The Company

A Novel of the CIA

By: Robert Littell

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 41 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Crisis constantly lurks around the corner, monitored by spies who are always with us. In his career-capping thirteenth novel, master of the espionage thriller Robert Littell has crafted a breathtaking story of the legendary CIA - "The Company" to insiders.

At its heart lies a spectacular mole hunt involving the CIA, MI6, KGB and Mossad - a stunningly conceived trip down the rabbit hole to the labyrinthine Alice-in-Wonderland world of espionage, "a wood where things have no names."

Racing across a landscape spanning the legendary Berlin Base of the 1950s - the front line of the simmering Cold War - the Soviet invasion of Hungary, the Bay of Pigs, Afghanistan, and the Gorbachev putsch, The Company tells the thrilling story of agents imprisoned in double lives, fighting an enemy that is amoral, elusive, and formidable. It also lays bare the internecine warfare within the company itself, adding another dimension to the spy vs. spy game.

©2013 Robert Littell (P)2013 Phoenix Audio

Critic reviews

"If Robert Littell didn't invent the American spy novel, he should have." (Tom Clancy, author of Patriot Games) "If le Carre is the Joyce of spy novelists, Littell is the Dickens." (Booklist, starred review). "An epic tale...peopled by heroes and villains who seem almost mythological in retrospect...Keeps you riveted." (Nelson DeMille, author of Up Country)
"Destined to become the definitive novel about the CIA." (Amazon.com)

Worth the wait

For me, the first hour or so of the book was confusing because I listened to it in 10-15 minute bursts. But, once I got all the characters straight this was a fun ride. It is a fascinating story and because historical fact is woven so seamlessly with fiction, it is hard to tell which is which! A great read/listen and well worth the time investment.

Exciting & Satisfying Historical Fiction

This is a long spy novel with lots of historical fictionalization, fantastic characters, and great writing. I enjoyed this immensely. The blending of history with fiction is very engaging, and the characters (including the Russian spys) are fully developed with interesting motivations. The story follows the CIA from the end of WWII through the fall of the Soviet Union. Beware that, while much of the the story is based on history, some is unlikely fiction (KGB assassination of Pope John Paul I). Some of the CIA's biggest mistakes are very lightly glossed over.

This book include quite a bit of rough language, sex, and bloody violence, so is not for those that don't like this sort of thing. The bit about a doddering, manipulated, Ronald Reagan will annoy some readers.

One of the best aspects of the book is the point of view which shows some of the Soviet spies as honorable, and some in the CIA members as dishonorable, the CIA successes and failures, the CIA efforts to circumvent both the congress and the white house, and the transition of old enemies to new allies as the Soviet Union collapses.

The narration was excellent with a very wide range of great character voices, each with unique emotionality.

4th time and it is still fantastic!

Perfect. I loved it. Laughed. Cried. Cursed. Felt betrayed alongside the characters. Awesome. Fantastic. Deeply enriching. Clever. Amazingly written.

Well worth the time

The month of December passed quickly as I lived this novel. I found myself sitting in my car to listen just a little bit more. I spent a lot of time driving in December which made this a great choice for my travel time.
Although the number of discs required to burn this for listening is formidible, it is worth the time and investment. You should enjoy this. I am actually going to listen again as the plot is so complicated that I can get more the second time around.

Great story .

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

An outstanding performance in the way he moved back and forth between Russian, German and English.

Any additional comments?

Great story. Character development is great. I felt I really got to know and care about the characters. Also, I was impressed with the history lessons woven into the story .....there were times when I was not sure where fact ended and fiction began. You’ll love Scott Brick’s narration. I think he is a wonderfully talented narrator they way he moved from English to Russian and other accents. His narration brought life to the characters. Overall this was a great book. I was sorry when it ended.

Increases the Joy of Driving

The best part of comuting to work is that I get to listen to this book. The book is gripping from page 1 to the end. The discriptions of operations sounds real. It did not impress me much as the way 2 important personals of this story were eliminated. But other then that this is a must listen.

A Great Story

This is an engrossing yarn, expertly narrated. Sometimes you find yourself thinking this is non-fiction!

Fantastic Web of Intrigue

The Company was a great walk through history with lots of twists and turns. Robert Littell is able to weave an incredible web of intrigue that will have you captivated to find out which side will win.

Great for Baby Boomers to Read

This book appealed to me because it covers the Cold War for a span of 48 years. It covers the major events of the Cold War accurately, and it introduces 3 characters that are brave, analytical, determined and loyal. The section on the Bay of Pigs is especially interesting, the details were rich. I found myself doing research on the Bay of Pigs era and enjoying the book that much more. It's not kind towards Ronald Reagan's legacy, but the views expressed are things I heard before. If you love history and want to learn more about the Cold War, this book is a good way to do that.

Fascinating fast-paced historical journey!

Scott Brick makes this story come alive right before you with his master of accents. I will never forget Hungary!