The novel follows narrator "Philip Roth" on a journey to Israel, where he attends the trial of accused war criminal John Demjanjuk and becomes involved in an intelligence mission—the "Operation Shylock" of the title.
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For example, several minor characters from the novel are actual people including John Demjanjuk, Claire Bloom, and Israeli writer and Roth friend Aharon Appelfeld.
Operation Overlord | Operation Enduring Freedom | Operation Barbarossa | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | Operation Market Garden | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development | Operation Torch | Operation Vistula | operation | Shylock | Operation Provide Comfort | Operation Anaconda | Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters | Operation Weserübung | Operation Shingle | Operation Ivy | Operation Highjump | Operation Blue Star | Operation Anthropoid | Operation Paperclip | Operation Downfall | Operation Deny Flight | Operation Thunderbolt | Operation Southern Watch | Operation Michael | Operation Entebbe | Operation Condor | Operation Yoav | Operation Varsity | Operation United Shield |