Author Howard Kaplan on How His Life as a Spy Informed His Novel THE DAMASCUS COVER

THE DAMASCUS COVER has been made into a movie starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, based on the novel by Howard Kaplan. Kaplan discusses the spy games and espionage intrigue of the Middle East in this uncensored interview. How the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the modern dimension of ISIS terrorism has changed the landscape, plus Kaplan’s own experience as a spy in Russia is all discussed on Media Mayhem, hosted by Allison Hope Weiner.

Guest Bio

Howard Kaplan, a native of Los Angeles, has lived in Israel and traveled extensively through Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. At the age of 21, while attending school in Jerusalem, he was sent on a mission into the Soviet Union to smuggle out a dissident’s manuscript on microfilm. His first trip was a success. On his second trip to the Soviet Union, he was arrested in Khartiv in the Ukraine and interrogated for two days there and two days in Moscow, before being released. He holds a BA in Middle East History from UC Berkeley and an MA in the Philosophy of Education from UCLA. He is the author of four novels.

Feature film production on his novel The Damascus Cover wrapped in Casablanca on March 23, 2015 starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Olivia Thirlby, and Sir John Hurt.

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Episode Breakdown

00:01 Welcoming Howard Kaplan to Media Mayhem.

00:58 What inspired Howard to write The Damascus Cover.

02:20 Working as a spy in Russia.

05:33 Studying at Berkeley and meeting the Russian interpreter.

07:19 Writing The Damascus Cover and film alterations.

09:42 How Nazi’s ended up in Syria.

11:30 Working with Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

12:50 Shooting locations and the book compared to the film.

16:40 The trajectory of the novel.

17:37 Jewish communities around the world and Tel Aviv.

21:30 Damascus then and now.

23:37 Researching Israeli secret agents.

24:57 Loneliness and the 60’s.

26:40 Bullets of Palestine and life as a writer.

29:14 Finding identity through the Israel and Palestine conflict.

32:37 Treaties and Kaplan’s thoughts on Israel.

34:06 ISIS and the bi-products of American wars.

36:01 Israel then and now.

38:00 Thank you and goodbye.

Guest Bio

Feature film production on his novel The Damascus Cover wrapped in Casablanca on March 23, 2015 starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Olivia Thirlby, and Sir John Hurt.