The New Sentinels Trilogy

Pushing Back the Desert

"Pushing Back the Desert is one of the year's best thrillers." - BestThrillers.com

Amid the tumultuous late 1950s (Eisenhower Era), the New Sentinels are summoned to expose a covert plan (Operation Ajax) to overthrow Iran’s Parliamentary Government, restore the exiled Shah to power, and seize control of Iran’s oil industry, the world’s fourth-largest oil reserve.

Jacque Roth, the Six Sentinels' current leader, discovers Operation Ajax, a covert plan by oil companies to overthrow Iran's government, reinstate the exiled Shah, and control its oil industry. To safeguard their humanitarian venture, Roth-Naraghi enlists the Sentinels against Operation Ajax, plunging Jacque Roth and his partners into a perilous dilemma: defy "Big Oil" and challenge superpower governments.

Reviews

"This was quite a different read for me! I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the story was inspired around true events that have happened. The elements of history and politics definitely appealed to me! Having just completed an international relations and politics degree, I found a story filled with diplomacy, espionage, and trepidation surrounding events that I'm familiar with very interesting! Though written very well, when reading, I often found myself getting confused as events seemed to keep jumping rather fast through the chapters. I also found the number of characters a bit overwhelming on occasion. Though there is a cast of characters at the beginning of the book, which is incredibly useful, I think I found myself referring to it a bit too much! Despite this, I really enjoyed the concept of this, and it is very well written." ~ Source

"This story seems especially relevant in mid-2024 with middle Eastern tensions flaring up and affecting the lives of many. My spouse is from the region and has shared stories of his grandparents as they lived with the repercussions of the decisions of forces beyond their control. I liked reading this from a different perspective to supplement the tales I've heard already. There are still no easy answers though. Why is it so difficult to the "right" thing? Or is it a matter of perspective? It was easy to imagine the characters and suspense as the author described the events. Recommended for those interested in both historical events and current after effects."

Pushing Back the Desert:Operation Ajax is about a group of powerful people who band together to start a humanitarian project in Iran, irrigating what was formerly desert, and taking on foreign powers who seek to use their land for selfish purposes. There is an actual historical fact in the book, i.e. the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran in 1953, by British and American spies.

"The current danger is a plan to overthrow the Iranian government and reinstate the Shah as a puppet for their (British and American) oil interests Operation Ajax. Readers who seek narratives about covert, long-term missions, black and white characterizations of corporate greed and "utopian" desert farmers, and short chapters should enjoy this book."

"The story is inspired by true events and takes place during the Eisenhower presidency. The plot is revealed within short chapters that make the book move forward quickly. The subject matter is a covert plot to overthrow Iran's Parliamentary government and then to bring back the Shah to rule and regain control of the oil industry. I enjoyed the exciting story and its relevance to how important control of the oil and energy industries is today. What struck me as most interesting were how many factors were at play and the subterfuge that took place in order to gain a political and economic impact. Through the character of Sam the author points out how the heroic actions of one man affect others. Of course, what is also in play is the role of Islam on so many decisions and on the actions of people in the Middle East. If you are interested in politics, in how governments operate to impact policy in other countries and how they try to effect change covertly this book will be a favorite of yours. It's well written, filled with intrigue and the characters are well-developed. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series by Gordon Zuckerman."

Big Money: Who is in Control?

In a world where wealth and power have become increasingly concentrated, a small group of elite financial cabals pull the strings behind the scenes, pursuing their own self-serving agendas at the expense of the greater public good. When the Sentinel Institute, a maverick think tank, begins unraveling the complex web of corruption underlying major global events, they quickly find themselves in the crosshairs of these shadowy vested interests.

Led by the brilliant but kidnapped Sarah Schillerman, the New Sentinels must go underground and embark on a perilous quest to expose the alarming reach of the wealthy cartels. From derailing crucial infrastructure projects to manufacturing international crises, no tactic is off-limits for the cabals seeking to tighten their grip on power and influence. With hired mercenaries and corporate assassins closing in, the Sentinels take their fight public through a daring nationwide tour.

