First published 2016
Jerusalem, July 22, 1946. Six members of the Irgun underground organization, led by future Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, descend into the basement of the King David Hotel. They carry seven milk churns packed with explosives, targeting the wing that houses British Mandatory Government headquarters. Clarke follows these operatives minute by minute as they execute their plan, while British officials, Arab workers, and Jewish civilians go about their daily routines in the floors above. The explosion that follows kills ninety-one people from all three communities in roughly equal numbers. This single act of terrorism becomes the deadliest of its time and marks a turning point that will help drive the British from Palestine. Clarke brings both the perpetrators and victims to vivid life, showing how individual choices and chance encounters converge in one devastating moment that reshapes the future of the Middle East.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-history, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, historical-figures
Setting: Jerusalem, Palestine, King David Hotel
Period: July 22, 1946
460 pages · Kindle Edition · Open Road Distribution
Content warnings: death, violence