The Fist of God, an absorbing novel
by master story-teller Frederick Forsythe is set in Iraq during the Gulf War. A Canadian scientist who had tinkered with the idea of hurling satellites into space by firing them from a colossal cannon had developed a technology for this purpose. His brainchild rejected, the scientist is enlisted by Iraq, which saw in his theory the possibility of annihilating its more powerful enemies: rather than launch a spaceship, the cannon will be used to lob a nuclear weapon. The project, code-named The Fist of God, became a well-kept secret, until Allied intelligence got wind of it. The problem is how to locate the secret facility in the Iraqi
desert. British, Israeli and American agents work to locate the project. The need to know the location becomes critical as Allied Forces mass themselves in the desert, vulnerable to a sudden nuclear attack. The Allies, however, has a well-placed asset in Iraq who can give them the exact location for a hefty fee. Major Martin, a commando of the Royal forces goes in a mission inside Iraq, disguised as a Bedouin and later as a peasant employed in the Soviet embassy to contact Jerico, the asset. The Allies finally pinpoint the location of the cannon, which is destroyed by Allied aircraft.