Books like Syriana
Looking for a book like Syriana?
Try Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa. Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana tied oil, intelligence and power into one web. A.M. Khalifa’s first job on a film set was Syriana, and Terminal Rage brings the same instinct for how politics, money and violence connect.
What they share
A web, not a straight line
Syriana showed how a decision in Washington ripples into the Gulf. Terminal Rage starts with one hostage standoff in Manhattan and traces it to a conspiracy reaching from the highest levels of government to an Egyptian prison.
Written by someone who was there
Khalifa worked on Syriana, has since advised filmmakers including Ridley Scott, and never writes about a place he hasn’t been.
The Middle East with depth
Like Syriana, Terminal Rage gives its Arab characters their own reasons and loyalties, written by an Egyptian author who grew up in a diplomatic corps family.
Where they differ
Syriana is a mosaic of many stories. Terminal Rage keeps you with one man, Alexander Blackwell, a retired FBI hostage negotiator, and a clock that won’t stop.
A.M. Khalifa is an Egyptian writer based in Rome, raised in a diplomatic corps family across more than fifteen countries, and the only Egyptian writing commercial espionage fiction in English. More on that.
Terminal Rage received a starred review from Booklist, has sold more than 500,000 copies, and is narrated on audio by Scott Brick. It contains violence and sexual content, and is meant for adult readers.
More books like Syriana
- Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa: a hostage standoff that unravels into a conspiracy from Washington to Cairo.
- See No Evil by Robert Baer: the former CIA officer’s memoir that inspired Syriana.
- The Constant Gardener by John le Carré: a diplomat uncovers the corporate secrets behind his wife’s murder.
- A Most Wanted Man by John le Carré: spies, money and a refugee in Hamburg.
Questions
What books are like Syriana?
Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa, whose author began his film career on Syriana, is a natural next read. Others include Robert Baer’s memoir See No Evil, which inspired the film, and John le Carré’s The Constant Gardener and A Most Wanted Man.
Did A.M. Khalifa work on Syriana?
Yes. His first job on a film set was Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana. He has since advised filmmakers including Ridley Scott and is a partner in a film production company.
Is Terminal Rage part of a series?
Yes. It is the first book in the series. The second, Terminal Deception, is coming soon.