A Time to Betray

The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran

By: Reza Kahlili

Narrated by: Richard Allen

Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

A true story as exhilarating as a great spy thriller, as turbulent as today's headlines from the Middle East, A Time to Betray reveals what no other previous CIA operative's memoir possibly could: the inner workings of the notorious Revolutionary Guards of Iran, as witnessed by an Iranian man inside their ranks who spied for the American government.

It is a human story, a chronicle of family and friendships torn apart by a terror-mongering regime, and how the adult choices of three childhood mates during the Islamic Republic yielded divisive and tragic fates. And it is the stunningly courageous account of one man's decades-long commitment to lead a shocking double life informing on the beloved country of his birth, a place that once offered the promise of freedom and enlightenment---but instead ruled by murderous violence and spirit-crushing oppression. Reza Kahlili grew up in Tehran surrounded by his close-knit family and two spirited boyhood friends. The Iran of his youth allowed Reza to think and act freely, and even indulge a penchant for rebellious pranks in the face of the local mullahs. His political and personal freedoms flourished while he studied computer science at the University of Southern California in the 1970s. But his carefree time in America was cut short with the sudden death of his father, and Reza returned home to find a country on the cusp of change. The revolution of 1979 plunged Iran into a dark age of religious fundamentalism under the Ayatollah Khomeini, and Reza, clinging to the hope of a Persian Renaissance, joined the Revolutionary Guards, an elite force at the beck and call of the Ayatollah.

But as Khomeini's tyrannies unfolded, as his fellow countrymen turned on each other, and after the horror he witnessed inside Evin Prison, a shattered and disillusioned Reza returned to America to dangerously become "Wally," a spy for the CIA.

©2010 Lepton Investments, LLC (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“Genuinely powerful.... People in the Iranian operations division at the CIA should welcome A Time to Betray as a virtual recruitment poster.” ( The Washington Post)

Absorbing throughout. Questionable at times.

An interesting and absorbing account. However, some of his accounts of unverifiable conversations seem a bit too convenient to the image of himself he is trying to present (e.g. confronting his friend about the morality of his role in the regime right before the friend gets killed).

An Important Untold Story

When you hear about problems, wars and supression in the east, it's never the story about Iran and the Iranian people. So this is indeed a very important story to tell and it underlines just how hard it is to live in a land full of injustice towards it's people.

Highly recommended!

Eye opener

This book is a good way to gain understanding about Iran and the issues surrounding its influence in the world.

None are so blind as those who will not see

Would you consider the audio edition of A Time to Betray to be better than the print version?

I personally choose audio editions because of the headaches produced when I read. It makes this type media very valuable.

What did you like best about this story?

The insight into Iranian culture.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final escape to America.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the main character confessed and sought his wife's forgiveness.

One of the best true stories ever

OK, so if you haven't bought this book yet, buy it. Stop reading this right now and go buy it. Why are you still reading this? Why haven't you started listening to this book yet?

Very interesting

Where does A Time to Betray rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Good book kept my interest but information was very general therefore conflicting with the story.

Captures your attention immediately

This book has intrigue and ties in historical events from a unique perspective. It fills in some blanks in global historical events and the struggles of Christianity and living out the love we are to have for all people from all walks of life including ourselves a Jesus taught and teaches daily. Well done.

You've Got to Trusht Me.. Blindly!

What disappointed you about A Time to Betray?

Aside from the fact that it is hard to believe a spy - a professional liar (since we simply signed an unspoken pact of trust with him the moment we purchased the book), the author's motivation for spying, and other actions were simply ridiculous and he volunteers to highlight such ridicule by grave contradictions.