As they gather explosive evidence of money laundering, political manipulation, and downright treason, the stakes continue rising dramatically. Even the fate of the nation's leadership falls into the New Sentinels' lap during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Can this ragtag group of truth-seekers stand up to the Goliath force of organized capitalism? Or will the sinister machinations of the wealthy elite prevail, burying the truth and ensuring their stranglehold over the world's populace? The battle lines are drawn for an epic showdown over the control of money and power itself.

Restoring the Dream: Making It In America

Coming Early 2025

In a remarkable tale of bringing jobs back to America and championing the common people over the wealthy few, the Six Sentinels rally a resurgence akin to 'The Greatest Generation' restoring America to Superpower status.

In 1995, as American jobs flow overseas due to lower labor costs, a graduating Sentinel doctoral group unveil a groundbreaking plan: harness federal value creation to subsidize domestic job expenses. To enact vital tax legislation, the Sentinels must rally public support to challenge the entrenched power of offshore manufacturers backed by Big Money.

A historic showdown where the people's will takes on corporate interests in a battle to reshape the future of American manufacturing. The New Sentinels final mission is to rally public support by introducing a groundbreaking plan to generate federal value and subsidize domestic jobs.

The Sentinels Trilogy

In a gripping tale of greed, power, and justice, the Six Sentinels (Oceans 11) risk everything to expose a sinister plot driven by the 'profits of war' question their allegiance to kin and privilege (Robin Hood) in a gripping quest to change the course of history. The Sentinels trilogy is set in climates of military turmoil where government and greed collide in high-stakes drama with entire nations hanging in the balance.

Fortunes of War

🎧 Audiobook

Book 1: Fortunes of War, delves heavily into how money played a key role in building up Hitler’s attempt of world domination and how the loss of that money helped bring him down. In the financial devastation of the 1930s, a greedy, power-hungry group of German industrialists plot to usher in the National Socialist Party in order to rearm Germany and reap the financial rewards. With Hitler in power, the Six Sentinels, graduates of an elite American doctoral program, uncover the industrialists' plan to hoard hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal war profits and put their lives on the line to serve justice.

Crude Deception

🎧 Audiobook

In Book 2, Crude Deception, our heroes return in an epic battle against a big oil monopoly. As America's dependence on fossil fuel takes hold in the post-World War Two climate of economic growth, seven major oil companies join forces to control the industry, amassing obscene profits, squeezing tax-payers, and manipulating supplies around the world. In a plot line eerily reminiscent of today’s political climate, the Sentinels fan out across several continents in an intricately plotted mission to bring 'Big Oil' to its knees.

Review

This is a continuation of the story of the Sentinels, a group of elite, conservative, intellectuals crusading to do good, by preventing nefarious scoundrels from exploiting the general public. Even so, it is an interesting read from the standpoint of what, if something like this had happened in the past, would the outcome have been. In the first novel, Fortunes of War, the Sentinels thwart the plans of German Industrialists to establish a fourth Reich following the collapse of Hitler’s attempt to create the third. In the second, Crude Deception, they are opposing the major international oil companies, and their respective countries in their attempt to monopolize the exploration, development and production of the world’s available crude oil. ...naturally and thought provoking only if you are willing consider the implications of the story. Both books may be considered a cautionary against acceptance of the apparent status quo, advocating that active steps be taken to assure that not only the vested interests make decisions, but those impacted by the outcome have a major input as well.

Voices Behind the Curtain

🎧 Audiobook

"The Voices Behind the Curtain is a solidly written and edited novel featuring an engaging cast of characters that will appeal to many interested in the historical, political, and economic events that shaped the world in the years after World War II." ~ The Foreword

The third and final installment of the trilogy is Voices Behind the Curtain. Can the world be rescued by a financial expert? Does the world even know it needs to be saved from what lurks behind the curtain? The Sentinels are back with a new installment. The post-World War II military industrial complex is explored in Zuckerman’s action-filled globe-trotting thriller. It’s a book of principles vs. power, of greed vs. the selfless serving of one’s country. His latest novel examines what he calls a “Power Cycle” threat, where those who operate outside the law must be dealt with outside society’s normal channels.