Jack Everett and David Coles have put together a story of nightmarish proportions. In a post 9/11 world where terror once again raises its head, they have written a story of Jihad, a war against the British by those most extreme. In 1/1/: Jihad - Britain, they have taken the extremism to an ultimate place. However, they have also found a hero, or a group of heroes, willing to challenge the status quo, willing to make changes unpopular with many to rebuild a stronger county.
They have shown a bleak and challenging situation and founded a group of characters, capable of bringing it home. Each of the different characters, including the Prime Minister, Francis Raike, have a boldness and strength needed in this time, and yet they have their human side, which shows up, often in awkward times and places. They are human and very likable, but also give you a solid comfort that they are there on the scene.
At the same time, they have a formidable foe, two men with their own twisted beliefs, but with the charisma to build an army of thugs, those who enjoyed murder for the act itself as well as those fanatics just following their belief.
I had difficulty at the beginning of the book. It started slow, but within the first few chapters, an understanding of the story emerged, building a pace that was then both quick and interesting. I would recommend this book for those interested in this genre, and while it is a novel of war, it is also a novel of people. I found it quite fascinating. This would be a very interesting book for a reading group or book club.
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