An extremely effective modern espionage novel, filled with action and incident but also a profound knowledge of the people and factions of Syria, the complex maneuvers of spycraft, the gray areas, competing egos and overlapping priorities that make every day a journey through the minefield. As I read, the blend of fact and fiction, and perhaps a bit of ‘if only’, make this an excellent read.

Once in Damascus, Joseph and Head of Station, Artemis Proctor are thrust into a dangerous game as they hunt for the man responsible for the disappearance of a CIA officer in the city. The power of this book is that it tells this devastating story through the eyes of those who suffered and survived because of love, the human relationship, and the power of what makes life worth living.McCloskey portrays the incredible tension and the mission dangers so well, that the reader will feel sweat breaking out on her neck. It’s not revealing any spoilers to say the exfil goes sideways, Ghazali never shows, Owens is captured and Sam just makes it out alive. I am shocked the CIA’s Publication Review Board allowed David McCloskey’s Damascus Station to see the light of day.

We use Google Analytics to see what pages are most visited, and where in the world visitors are visiting from. From this point if you do a shot every time someone in the book says "habiti" you will be quite smashed in 25-30 pages. When he spots her being badgered by a Syrian diplomat, Sam moves in and rescues her, then strikes up a conversation. Damascus, here, is somewhere beyond the gates of hell itself as torture scenes give way to sarin chemical bombings. DAMASCUS STATION is an extremely effective modern espionage novel, filled with action and incident but also a profound knowledge of the people and factions of Syria, the complex maneuvers of spycraft, the gray areas, competing egos and overlapping priorities that make every day a journey through the minefield.A volatile mix of traditional espionage plotlines intertwined with a modern level of violence that had me flipping pages until the early morning hours. From the offset, McCloskey incorrectly characterizes the relations between various religious communities in Syria as religious divisions rather than religious coexistence – which completely disregards the decades of secularism codified by the Ba’ath Party.

Equally, I would have been thrilled with a rich historical fiction that made you feel and think deeply. An American CIA operative is tasked with recruiting a Syrian government official to keep the the American government aware of happenings inside the intelligence services. The thrills and actions are there, but certain parts are bogged down with too much detail resulted in unusual pacing.Objective observation by the reader can see that events would have played out very differently had Sam regarded Mariam as just an asset, but nothing more than that. He’d had the drilling at the Farm – ‘never get involved emotionally’ – but the heart sometimes rules the head. As the novel progresses the tension ramps up, each progressive sentence feels like it could all collapse. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad’s recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy. The CIA find a potential target in a mid-level official working in the Palace – Mariam Haddad, and Sam is sent back in to recruit her.

As Sam Joseph dives headfirst into the intricate world of intelligence, readers are treated to a rollercoaster of twists and turns that keep them guessing until the very end. While this book provided an intriguing look inside the “cat and mouse” games the CIA, Syrian Government, Russians and rebels play with each other, I found it severely lacking in character depth and full of shallow, machismo sex and violence that left me feeling half-pregnant with “B-rate James Bond” undertones. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Damascus Station" is a triumph in the espionage genre, seamlessly blending action, suspense, and a touch of romance.Well I had high hopes for this book, which quickly were dashed by shoddy writing, poor character development, and a plot that was like a Twinkie without the filling---quite unsatisfying. Sam Joseph is a CIA case officer in Paris and is tasked with recruiting Mariam Haddad, a Syrian national who works in the Syrian palace. The author who is former CIA, takes on a journey with a mildly unlikable main character that is attempting to recruit a very attractive female Syrian asset---google very attractive Syrian woman.