Product Description
2009 Indie Book Award Finalist for Best Multicultural Fiction
Adventure Novel with Historical Overtones; based on author’s personal experiences.
Carved from the sun-baked sands of Arabia, Dubai has evolved from an oil boomtown into one of today’s most exciting and opulent metropolises. In this world of wealth and power, mystery and intrigue, Luigi Falconi is transformed from a naïve youth to Lou Falconi, The Falcon. Adopted into the brotherhood of eccentric expatriates, amusing Arabs and assorted adventurers led by The Duke, Lou is swept up in the excitement of Dubai’s burgeoning development, discovers its morally conflicting cultural codes and uncovers many of its secrets.
He also discovers within himself greed, the desire to accumulate wealth like that of his compatriots, which leads him through the back streets of his conscience to various get rich quick scams and schemes.
This book takes the reader on a magic carpet ride deep into the political, cultural and sometimes perilous realm of modern Dubai, one of the wonders of the modern world, where money begets power, and power rules.
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Luigi takes on the early days in Dubai when there was not the man made islands and traffic snarls. A very entertaining read that will bring back memories to those who were there and laughs to those who were not. As someone who lived in Dubai a long time – I can only tell you the story may not be true, but it sure mirrors real life. The memories of the poker games bring back many great thoughts. Thanks Luigi!!!
Rating: 5 / 5
This is not only realistic but a fun, exciting, and sometimes funny tale from Falconi meeting new friends and the “Duke” in his early days thru the Dubai we know of today. I met such a man when I did business there and maybe even Falconi…I think. You will not be dissapointed reading this one. Read it before Hollywood grabs this one for “The Rock” or Matt Damon! On a scale of 5 Luigi gets a SIX!
Rating: 5 / 5
This was a fun read. Luigi has a great sense of humor. And it brought me way back to the good old days in Dubai! And if you’ve never been, you’ll learn a lot about the arab and oil culture of the early days in the Middle East. That guy Frankie in the book sounds REALLY HOT!!!
Rating: 5 / 5
Luigi Falconi knows how to take his reader on a magic carpet ride. The Duke of Dubai opens with fast-paced action–and never stops. This first-person story, based upon the author’s experiences as an educator-turned-oilman in the early days of Dubai’s history, mixes fact with fiction to keep us entertained and amazed. It is rare that I laugh out loud while reading, but this is one book that gave me more than one belly laugh–and that kept me up well past my bedtime.
The narrator Luigi is thrust into a culture completely different from his middle-class American upbringing. Dubai, in the early 70s, was mostly desert, not yet developed into the dynamic metropolis it is today. We enjoy spending time with Luigi as he learns his way around this exotic world and as he cements friendships with The Duke–an eccentric oilman–and a host of other unique individuals.
Now, while this book has a number of breath-holding adventures and humorous situations, it also has something that many adventures stories lack: fine writing and a main character who is multi-dimensional and who grows from a naive young man into a money-hungry oilman into a mature man with a unique perspective on the world. Luigi worries he is losing his soul in his quest for wealth–but his basic humanity always comes through.
The author knows how to craft words to say exactly what he wants to say. This is one of those rare books that entertains us on multiple levels and that when we finish, we feel we are a better and more knowledgeable person for having read it.
Rating: 5 / 5