For the first 50 or so pages, this really is a "novel of 9/11", and not a bad one. It recalls the rumours and bittersweet naivete of the first hours of that Tuesday morning. As well, there are vivid descriptions that hit all five senses in the long set pieces in which US navy hero Dan Lenson and his wife, Blair Titus, a former high-ranking defence department official, are - coincidentally - trapped in the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, respectively.
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In short, The Towers could be a decent disaster novel, with the usual clutch of clichés and cardboard characters. Starting on September 12, however, it reverts to genre and becomes a "Dan Lenson novel", a generic look at the grit, guts and bureaucracy behind headline-making military operations.
What's surprising is how boring the plot is. Because this book more closely follows actual history than the other 12 "Dan Lenson novels", there is no suspense: readers know that Osama bin Laden won't be killed for nine more years.
Perhaps that's one lesson of September 11. The "war on terror" is not a fast-paced action novel.
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
