- Paperback
- Publisher: Harpercollins (Mm); Reprint edition (Feb 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0061091499
- ISBN-13: 978-0061091490
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 9.9 x 4.1 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,929,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Synopsis
Egypt, 1999: terror reigns, and the end of the world seems nigh. An ancient mummy is discovered wearing a very modern wristwatch and in the city of the dead, the just-living vie to escape - but to what? By the author of "Brotherhood of the Tomb" and "The Ninth Buddha".
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
Egypt 1999. Plagues sweep North Africa, terrorists lay waste to Europe. Men all over the globe are haunting by the same portentous dream. Towering over the heart of the apocalyptic upheaval is a mysterious figure known as al-Qurtubi. Is he the Antichrist? The Pope believes so, and is willing to sacrifice everything to defeat him.
Only two people can stop al-Qurtubi. A’isha Manfaludi, a beautiful archaeologist and Michael Hunt, a retired British Intelligence agent. Their pursuit of the mysterious figure leads them on a perilous journey across a blood-soaked wilderness of death squads to the rat-infested sewers of the City of the Dead. But al-Qurtubi is not alone. He and his army of devoted followers are waiting…
'Name of the Beast' is Daniel Easterman’s mightiest novel yet. He flings open the lid of the Pandora’s box which conceals evil incarnate, and voices those atavistic fears which lurk in the hearts of all of us. And he does it superbly.
‘There are shades of Graham Greene in the climate of brooding terror which Easterman conjures so very nicely’
INDEPENDENT
‘Bows to no-one in his portrayal of the horrific’
SUNDAY EXPRESS
‘Easterman gives me history, action, magic and mystery. What else could I want?’
WASHINGTON POST
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2 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Chilled me to the the very marrow!!
7 Aug 2003
Format:Paperback
A chilling portrayal of religious fanaticism run amuck. It seemed all too real, at times generating a palpable sense of discomfort and fear. Taking into account the times we live in and the fact that this book was written 11 years ago, the plausibility of the story seems less and less extreme. A genuine page-turner with finely etched characters and a dramatic sense of place and atmosphere. Mr. Easterman's expert knowledge of the region, the culture, religion and language are put to exemplary use in this fantastic journey into a world shaken to its very foundation by madness and violence. My sole complaint involves the ending, which seems a bit rushed and forced, but, nevertheless, does not wholly disappoint. Highly recommended.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Dark vision of an Islamic revolution
12 Jun 2009
Format:Paperback
Easterman has painted an overwhelmingly dark vision of an Egypt literally demolished by a fundamentalist Islamic revolution, a country not only terrorized by religious police - the mutahsibin - but ravaged by the plague and hemmed in by a 50-foot-high wall created with material supplied by the tearing down of the pyramids and other ancient monuments. It is a truly horrifying image, vividly portrayed. The lead characters are interesting and well-rounded, and Mr. Easterman is clearly intimately acquainted with Cairo and its environs. His expertise in Arabic and other Middle Eastern languages also contributes to his portrayal of the culture.
However, I think the motivation of his villain, al-Qurtubi, is rather thin, especially this Spanish former priest's reason for converting from Catholicism to Islam. The story goes to some lengths to identify al-Qurtubi as the Biblical Anti-Christ, but then does very little to follow through on how his particular actions fit that identification. And there's a whole big build-up of dreams and historical prophecies having to do with a mysterious black pyramid, which is eventually produced from under the sands of the desert, but it only serves as a brief setting for a plot to kidnap the Pope - the pyramid itself seems to have no other significance. The majority of the story concerns the trials and tribulations of the hero and heroine as they try to escape the religious police and various henchmen of al-Qurtubi.
To me, one of the weaknesses of the story is the assumption that the forces of the Islamic revolution would be able to instantly assume complete control of an entire country and coerce millions of people into labor gangs that tear down the pyramids literally overnight and build a 50-foot-high wall around the country, while closing hospitals and suppressing the news that plague is raging and thousands of people are being arbitrarily shot for simple things like reading a translation of "The Tale of Two Cities". I am in the unusual position of having been through the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, so I can vouch for the suppression of things like music, nightclubs and movies; but I can also tell you that a brand new, untrained government does not do anything in a very efficient or organized manner - not even the persecution of foreigners suspected of being spies! (And Iran wasn't suffering the additional whammy of a plague!) I have trouble believing his bad guys would have had this kind of total control over any country. Other than that, my principal problem with this story is that it is so extremely dark that it was difficult to make myself keep reading.
However, I think the motivation of his villain, al-Qurtubi, is rather thin, especially this Spanish former priest's reason for converting from Catholicism to Islam. The story goes to some lengths to identify al-Qurtubi as the Biblical Anti-Christ, but then does very little to follow through on how his particular actions fit that identification. And there's a whole big build-up of dreams and historical prophecies having to do with a mysterious black pyramid, which is eventually produced from under the sands of the desert, but it only serves as a brief setting for a plot to kidnap the Pope - the pyramid itself seems to have no other significance. The majority of the story concerns the trials and tribulations of the hero and heroine as they try to escape the religious police and various henchmen of al-Qurtubi.
To me, one of the weaknesses of the story is the assumption that the forces of the Islamic revolution would be able to instantly assume complete control of an entire country and coerce millions of people into labor gangs that tear down the pyramids literally overnight and build a 50-foot-high wall around the country, while closing hospitals and suppressing the news that plague is raging and thousands of people are being arbitrarily shot for simple things like reading a translation of "The Tale of Two Cities". I am in the unusual position of having been through the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, so I can vouch for the suppression of things like music, nightclubs and movies; but I can also tell you that a brand new, untrained government does not do anything in a very efficient or organized manner - not even the persecution of foreigners suspected of being spies! (And Iran wasn't suffering the additional whammy of a plague!) I have trouble believing his bad guys would have had this kind of total control over any country. Other than that, my principal problem with this story is that it is so extremely dark that it was difficult to make myself keep reading.
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