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The Afghan  By  cover art

The Afghan

By: Frederick Forsyth
Narrated by: Robert Powell
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Publisher's summary

A chilling story of modern terrorism from the grandmaster of international intrigue.

The Day of the Jackal, The Dogs of War, The Odessa File: the books of Frederick Forsyth have helped define the international thriller as we know it today. Combining meticulous research with crisp narratives and plots as current as the headlines, Forsyth shows us the world as it is in a way that few have ever been able to equal.

And the world as it is today is a very scary place.

When British and American intelligence catch wind of a major Al Qaeda operation in the works, they instantly galvanize, but to do what? They know nothing about it: the what, where, or when. They have no sources in Al Qaeda, and it's impossible to plant someone. Or is it?

The Afghan is Izmat Khan, a five-year prisoner of Guantanamo Bay and a former senior commander of the Taliban. The Afghan is also Colonel Mike Martin, a 25-year-old veteran of war zones around the world; a dark, lean man born and raised in Iraq. In an attempt to stave off disaster, the intelligence agencies will try to do what no one has ever done before, pass off a Westerner as an Arab among Arabs, and pass off Martin as the trusted Khan.

It will require extraordinary preparation, and then extraordinary luck, for nothing can truly prepare Martin for the dark and shifting world into which he is about to enter. Or for the terrible things he will find there.

Filled with remarkable detail and compulsive drama, The Afghan is further proof that Forsyth is truly master of suspense.

©2006 Frederick Forsyth (P)2006 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and Recorded Books, LLC. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"A cut above...other post-9/11 spy thrillers." (Publishers Weekly)
"When it comes to espionage, international intrigue, and suspense, Frederick Forsyth is a master." (The Washington Post)

What listeners say about The Afghan

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Somewhere In Between

The reviewers of this book either loved it or hated it, thought the plot profound or boring, and the reader great or dreadful. My view is that it is one of the few books that I think I would have been better off reading - and not because of the reader.

The problem with this book in audible format is that the multiple sub-plots and characters are switched between abruptly and frequently. I have to believe that in written format that there are double spaced lines or some other visual clue that would alert you to the change. In audible format I often missed those cues. Further, it is one of the worst books to "rewind" that I have ever encountered. If you had an interruption or lost concentration and tried to return to where you were in the story, it was very difficult to find the break point.

I certainly would not discourage anyone from buying this in audible format if your reading time is all verbal. If you have time to read in written format, however, I think that would be a better way to go.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Slow Part 1 - Great Part 2

Part 1 is slow. You can start at Part 2 and it will stand on it's own as a great story.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Reader's Voice Complements Tension

The reader (Robert Powell) is perfect. The tension builds and the plot is interesting. Very entertaining, I thought. In the last quarter, the plot wobbles but it works overall.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Another Good Forsyth book

Not his best but well written and altough it was not completly beleivable for me it was still a good listen and I recommend it.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Afghan

I'm normally drawn to authors like Patricia Cornwell and Dean Koontz. Intrigued by the title of this book, I decided to buy it.

It is an excellently written book. The narration keeps you interested throughout. I was captivated by the story line.

This book is a listen!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great peek into terror networks

This is a tremendous sagea of the very optimistic view of the west's views, understanding & response to one of the multiple, far fetches terrorist plots against the west designed to surpass 9-11.... that said, it's well written, engaging & believable on the personal level.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

outstanding

Wow, this guy is the best. He does his homework, his characters are well developed, and his stories are outstanding. I read/listen to everything he does and they are all fantastic.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Forsyths 'The Day of the Jackal' is one of my all time favorites so I had high hopes for 'The Afghan', but was diappointed. In fact half way through it almost became my first ever abandoned Audible selevtion, but I perservered to the end. The first half is very heavy on passive voice back story. The second half picks up somewhat, but not enough. There is one big hole in the plot and the finale is a rather abrupt anti climax.

The narrators voice is very clear throughout, but rather boring.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring and disappointing

I gave this book only one star because it is a very predictable, drawn out story with no dialogue to speak of. The plot centers on the mystery cargo of the terrorist vessel and the behind the scenes plotting of Al Quaeda, but after listening for a few hours you get tired of waiting for the climax--which is anything but exciting. No vintage Forsythe here, just a dreadfully dull story that could have been been developed in a fraction of the time required to finish the book. Buyer beware!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

Great audio book. I thouroughly enjoyed it. It has a compelling plot, good character creation and well researched details. The Narration was very well done and not overly acted.

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2 people found this helpful