What are you reading during the pandemic? After my new thriller, you might take a look at two books on the most consequential and controversial leaders in the history of Israel and Saudi Arabia.

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(Washington, D.C.) — With the coronavirus shutting down so many social, cultural and sports events, and entertainment venues, most of us are going to be home for the much of the next month or so. Sad, but true.

We can’t just play board games and watch Netflix and Amazon Prime with the kids all day, right?

Maybe it’s time to read some great books.

You don’t even to need to leave your home to get them — order online and they’ll be delivered to your doorstep. Download them on audio directly to your phone, or as e-books directly to your Nook or Kindle, and get them instantly and for a really low price.

Obviously, you should start with The Jerusalem Assassin. An American President is about roll out his Mideast peace plan and wants to broker a treaty between Israel and Saudi Arabia, when all Hell breaks loose.

It releases on Tuesday in hardcover, ebook and audio. And don’t miss the two others in the Marcus Ryker series — The Kremlin Conspiracy and The Persian Gamble.

That said, let me note two non-fiction books which also deal with Israel and Saudi Arabia that I’m currently reading.

The first is BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE: How Israel’s Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny. It’s by Dennis Ross and Dennis Makovsky, first-rate Mideast experts who have served as senior advisors to several American Presidents.

This is a riveting and must-read account of four of Israel’s most consequential and controversial Prime Ministers. The authors explore how these men made history-changing decisions — and painful compromises — to create, build and protect the Jewish State, and make peace with our Arab neighbors. I’m about a third of the way into it and absolutely love it. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

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The second is a book I literally just bought today, MBS: The Rise To Power of Mohammed Bin Salman.Written by Ben Hubbard, a New York Times Mideast foreign correspondent who is currently the bureau chief in Beirut, it’s the first in-depth look at the enormously powerful and equally controversial Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

Because I’ve just started it, I can’t say whether I will agree with any or all of it. That said, earlier this year, I was interviewed by Hubbard for his book. We spoke at length — he in Beirut, me in Jerusalem — about the two delegations of Evangelical leaders that I have led to meet with MBS in 2018 and 2019. He asked me many questions about my impressions of the man that so many are talking about but so few have ever met. (see excerpt above)

A friend emailed me this morning and said he “was just reading about you in Ben Hubbard’s book on Mohammed bin Salman.” Thought I’d better go pick a copy and read it for myself.

So, those are a few books I’m focused on right now. Be sure to let me know on social media what you’re reading and why. Thanks.

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