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)

A story you could live through.

If you could sum up By Order of the President in three words, what would they be?

A great adventure.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed the story of Charlie Castilio's origins and his adaptation to a new family.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many to pick a favorite. The meeting with his grandparents.

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

His being chosen for such an important mission in the US government.

Great Book! I just got the next one in the sequil

This book was very long, however it was worth every minute! I can not wait to start the next book.

excellent story well done

Griffin is one my top two authors and this is one of my favorite titles of his. The performance is very well done. One of best audibles I've ever purchased

Well written, poor performance

This excellent thriller would have been better served with a more dynamic performance, possibly including a female voice for.the women in the story.

Decent

Wish it had more action. I hope this book series continues a a a a

Another great series by W. E. B. Griffin

Fans of military fiction will love Mr. Griffin's stories.

I listened to "The Brotherhood of War" several years ago then moved directly on to his "The Corps" , devouring each audiobook as fast as I could get my hands on them.
When I found "Presidential Agent", I knew I'd find another favorite and I was not disappointed.
Narrator Dick Hill took an already great story and brought it to life with his expert voice acting and timing. Highly recommended.

Doesn’t stand up

With inappropriate verbiage throughout it was disappointing to give up on this title. I’m a big fan of the Brotherhood series but this book shows a dark side of the author.

Great book

This is the first boom of the series and a great jumping off point. I have listened to it several times now.

Gripping Story

Griffin has the knack and understanding to choregraph the driving elements of a story into realistic existence. The story pulled me from the beginning into what I believed an interesting international terrorism thriller, but not exactly the way I thought it would conclude. That aspect of Griffin's story telling kept me focused. Griffin does a superb job of developing the characters in this story. The main character enters in an unhighlighted manner, from an unlikely beginning, Dick Hill is an excellent choice for narrator, as through his vocal characterizations brings each of the characters in the story alive. I found the technical aspects correct, and somewhat intrigued with Griffin's use of them. I highly recommend this story. I think you'll find it the thriller it is, but also a gripping story that develops quickly, with sufficient detail, and development to keep you reading. I'm rating this a five star in all categories.

By Order Of The President

This is, I think a great book. First, its the intro to a a compelling chracter, Major Charley Castillo. And a story line that develops all the way to the end.Not to mention the ever entertaining narration of Dick Hill. I will listen to the rest of this series. Also I think its great when a author develops a chracter and expands that into a series.