Free ARC from Net Galley

NOT a fan of the terminal 'superhero' series but this book takes the tragedy of 1983 and reminds us of the complexities that always accompany such a disaster. Victims and villains are given fair space for a complete dissection of a terrible event.

There is a special kind of worry specific to history nerds. What happens when one of your favorite authors teams up with an author from another genre? In this case, a personal favorite of mine, James M. Scott, is partnering with Jack Carr, author of the wildly popular Terminal List and other thrillers to produce Targeted: Beirut. What will result when history meets thriller? Will I throw the book across the room?

No, I shouldn't have worried and no, I didn't throw the book. To quote what my 9-year-old told me last week, "You worry too much."

Targeted: Beirut tells the story of the 1983 Marine barracks bombing. The bombing is an example of a strange oxymoron in history. It is often referenced whenever terrorism is discussed, but this is the first book I have seen on the subject. For those unfamiliar, the U.S. under Ronald Reagan decided to involve itself in the affairs of Lebanon in the 1980s. To say it did not go well is a massive understatement. The entire episode is complicated, ripe for second guessing, and contains a large amount of finger pointing. The good news is that Carr and Scott are up to the challenge. The book deftly handles the political, military, and humanitarian sides of the story and the narrative never slows. The sourcing and research are top notch, and I felt like it was handled with clear-eyed discernment.

The book is so good that I was tempted to actually read fiction for once and pick up a Jack Carr book. For those of you who know my aversion to fiction, this is the best compliment I can give.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Atria Books.)