Damascus Countdown

A Novel (The Twelfth Imam, Book 3)

By: Joel C. Rosenberg

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Israel successfully launches a first strike on Iran, taking out all of their nuclear sites and six of their nuclear warheads. American president William Jackson threatens to support a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Jewish State for unprovoked and unwarranted acts of aggression. And the Twelfth Imam prepares to order a genocidal retaliation.

Meanwhile, CIA operative David Shirazi has infiltrated the Iranian regime and intercepted top secret intelligence indicating that two Iranian nuclear warheads survived the attack and have been moved to a secure and undisclosed location. In danger not only from the ongoing war between Israel and Iran but also from the increasingly hostile governments in multiple countries, Shirazi and his team are in a race against time to find the remaining nuclear warheads before the most cataclysmic event in the history of the Middle East comes to pass.

©2013 Joel C. Rosenberg (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Christopher Lane's narration is the best!!!

Christopher Lane's narration is so awesome. It draws your emotions out and really gets you involved in the story.

Every chapter kept me spellbound

The story was excellent; the narrator was superb!! I have heard few books, if any as imaginative, biblically accurate prophetic, with narration as good as this. I was unable to put the story on pause...even late into the night. Absolutely spellbound superb!!

Is it a story it is it today's news?

Amazing that I can listen to this book then I'm listening to the radio and have to pause to remember if it is a book or the news. The reality of what Joel brings forth is what can be happening today in the news. This is a GREAT book. In fact, the entire series is tremendous!

Simply Awesome

Would you consider the audio edition of Damascus Countdown to be better than the print version?

I'm glad I chose the unabridged audio version over print. The reader did voices so well, I forgot the characters were fictional. The story seemed real

What was one of the most memorable moments of Damascus Countdown?

Dr. Birjandi's final stand in the facility. I wondered if he would truly stand for Christ. I knew in my heart he would, but it was amazing to see it happen. He was afraid but did what he had to do. I sometimes time wonder if I could be as courageous. This scene reminded me to be in prayer and ready at all times to speak the truth even if might mean my execution.

Which scene was your favorite?

Nouri's kidnapping from the hospital had me off the edge of my chair. It didn't seem like they could pull that off, but the quickness and unity of the team made it happen. I loved the courage, teamwork, and daring of all the players.

If you could rename Damascus Countdown, what would you call it?

Twelfth Imam Goes Down -- he was the essence of evil. Glad to see him go.

Any additional comments?

Lots of page-turning tension. I now have no more fingernails, but it was worth it. My favorite book of 2013 so far.

Good story and very relevant to our times

A good follow-up to the earlier books and one I enjoyed more than Book 2. Joel Rosenberg is not a top level writer, say, in the class of Daniel Silva, but he still has an important role to play in the writing firmament. Daniel Silva can subtly work in information from earlier books that you need to know but Joel Rosenberg doesn't have that talent. So, sometimes you are a bit confused about who the people are and that takes away from the current book. Also, a really talented writer can make a book in a series stand alone through working in what you need to know and that isn't there in this book. These books are better read in the series of 3.

Having said that, the story is amazingly close to events in the world and is worthwhile for that alone. It's a good story and the characters seem believable and people who you care about. I like the Christian backdrop as a refreshing change to the dominant view permeating everything else and I don't find it overdone. The narrator was amazing, with a huge range of accents to pull off and I found myself beginning to visualize the characters based on his voices. So, great stuff and I'd be happy to read Book 4 in the series if there ever is such a thing. Since the world doesn't end in this one (spoiler alert), why not?

Very Good!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am amazed at Joel Rosenbergs insight into the End Times and current affairs.

What did you like best about this story?

It amazes me how he can bring to light what is going on in the world and form into a story that you become enthralled in.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I looked forward to each time I was able to sit and listen to it. I often dreamed about it, it was so real to me.

Fantastic Series!

What can I say - this was, hands down, one of my favorite series of books! It is rare to find a collection of Christian stories so captivating & thought provoking! I have read some of the other reviews & am surprised about some complaints of too much Christianity in the story! I did not find this to be so & was absolutely inspired by those parts in which the thoughts or discussions were centered on and around Christ. To think of the courage & conviction a person must have in a country where Christians are so severely persecuted is tough, to say the least! Made me so very thankful to live in a society whose core is built around freedom of religion & speech!

Current Events Meets End Times Prophecy

I read Rosenberg's The Twelfth Imam because I was intrigued by the idea of mixing current events, espionage, and end time prophecy in one story. Turns out it was only the start, followed first by The Tehran Initiative and most recently the third volume, Damascus Count Down. All good and taken as a whole an extremely enjoyable series full of details of life inside the Iranian power elite. Rosenberg's obvious familiarity with the current geopolitical scene, his ability to depict world leaders who you will recognize as the current role players by another name add credibility and realism, and well crafted espionage plotting and intrigue put his writing on par with the best.

But those characteristics can be found in many books by many authors. What sets Rosenberg apart is his knowledgeable exploration of Islamic and Christian world views and end time prophecy, and the unabashed evangelistic tone and purpose of the stories. It does not hurt that he has a penchant (is that really all it is?) for prophesying in his own right (see The Last Jihad for one notable example). Let's hope his latest is not as accurate.

Good stuff here. Well crafted and written with a unique purpose. An eye opener for those who believe men alone decide their fate.

OK - I made it through

I guess I got caught up in the need to finish this thing. I did like the characters and found the three books interesting and enjoyable overall. They were not great work - but the plot was certainly current and relevant and there were interesting tid bits of info along the way.

Not sure I would recommend - but if you start the first you should hang in there until the end of the third.

Unpredictable and Astounding!

What made the experience of listening to Damascus Countdown the most enjoyable?

It was the full package, the performance was awesome and the story was totally unpredictable. Though the life and death, dooms day scenarios might be a bit much for some readers to accept there was nothing cheesy about it. Quite the opposite in fact, you are sitting on pens and needles while your mind is racing and your heart is pounding.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was strong and well developed as you clung to the hope that the characters you love will survive the day of reckoning. The best part is how unpredictable the plot is with the exception that the prophecies do come true, but the how constantly plagues you.

What about Christopher Lane’s performance did you like?

Once again the performance is astounding, every character's voice is distinguishable and their rhythms are consistent. I can not say enough about how amazing of a job he does.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are several moments that moved me but if I share them I will soil it for the next reader. I will say this, I cried and cheered several times in this book. I also gasped a lot!

Any additional comments?

I am hoping there are more booking coming in this series, the first three books were amazing. These should be movies!!!!!!