By Order of the President

Presidential Agent, Book 1

By: W. E. B. Griffin

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 20 hrs

Publisher's summary

Two armed men board a 727 that has been all but forgotten at an airfield in Angola. Hijacking the jet, they then slit the throat of the lone crew and fly to parts unknown. The consternation is immediate, as the CIA, FBI, and other agencies race to find out what happened, in the process elbowing one another in the sides a little too vigorously.

Fed up, the president of the United States turns to an outside investigator to determine the truth, an Army intelligence officer serving as special assistant to the secretary of homeland security.

Delta Force major Carlos Guillermo Castillo, known as Charley, is the son of a German mother and a Tex-Mex father who was killed in the Vietnam War and awarded a Medal of Honor. A West Point graduate, a pilot, and a veteran of Desert Storm, Castillo has a sharp eye for the facts - and the reality behind them.

Traveling undercover, he flies to Africa, and there, helped and hindered by unexpected allies and determined enemies, he begins to untangle a story of frightening dimensions - a story that, unless he can do something about it, will end very, very badly indeed, not only for Castillo...but for all of America.

©2004 W. E. B. Griffin (P)2004 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"Proving himself solidly in control of cutting-edge military material, Griffin bases his new series not on wars past but on today's murky exigencies of terrorism and international political intrigue." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Dick Hill does a top-notch job presenting a huge cast of charters from far-flung corners of the globe." ( AudioFile)

Highly recommend

Excellent story & great character development. You really feel like you are apart of the story. Highly recommend.

Wow! What A Difference!

Dick Hill always does a great job narrating.
As to the story, this is the first of a series, that I decided to start after hearing the most recent called "Rogue Asset" by Andrews and Wilson. Not sure how that change happened. Any rate, it's good to know Charley's history, but this proves that starting at the end and going backwards to beginnings can be confusing. Too many unnecessary details in this one nearly negate all the "punch" of the action. Didn't have this problem with Reacher series. IDK, I'm going to try to tough it out and get caught up, but WOW what a difference!!

I couldn't put it down.

I really don't understand the negative experiences of some reviewers. I found this book riveting. I loved the characters, the narrative, the narration.

repeat excellence from author and narrator!

Griffith and Hill! met all my expectations from both. I especially like Dick Hill's use of "telecom voice" sound.

Order if the Pres

Did not actually finish...too much unnecessary vulgar language! Tough guys don't need that kind of language.

WEB Griffin at his VERY best

What made the experience of listening to By Order of the President the most enjoyable?

The intonation, cadence and vitality of the reader were a significant asset to the content and text. One could literally be there with the subject to see and feel and experience what was going on. Great Job of conveying, not only the words of the text, but also its emotion, verve and context.

What did you like best about this story?

As a member of the 8th Special Forces in the 60's, I had a special interest in how faithfully this book would be to actual fact. I was MORE than pleasantly surprised to see the Green Berets -- their Esprit de Corps, camaraderie, professionalism, and devotion to completing the task CORRECTLY and completely -- were presented forthrightly.

Which scene was your favorite?

While several jump to mind -- the interaction within the CentCom's staff meetings. I was privy to Southern Command's staff meetings in Panama. As the several meetings were presented, I was transported almost 50 years back to my experience and participation. It wsas more than 'realistic' -- it was truly genuine.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Following the trail, not conflicting orders, demanded Major Castillo's dogged pursuit to avert another 9/11 type disaster.

Any additional comments?

As an aside, while serving in Special Forces missions, The most valuable quality, other than teamwork, was adaptability with resourcefulness. Keeping your attention focused on the completing the overall task sometimes meant deviating from conflicting orders. If you failed to complete the task, you were in deep stuff -- but if you succeeded, well, the kudos were well deserved. This book exemplifies every valuable trait for any Special Forces operative.

Great special forces book

fun book with enough complexity, seriousness and humor to keep it balanced. some really interesting military history too, but not so much it turned into a history lesson.

great book

wonderful. will definately listen a gain. great book for car listening. Good chapter length !

Another page turner by W.E.B

This one follows a similar cadence as his other books. It is something I truly enjoy. The political stuff without being political also is very well done.
Good character development and gripping story telling.

Interesting characters, good plot, slow paced.

The story starts out with a bang as a jet is stolen. Then the main characters are introduced and every detail on the main characters prior life is told through back story memories.

It can be a bit distracting at times but does have some intereting parts relating to the main character.

It takes a long time for things to happen and each aspect is drawn out. For example, when the characters are flying in a plane, the detailed call in to the tower goes through every aspect of the call in and landing....that gets boring. Much of the story is delivered the same way. I found my mind wandering off a lot as I listened.

If you are really into the whole military behavior and all the aspects of decoram that go along with it you will like it. I did enjoy the characters but would prefer an abridged version.

The ending, when it finally got to it, was rather anti-climatic.