• Whirlwind

  • The Asian Saga, Book 6
  • By: James Clavell
  • Narrated by: Derek Perkins
  • Length: 52 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (593 ratings)

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Whirlwind  By  cover art

Whirlwind

By: James Clavell
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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Publisher's summary

The gripping epic novel of the 1979 Iranian Revolution by the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell

Tehran, Iran 1979: Simmering religious tensions finally explode, and the Iranian people rise up against the Shah. The country, once secular, is now thrown back into an orthodoxy that threatens to tear it apart. The United States and Russia go on high alert, with warships heading to the Middle East. The region becomes a powder keg, waiting to explode. Caught up in the revolution are a British helicopter company and its pilots. The oil fields of Iran need helicopters to ferry workers and administrators, and when the main US aviation company pulls out of Iran fearing what might come next, S-G Helicopters steps in to fill the void. Soon they realize that they, too, must leave or risk losing all their machines to whomever takes control of the country. The company risks bankruptcy if that happens—which would ruin Andrew Gallavan and reveal that the company is actually owned by a secret Hong Kong–based consortium: Noble House, controlled by the Struan family. Caught in between is his son, Scot, a pilot in Iran who must help save his father’s company, but also the other pilots and their families. In a risky move, the pilots concoct a plan to get their choppers out of Iran. But will they be able to escape a country crumbling around them before it’s too late?

A rich panoply of characters brings to life the events of forty years ago, events that even now have ramifications throughout the Middle East and beyond. Fast-paced and full of action and intrigue, Whirlwind is an intricately plotted and detailed tale of war, love, and the ingenuity of the human spirit, told by James Clavell, the unparalleled master of historical fiction.

©1986 James Clavell (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Literally the End of an Era!

This is last of James Clavel's six tomes based on various parts of the Orient. This begins the day the Ayatollah lands in Tehran following the departure of the Shah. A British-Iranian helicopter company providing support services for the Iranian state oil company is Clavel's framework for this saga which ends prior to majority of the US embassy brouhaha.

As in all his tomes, Clavel utilizes his occidental characters to introduce us to his primary character - the country in which the story takes place, in this case, Iran.

What is difficult for many western readers to grasp is exactly how ancient these societies of the Orient are. In the case of Persian Iran, some 4,000 years old. The very maturity of all these oriental societies prejudice their outlook on the outside world with an ingrained chauvinism that is highly misunderstood and resented by the outside world. Clavel never says whether this attitude is good or bad, simply that it exists. (He does insinuate that parts are good in all his books).

The added f factor in the story is the various flavors of Islam conflicting. In this case there are moderates, socialists, extremists and Kurds fighting for supremacy. For most of the tome no one know which side the Ayatollah will support. All use the Takbir, "Allāhu akbar ", as their battle cry. The urban society doesn't want to surrender the freedoms exercised historically. The rural extremists desire to bring sharia to Iran. The smallest group of Iranians are the Soviet influenced socialists who are either students or live along Iran's northern border with the Soviet Union. Intermingled into this are the military, the secret police, various external spy agencies, the existing aristocracy, the desire to maintain the flow of oil, etc. All sides are completely convinced that what they are doing is "in sha Allah". Literally meaning, "God willing", but used colloquially to mean, "God's will". If one can grasp just this concept, one can understand much of what Clavel is trying to say.

Narration is superb.

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15 people found this helpful

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Finally !

Finally the unabridged version of this fascinating book from James Clavell ! I've read and loved the book many years ago and now I'm starting it all over again. I will write a full review as soon as I will have finished it, for now I am very happy from part 1 to say that the reader does a great job. Being my first listen to him I was afraid, but now I'm sure he is maintaining if not enhancing the magic of the book ! Highly recommended.

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Last 25 hours was awesome!

This book was much, much longer than it needed to be. I am generally a Clavell fan, but the first 20 hours of this book could have been done in 10% of the time without losing anything. If you can slog through the setup, the payoff is pretty good.

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Very long, but worth it.

Clavell's novels are all about the details. This one doesn't disappoint. While only marginally connected to the Noble House and not in China, Clavell still shows off his ability to get inside the mindset of both his characters and the culture around them. The Islamic revolution in Iran is a fascinating backdrop to the story. And, given the recent events in Iran today, I felt this book really gave me some insight into what was going on.

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Good book. Wish there were more.

Great last book in the Asia Saga. Though certainly not a finale by any means. Clavell does what he does best giving you multidimensional (grey) characters and an amazing and exciting narrative backdrop. Probably more action oriented than the other books in the series, and in this case that works out excellently. Possibly my favorite book in the series (though I think Tai Pan beats it.).

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Striking

Starting out slowly. Then gripping and holds the reader with absolutely thrilling rapture. Folding inside it self those from past books.

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Revisiting the Iranian Revolution

A good fiction account of Iran’s excursion into Jihad and the demonization of the West by Islamist firebrands. Clavel
‘s more developed characters are
Western with a few Iranians thrown in as symbols. The action doesn’t stop and pulls one along. Skillful suspense. Great scenes of violent action in the air and on the ground. Good historical context well researched.

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Hang On!

This is another great novel from Clavell. It’s an edge of your seat non-stop thrill ride. Put yourself into the hands of a master of plot and character development and enjoy the journey.

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excellent<br />

good story and narrative! Good narration and plot, intertwined with religion. Highly recommend! if you like clavell you love this!

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Another great book by Clavel

Aside from being a terrific story it's also been quite informative about the revolution in Iran and the inner workings of some awful people

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