First, he says he's chosen to spy for the CIA so that America would save his country from its regime, something some would believe; but when he's offered a salary, instead of rejecting it defiantly and with hurt dignity, he just accepts. Just like that. But to be honest, he did say that money was not his motivation when he was offered the first bonus payment, that's before accepting it on the CIA agent's encouraging words, "Take it, it's yours, you deserve it." Oh, and he didn't it say it out loud, it was an inner dialogue but the clever agent felt his struggle that he couldn't express with a single dignified word (after all, who knows how those agents take such words? She might have apologized, taken back the money, and thanked him for his free work to save his country. But we, the good readers, wouldn't do so, would we? No, we trust an honest spy working for the Iranian government's guards on one side and the CIA on the other, for a pay.)

Now, what about those who though that the idea of seeking help from the US to bring democracy was a stale joke in the first place - those who know its black history of supporting tyrants, imperialism, and unchangeable own interest-driven policies? Like who? Well, like the author himself. At one point he admits that the "foreign policy of the US 'sent mixed signals'" (now that's one good romantic expression.) Yet, while many people made the conclusion that the US will not really scramble to set things right in Iran, our good spy made a different one which nothing could shake, not covert negotiations and support at least.

I can go on like this listing situations where the author blandly shows his disrespect for the reader's intelligence.

There other nice coincidences as well to entertain. The guard who was suspicious about the author dies on their trip to the front right after the author finds out that he started digging. The other guard, the author's boss, whom he finally confronted of his despise for the regime, gets assassinated by an anti government group, while driving his car with the author riding beside him. Luckily, the author, who works for the same establishment, walks out of this unscathed, although the car stopped and the motorcycle-riding assassins could have just walked to him and shot him there. Phew! That was close.
And no, the author didn't wonder for a second about this, so I guess this means we shouldn't either.



An important point to ponder is that the author is a Shiite Muslim as almost all Iranians. Shiites changed a lot in the original Islamic beliefs and are considered non-Muslims by original Muslim scholars (it's hard to have faith in a religion that speaks of a human being trapped in a tunnel for hundreds of years and built on the foundation that he will return.) The author mentions several of such horrific and bloody beliefs (like raping female prisoners before executing them to prevent them from going to heaven) but it should be understood that this is not Islam. While he keeps saying that this is not true Islam, he means only fanaticism, which is wrong in all religions. But at the same time, he attempts to twist some righteous beliefs, like martyrdom, which is respected even aside from religion, for one's country for instance, to show it as brainwash.

All in all, I found the book to be far from believable and more of a CIA propaganda against Iran, although the foundations for Iran's atrocities are there, but it is hard to discern the truth from the lies with the above contradictions and irrationalities so stark.

Note:
For the audiobook, the narration was fine. The narrator used a heavy accent to impersonate the character and seemed to be a Persian speaker as well.

What could Reza Kahlili have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

He could have respected my intelligence, for one.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Richard Allen?

Yes

What character would you cut from A Time to Betray?

Reza himself

One Star is Too Many

Would you try another book from Reza Kahlili and/or Richard Allen?

Absolutely not.

Would you ever listen to anything by Reza Kahlili again?

Not if it was free.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Richard Allen?

Someone who doesn't read like he's telling a story to preschoolers.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Irritation. "A Gripping True Spy Story" is not remotely accurate. It's a 13 hour audio book and there are a solid 4 hours of background before you get to anything spy related. Now that might not be a terrible thing normally, but the story is written like a three year old telling a rambling, nonsensical story to his mother. And like that mother, it's damn near impossible to pay attention. When it does capture your attention, it's mostly to invoke severe eye rolling. I hated this book from start to finish. I kept giving it a chance to get better and I wish I hadn't wasted my time.

A genuine work of fiction

Purchased this book because it was advertised as a true story. Anyone who has worked in the intelligence community will be able to quickly see this is a work of fiction based around historical events. Even if any of it is true, the title is a lie. This guy would have been an informant for the CIA, not an agent. Huge difference. It doesn't really matter though because this a "Tropic Thunder" of a book. Probably riveting for all the fiction readers, but for nonfiction readers it's garbage.