Book excerpt: Jackals of Samarra was written in the period immediately preceding the Gulf War. It was just as contemporary then as it is now, as borne out by today's headlines of naval vessels falling victim to terrorist bombs. The Gulf region is a perpetual cauldron, ready to boil over at a moment's notice. The book sets up shop here and uses a scenario of fact and fiction that wends its way back and forth from the Middle East to the West. The plot employs surprise military attacks, espionage, blackmail, oil, and nuclear weapons to culminate in a gut-wrenching, unpredictable situation, with the Iranians catching the West off guard, as the world holds its collective breath. Though Jackals of Samarra is a work of fiction, it comes so uncomfortably close to being real that using a book marker at stopping points might not work too well. After reading the last sentence of Jackals… you might just feel relieved and lucky that it is only fiction. Then again you might not. See for yourself.