Howard Kaplan

Howard Kaplan (born 1950 in Los Angeles, and resides there) – has lived in Israel and traveled extensively throughout Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, which heavily informs his writing. He holds a B.A. in Middle East History from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in the Philosophy of Education from UCLA. A notable event in his youth was being sent on a mission into the Soviet Union at age 21 to smuggle a dissident’s manuscript on microfilm to London. While his first trip was a success, he was arrested on his second mission and interrogated by the KGB before being expelled from the USSR. This real-world experience adds a layer of authenticity to his espionage novels.

Howard Kaplan’s “Jerusalem Spy Series” consists of fast-paced, historical thrillers that move fictional characters through actual historical events in the Middle East. 

The Damascus Cover: Set in 1977, the novel follows washed-up Israeli agent Ari Ben-Sion, who takes a seemingly simple mission to smuggle a group of Jewish children out of the Damascus ghetto. The mission quickly devolves into a more dangerous game involving a mysterious American photographer and a larger intelligence plot, forcing Ari to risk everything to succeed.

Bullets of Palestine: This book, set around the time of the 1978 Camp David Accords, explores an uneasy alliance between an Israeli agent and a former Palestinian terrorist. They must work together to locate and stop the infamous terrorist Abu Nidal, testing their loyalties and providing a look at the complexities of the Palestinian conflict and the human side of the deep-seated animosity.

To Destroy Jerusalem: The story is set in 1990 during the First Palestinian Intifada (uprising). Legendary Mossad field agent Shai Shaham is called in by the CIA to trace a stolen neutron source, a necessary component for a nuclear explosion. His search takes him across the globe, from New York to Amsterdam and Beirut, forcing him to collaborate with the Palestinian agent Ramzy Awwad, whom he was previously ordered to kill.

The Spy’s Gamble: Another tale of Israel-Palestine reconciliation, moving through actual events in the region and delving into the complexities and moral ambiguities of the conflict. It further explores the difficult relationship and mutual dependency between Shai Shaham and Ramzy Awwad as they navigate dangerous political landscapes.

The Syrian Sunset: Explores the devastating consequences of the Syrian civil war and the geopolitical shifts that followed. It highlights the 2012 “red line” regarding chemical weapons and the subsequent 2013 sarin gas attack in East Damascus. Kaplan argues that Western inaction during these events emboldened Russia to expand its military presence in Syria and ultimately paved the way for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. [Google/AI]

Kaplan, Howard, (The Damascus Cover: The Jerusalem Spy Series #1, Agent Ari Ben-Sion [hc, Dutton, 1977])  978-0525088509 [pb, Kaplan, Inc., 2014] 978-0990526308

Kaplan, Howard, (Bullets of Palestine (The Jerusalem Spy Series #2, Agent Shai Shaham) [pb, Kaplan, Inc., 2014])

Kaplan, Howard, (To Destroy Jerusalem (The Jerusalem Spy Series #3, Agent Shai Shaham) [pb, Independently published, 2018] 978-1723912351

Kaplan, Howard, (The Spy’s Gamble (The Jerusalem Spy Series #4, Agent Shai Shaham) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2018] 978-1720606215

Kaplan, Howard, (The Syrian Sunset (The Jerusalem Spy Series #5) [pb, independently published, 2022] 979-8363111983