The Falcon and The Shaikhs
as told by Luigi Falconi to John Dragonetti
A story of the USA Gulf Coast Mafia In Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, 1965-1967
Torn between family loyalty and his dream to transform their business into a legitimate enterprise, Luigi reluctantly aligns himself with his Mafia family’s agenda. Read More
Awards
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Readers Favorite Book Review
The Falcon and The Shaikhs by John Dragonetti
Historical Fiction – Drama
592 Pages
Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio on 05/12/2024
The Falcon and The Shaikhs by John Dragonetti is a fascinating book with solid shades of the historical. This story puts two cultures side by side, examining an intriguing conflict. Luigi is torn between loyalties and two worlds. As the would-be heir to a mafia group, he feels bound by loyalty, but he also commits to his vision to help reshape the future. The intrigue is plentiful in how John Dragonetti juxtaposes the traditional and cultural world of the Shaikhs with Western culture. The eye-opening passages and moments of revelation will spellbind readers. Luigi Falconi’s journey from Muscat back to New Orleans is not merely a physical one but a transition from one world to another, from the high-stakes realm of international business to the familiar grounds of family and tradition. As he traverses Beirut and London, his mind is still buzzing with the recent events, unable to find peace even in moments of rest. This is how the author entices readers to experience the setting. He makes them feel the places, the customs, and the way of life of the people he writes about in The Falcon and The Shaikhs.
John Dragonetti
aka Luigi Falconi
In 1972, the author and his family moved from the USA to Cairo, Egypt, to take the position of Headmaster of the Cairo American College. In 1974 he relocated the family to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to become Headmaster of the American School. Three years later he left the education sector for a new career in business, staying in Dubai with his family until 2013, intermittently residing for brief periods in Doha, Qatar, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Maputo, Mozambique.
As an international businessman, John traveled to numerous Middle Eastern countries, developing a fascination with Arab history, culture, and language.
It was the stories and experiences, of friends and business associates, members of the tribal families, as well longtime resident expatriates, that really enthralled him, and led to the writing of The Falcon and the Shaikhs, a historical fictional account, of the intricate relationships cultivated between pioneering expatriates and the tribal families who laid the foundation of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, before the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
Our Publisher - Headline Books
Luigi says they’re the best. The world agrees – 1054 National Awards, 2023 Independent Publisher of the Year, etc.
Visit headlinebooks.com to see their catalog.
Previous Publications
The Duke of Dubai won critical acclaim and was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Read More
The Falcon and the Shaikhs can be considered as a prequel to his first novel, The Duke of Dubai, a fictional parody of some of the real-life, eccentric oil field characters who really existed in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
