Publisher's Synopsis
The time frame of the story starts in 1958. It is just after the Baghdad Revolution where young King Faisal and his family were murdered. The Communists began a rampage of killing and hanging naked, headless, corpses of men from Bagdad's lamp posts. Qassim is the head of the Bagdad Revolution, and afraid stop the Communists. James McMartin receives an invitation from his old classmate, Cyrus Zafar to come to Iran. He happily accepts even though there was a revolution in neighboring Iraq with bodies with the headless and naked bodies of men hanging from lamp posts all over Baghdad and Iran looks like it is next.. State Department and the Pentagon talked big about the Baghdad Pact (Turkey, Iraq, and Iran) that was to oppose any Russian drive into the important oil fields but the Pact was in name only. Now tanks, trucks, and planes began to flow into Iran to block any possible aggressive move by the Russians as the time was opportune. In WW II, Britain and Russia invaded Iran on August 25, 1941 to secure Iran's railway so that America could supply Russia with tanks, trucks, planes, and weapons unimpeded. Col. Norman Schwarzkopf Sr. headed of the US Army then and in 1953 Norman Schwarzkopf is on the CIA desk in the US Embassy and plotting to overthrow Prime Minister Mossadegh. In 1989, his son, General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. headed the Allied force that invaded Iraq. Unknown to James, all of this becomes a part of his life to come in Iran. On his way to Iran, he stops in Germany to visit an old classmate, Kurt von Heide to get his visa to Iran at the German Embassy in Bonn. He meets and falls in love with Renata. Going on to meet with Cyrus, he starts his work in Iran with a British company in the Khuzestan Province of Iran on the Sugarcane Plantation at Haft Tapeh just 15 kilometers from the Iraqi border. Nearby is a mosque where the Prophet Daniel is buried. North is Andemesk where Alexander the Great had 20,000 of his soldiers marry Persian girls. The place is loaded with history of Babylonian and Persian history. James visits Renata in Germany but she marries someone else and after James gets over her, he finds a new love in Pakistan with Zarin Khan. Life is wonderful but she comes down with leukemia and gives birth to their daughter, Fawzia before she dies. Fawzia is taken to Pakistan by Zarin's father as James cannot look after her in Iran. After grieving for two years he meets Ming Toy a friend of Cyrus's wife, Roxanne. With President Nixon wanting to make an American base out of Iran to keep peace in that part of the world, oil prices spiral out of control and when the Shah is asked to cut Iran's oil production he wants to use 72 billion of Iran's oil royalties in American banks to make economic development. As he doesn't listen to the CIA he is ousted and Khomeini comes into the picture. There is the June 8 1967 attack by Israel on Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon Israel's Army occupies Gaza and West Bank, and strips Palestinians of all rights. After Israeli Defense Forces occupying Gaza and the West Bank vigilante groups like Hezbollah, Al Fatah, and Hamas spring up. The United Nations does not oppose Israel's abuse of all Palestinians and Iran becomes he only nations supplying oil to Israel. But when the Shah want Pakistan to unify with Iran, Israel turns against the Shah and fireworks begin. The author tells of going to Makka, learning about the Assassins and Roshaniya who are followers of the Lighted One. The Inquisition in Spain in 1492 sought out the Alumbrados become known as the Illuminati which is the Latin name for followers of the Lighted One. At the end of the book are ten years of time line to confirm the events in the book are based on truth as well as some info on ancient Babylon and Persia.
