▁is ▁a ▁tight ly ▁w ound ▁tour ▁de ▁force ▁of ▁several ▁str ands "; ▁it ▁is ▁both ▁a ▁thr iller ▁which ▁port ray s ▁a ▁very ▁attract ive ▁family , ▁and ▁an ▁alleg ory ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁after ▁ 1 1 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁which ▁med it ates ▁on ▁the ▁frag ility ▁of ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁respect ▁the ▁novel ▁correctly ▁anticip ates , ▁at ▁page ▁ 2 7 6 , ▁the ▁July ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁bomb ings ▁on ▁London ' s ▁Under ground ▁railway ▁network , ▁which ▁occurred ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁after ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁published : ▁▁ ▁London , ▁his ▁small ▁part ▁of ▁it , ▁lies ▁wide ▁open , ▁impossible ▁to ▁defend , ▁waiting ▁for ▁its ▁bomb , ▁like ▁a ▁hundred ▁other ▁cities . ▁R ush ▁hour ▁will ▁be ▁a ▁convenient ▁time . ▁It ▁might ▁res emble ▁the ▁P adding ton ▁crash ▁– ▁tw isted ▁rails , ▁bu ck led , ▁up ra ised ▁comm uter ▁coach es , ▁stretch ers ▁handed ▁out ▁through ▁broken ▁windows , ▁the ▁hospital ' s ▁Emer gency ▁Plan ▁in ▁action . ▁Berlin , ▁Paris , ▁Lis bon . ▁The ▁authorities ▁agree , ▁an ▁attack ' s ▁in ev itable . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁ob e ys ▁the ▁classical ▁un ities ▁of ▁place , ▁time ▁and ▁action , ▁following ▁one ▁man ' s ▁day ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁a ▁gr ander ▁historical ▁narr ative ▁– ▁the ▁anti - war ▁protest s ▁happening ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁that