Col de la Traversette
In the opening pages of BLOWBACK, we find an archaeologist who has made a triumphant discovery near the Col de la Traversette. This treacherous Alpine mountain passage marks the border between France and Italy. Historians have proposed that the Col de la Traversette is where Hannibal crossed the Alps.
USAMRIID
The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) is the U.S. Department of Defense’s lead laboratory for developing medical countermeasures and conducting biological defense research to protect U.S. troops. The agency figures prominently in BLOWBACK.
Buyuk Hamam
Buyuk Hamam is a historic Turkish bath in Cyprus that was originally part of a 14th-century church. Scot Harvath takes a stealthy meeting in the sauna-type gobek tasi chamber early on in his mission in BLOWBACK.
The Bunch of Grapes
The Bunch of Grapes, one of the oldest pubs in London, is the backdrop for Harvath’s introduction to Jillian Alcott, an important associate of his in BLOWBACK.
Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare
Among many source materials referenced in BLOWBACK, Harvath scans Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor. In it, Mayor studies the origins of biological and chemical weapons.