Recently, I got this book from the Book Sirens ARC for an honest review. Thanks to the team and author for providing a copy of the work. Book covers do attract me very much and this book cover did pique my interest in this book.
This book starts with the infamous kidnapping during the OPEC meeting held in Vienna and then flashes back to the life story of Carlos. A boy born and brought up in Venezuela had a strong communist upbringing, even though they lived a comfortable life. His father moves Carlos and his brother to Russia to study communism where he becomes a sort of rebel and disillusioned with communism. From his expulsion from the college, the book gives us a narrative of how Carlos goes on to get trained under PLO, carries out operations in various parts of the world, and finally gets arrested in France.
The narrative was fast-paced but engaging enough. Even though this was a non-fiction work, I had the feeling of reading a novel. The book provides us with a concise look into the life of Carlos the Jackal. The narration was interesting enough to keep me engaged. I felt this guy was more like a buffoon than a terrorist and throughout the book I could see more failed attempts than terrorist attacks. I was expecting a different backstory for the world-famous terrorist. But having said that, it is commendable how he was able to keep a leash on the government agencies and how clever he was in such matters. No wonder the moniker The Jackal. The author has done a good job of sticking to the subject and not deviating with unnecessary detail. Because of that, we never lose track of what we are reading and I was able to wind up the book in a day.
In short, a concise narrative of the life of the terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Those interested in true crime and thriller will enjoy this quick read.
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