials, yet it as good as most books that get five or ten times that.
A classic spy novel, set in post WWII Syria. Rich descriptive passages detailing Damascus, our planet's oldest continuously inhabited city, bring you in and hold you there. It is impossible not to feel the oppressive heat, the squalor, the fear that dominates life there, and the tension that builds throughout the book.

The author delivers on every level - adding to the intrigue with many plot twists, yet keeping the reader well enough informed so as to give us the cat bird seat without allowing us to be able to predict what comes next..

Kaplan is now on my "must read" list.

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smile be happy

Decent Book with Potential

Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2017

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It was a pretty decent book but it doesn't compare to the true masters of this genre. The plot was good but it lacked the thorough development, intrigue and suspense that I was looking for. I also did not care for the ending. With that said, I think he has only written a couple of books and it may just be a question of experience. Thanks, sbh.

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Deborah Carroll, Author

Never read spy novels? Read this one!

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2018

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This is not my go to genre, spy novels, but I encountered the author online when I read about his mentoring young writers in the Middle East and was intrigued enough by what he wrote to check out his work. Good decision, this was a great read. I was totally engaged right from the start. The plot had twists and turns which made the time fly and it was clear that real research went into this work. The writing was tight, sophisticated and compelling. But the biggest surprise was how well drawn, Ari, the main character was. Read the book even if it’s out of your usual genre. I’m glad I did!

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Very good reading with exciting sections that kept you going when it was 2 am and you had to get up a 6am good work.t

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019

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Very thrilling sections that kept you going and going to get to a part that you can relax and start over the next day. His interpretation of very strong situations made you actually visualize it in your mind. Especially the ending which described the torture sequence it would not let me put the book down.

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ReadThisBook

A Page Turning Spy novel inside a hotbed of middle east friction.

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2017

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The middle east is constantly in the news. Damascus is one of the cities that frequently pops up in those news articles. But what was Damascus like a few decades ago? Although this book was written forty years ago, the description of the city of Damascus is still relevant today. The author is very descriptive of this geographical area of the middle east and the people that live in this zone of constant friction. The spy story that takes place (mostly) in this city is a page turner with an aging "James Bond" flair. The characters are well developed, the storyline is full of twists and turns. We are drawn to think, along with the main character, that the assignment is something that it is not. I will purchase more of this author's stories. I loved it.

7 people found this helpful

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KY in NJ

terrific easy reading spy novel

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2015

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Loved it. The middle eastern flavor is wonderful. The characters are deftly developed . I certainly did not imagine the ending. That to me is a great story.

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Charlotte

It was entertaining and much better than some, good character portrayal, but not as involved a story line as some

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2015

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I prefer when more countries are involved.
European large cities as well as those in the Middle East .
I would plan to read the second book in the series, but another book first

One person found this helpful

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Robert Uri

Exciting

Reviewed in Germany on January 2, 2019

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Great story! Exciting till the end! Can't wait to read the other novels by Howard Kaplan.

Alexander

A spy thriller with a twist!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2018

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The Damascus Cover by my friend Howard Kaplan is a spy thriller that has twists and turns, a race against time, and duplicitous characters where no one can really be trusted. An agent and spy for Mossad is on a secret mission to save children in Syria from the Baath party who are persecuting and often killing the Jewish community in the underworld of Damascus. I must say that for a book first written in 1977 it feels fresh and retains a youthful quality, still seems in keeping with the times and a reminder that not everything is what it seems until you scratch past the surface and do some digging.

It is a near impossible mission one where the protagonist posing as Hans Hoffman, his real identity Ari Ben-Sion hidden away while he navigates the field, comes into contact with the scattered Nazis living in Damascus working from the shadows for the Syrians. Ari must pose as a Nazi, as well as German businessman and trader, as he tries to rescue the Jewish children from Damascus... Yet another problem that is presented is that if they are rescued that there will be reprisals and killings for their relatives left behind.
There are moments in the book where the former Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad is mentioned as the commander of the air-force who with another coup became leader of Syria as well as the Baath party, and the alliance between the Soviet Union and Syria detailing military equipment and weaponry given by the Soviets to turn Syria into a military juggernaut. The part where the Soviets put pressure on the Syrians in power whom are sheltering Nazis in their country shows no love lost after the death and destruction caused in WW2 by Germany... However it seems the Baath party and more fanatical and radical Syrians respect and value the Nazis when it comes to the Jewish question and it comes as a predictable partnership where genocide and terror tactics are seen as commendable by a Jew-hating as well as anti-Zionist fanaticism that paints a grim picture: There is no diplomacy only enemy versus enemy and they are quick to incite hatred and violence from the younger generations in a future conflict where Israel must be destroyed. The Damascus Cover does not shy away from briefly showing that Israel is a power to be reckoned with, yet Syria is also a formidable force with ruthless methods in grisly torture and an array of spies and informants to watch any dissenters or external forces presenting opposition or threatening disposition.
It is interesting as well to get into the totalitarian psychology when it comes the Syrian Baath Party and to look at current events in Syria when it comes to the son and current president Bashar al-Assad, they have always had internal struggles and constantly been a formidable nemesis of Israel... Yet also a fervent distrust towards America and the West in general stemming back to colonial wars and past transgressions faced by the players of yesterday. It has all had a hand in leading to this present point we find ourselves at. Saddam is gone, Gaddafi is gone... Assad is still there but at what cost?

