Frederick Forsyth - "The Fist of God" Quiz

Answer: The First Gulf War

When Frederick wrote this book in 1994 he naturally had no idea there would be a second Gulf war (let alone with another George Bush in the White House!).

Answer: He looks and talks like an Arab

When Kuwait is invaded, Mike and his men are stationed elsewhere on the Arabian peninsula. When the British Secret Service learn about him, they request he be "lent" to them. They need someone for an undercover mission in Kuwait.

Answer: False

He does have a brother, but not only are they not twins, they are nothing alike. Terry is younger, white, plump, bespectacled and nervous. A far cry from his soldier brother who often gets mistaken for an Arab.

Answer: He is the hero in disguise

Mike Martin is so good at pretending to be an Arab he occasionally goes on leave and exercises his skill in the desert. Ray and Maybellene Walker's son Don Walker also meets Mike later. Don's plane is shot down over Iraq and luckily Mike is around to rescue him from wandering patrols.

Answer: Mossad - Israel

The mysterious "Jericho" contacted Mossad nearly two years before Kuwait was invaded. They paid him large sums for invaluable information that only someone genuinely close to Saddam could know. All the while they never knew who he was, what he looked like, or even if he was a male.

They had to sever contact when war broke out, but the CIA and SIS get Mike Martin to sneak into Iraq and try to contact Jericho again.

Answer: All these reasons

When Mike infiltrates Kuwait City in the guise of a Bedouin he contacts the wealthy father of an exiled Kuwaiti pilot. The businessman provides Mike with safe houses, vehicles and fake IDs. At first he doesn't believe he is talking to a disguised Englishman, then Mike repeats a message from the old man's son, and the man is convinced.

Answer: The Medusa Committee

The hero Mike Martin's brother Terry is on this committee. They said "Medusa" is an appropriate name, but personally I don't see why. It is thanks to Terry's quick thinking and perseverance that everyone finally believes Saddam really has an atomic bomb.

Answer: True

The atomic bomb is called "The Fist of God" and it is to be launched via a rocket-launcher built for Saddam by western scientist Dr. Gerry Bull...before Dr. Bull was mysteriously murdered in Belgium. In real life, many have wondered for years if Saddam really ordered Bull's assassination (according to this book he did).

This book was published between the two Gulf Wars when the rest of the world was uncertain if Iraq had WMDs. Since the US occupation of 2003 we now know they didn't - but the book is still enjoyable.

Answer: Vienna

The CIA and British SIS (via Mike Martin who is now undercover in Baghdad) recontact Jericho - not least to learn about the whereabouts of The Fist of God! At the same time, The Mossad secretly travel to Vienna and try to learn his identity from the bank (and maybe even get their money back!).

They succeed, after seducing one of the secretaries and gaining access to the bank after hours. The poor woman hangs herself after realising she was duped.

Answer: "The Tormentor" - The State Torturer

Throughout the latter half of the story we are meant to think Jericho was actually Hassan Rashad - an old school chum of Mike Martin's. We see Rashad engaged in espionage but he did not pass anything to foreigners. After Mike and company destroy The Fist of God, and Baghdad (with no more surprises up its sleeve) surrenders to the allies, Jericho crosses the border. Since he has been working for the allies he expects to be well treated.

But he is soon picked up by some Mossad agents in disguise and put aboard an airplane.

He soon leaves the plane...while it's still in the air.