The Damascus Cover has some very detailed musings when it comes to the historical aspect relating to Jerusalem and Damascus. Howard has done his research when it comes to the territory and the multifaceted histories that come with these beautiful and ancient places. Whether it is about the Maccabees, the Romans, or the tantalising hotspots in Damascus such as the Umayyad Mosque or the Biblical Street called Straight of Damascus... (Suleiman the Magnificent is mentioned as well as Biblical references and all the various historical visitors that touched upon these fascinating places in a recollection that is best presented as a journey through time and the author takes us on these pathways with great enthusiasm and poise.) It soon becomes not just a thriller but an informative journey through history which was pleasurable to read about and be reminded with some parts I knew of and a few others I welcomed as gifted discovery when it comes to the complex tapestry of histories and perspectives kept alive in our forever changing world.

Overall, The Damascus Cover riveting and mesmerising page turner. I just could not put it down and read it in a day! There is romance, torture, intrigue, plot twists, deception... And as you become embroiled in this affair and start to care about the main characters The Damascus Cover blasts forward action and suspense in equal measures. Nothing is as it seems. The book takes a very dark and grim turn as you become closer to the end, a sense of foreboding and a feeling that things are not going to end well for the hero... But can he save the children and complete his mission even if it means sacrificing his life in the process? Well, get hold of the book and see for yourself! I would definitely recommend The Damascus Cover and can't wait to read the next instalment in the series. A great book and spy thriller with some history thrown into the spicy mix and also some tasty food and drink popping up now and then.

2 people found this helpful

Kotuku

A Tough Tough Story

Reviewed in Australia on August 16, 2023

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Very cruel but believable. A clear picture painted of the troubled region and no punches pulled in the telling.

A book everyone should read to understand the spy game and the futility of its execution

Lisa

Reviewed in Spain on September 17, 2017

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Me ha enganchado desde el principio.
Muy buena trama, real y actual.
Lo recomiendo.
En inglés, y de fácil lectura.
Se merece las 5 estrellas!!
Lo recomiendo!! Gracias!!

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Mys M

Totally Authentic Spy Thriller

Reviewed in Canada on January 20, 2017

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The Damascus Cover was first published in 1977, was translated into seven foreign languages and officially banned from the Eastern European market. It was out of print for the last 3 decades and now is rereleased in digital format as well as in paperback. It is the first book by Kaplan that I have read and I will certainly be looking for the next two in the series as well as the movie based on this one which is set to be released this year because this book defines thriller.
Major Ari Ben-Sion of the Mossad Haelion Lemodiin Ubitachon has more than one passport. He has to because he's a spy. The passport he uses on his missions says he's Hans Hoffmann, "import-export magnate, ex-Nazi". He speaks four different languages with no trace of an accent; he could be a native of England, Germany, France or Argentina — it was hard to pin down. He had been in Dachau prison but not as a guard. There's a dream that haunts him and it's always in German.
Dov Elon is another Israeli espionage agent. Captured in Damascus, the young man is giving away nothing no matter what torture they apply and Suleiman Sarraj is an expert at torture. Sarraj is determined to learn the identity of Operative 66, a sleeper agent highly placed in the Damascus power base.
When Hoffman/Ben-Sion is recalled from Cyprus and given a desk job in Jerusalem, he's slightly miffed. At 55, he doesn't feel he's passed his prime although he has noticed he's slipped a little. His marriage is over and the loneliness of his chosen career is catching up with him. He's not as sharp as he used to be, knows just how much he can drink but gets there more than he used to, doesn't know that his cover is blown, and worse, has no idea that he's responsible for the capture of his young friend, Dov Elon. When the Colonel dangles a prospective mission just out of Ben-Sion's reach, Ari doesn't realize he's being set up — the Colonel expects Ari to talk him into letting him go to Damascus. It will be his final mission.
This is an intricate, finely honed plot with a main character who has no idea who he can trust. The descriptions of the settings in both Syria and Israel are evocative — you can imagine the sights, the sounds, and the smells, see the routes being taken, a feel the pressure of the crowds in the bazaar and the emptiness of the nighttime countryside. You, too, can't tell who Ari can trust and who he can't. Betrayed on all sides and with no real understanding of the mission, he stumbles along with a false bravado, misplaced confidences, and only his personal loyalty and integrity to his cause to see him through to its completion. The ending will be a total surprise to him and to the reader.

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The Damascus Cover (The Jerusalem Spy Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

A spy walks the dangerous line between love and survival.

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